amod243 wrote:
City Official: At City Hospital, uninsured patients tend to have shorter stays and fewer procedures performed than do insured patients, even though insured patients, on average, have slightly less serious medical problems at the time of admission to the hospital than uninsured patients have. Critics of the hospital have concluded that the uninsured patients are most receiving proper medical care. However, this conclusion is almost certainly false. Careful investigation has recently shown two things: insured patients have much longer stays in the hospital than necessary, and they tend to have more procedures performed than are medically necessary.
In the city official’s argument, the two boldface portions play which of the following roles?
(A) The first states the conclusion of the city official’s argument; the second provides support for that conclusion.
(B) The first is used to support the conclusion of the city official’s argument; the second states that conclusion.
(C) The first was used to support the conclusion drawn by hospital critics; the second states the position that the city official’s argument opposes.
(D) The first was used to support the conclusion drawn by hospital critics; the second provides support for the conclusion of the city official’s argument.
(E) The first states the position that the city official’s argument opposes; the second states the conclusion of the city official’s argument
jawele wrote:
Hi
While the answer can be determined from the argument as it is given, I suppose the first BF is somewhat weird. Is it really correct? Do the critics really speak about "uninsured patients"? The author opposes the conclusion, but he or she goes on to talk about "insured patients". I aren't sure whether taking that support that address a different group, the author's reasoning stands firm. Or I am missing out something here?
Thanks
GMATNinja GMATNinjaTwo gmat1393 GMATNinja nightblade354You might be overthinking this one... or maybe I just don't fully understand your question?
We are told that "critics of the hospital have concluded that the uninsured patients are most receiving proper medical care." This gives us the position of the hospital critics. The author then states, "this conclusion is almost certainly false." So, just from that, we know that the city official opposes the position of the hospital critics.
The city official then provides evidence to support the statement that the conclusion of the hospital critics is almost certainly false: "Careful investigation has recently shown two things: insured patients have much longer stays in the hospital than necessary, and they tend to have more procedures performed than are medically necessary."
The statement that the conclusion of the hospital critics is almost certainly false IS the conclusion of the city official's argument.
I hope that helps!