I could not get the rigth answer for this question, this came up in a kaplan exam. I also dont understand the explanation. Could someone pick the best answer and explain how to get to it. I will be posting the answer later.


Doctor: Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) should not be used to replace traditional fee-for-service methods of delivering health care. The less health care that HMOs deliver, the greater the profit these companies receive. Accordingly, there is a perverse incentive for these companies to deliver very little health care, regardless of the ill patient's needs.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the doctor's conclusion?

a)Doctors are paid less by HMOs than they receive under a fee-for-service system, which allows HMOs to charge less for the service they provide.
b)An effective way for HMOs to cut health care delivery costs is to prevent diseases from occurring by providing considerable amounts of preventive health care.
c) If HMOs deliver less health care, competitive pressures will force these companies to lower the rates they charge for health care coverage, returning the profit margin to former levels.
d)Fee-for-service methods of delivering health care have perverse incentives to provide unnecessary health care at inflated costs.
e)HMOs are the only proven way to reduce the high health care costs produced by a fee-for-service system without governmental interference.

Doctor: Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) should not be used to replace traditional fee-for-service methods of delivering health care. The less health care that HMOs deliver, the greater the profit these companies receive. Accordingly, there is a perverse incentive for these companies to deliver very little health care, regardless of the ill patient's needs.

a)Doctors are paid less by HMOs than they receive under a fee-for-service system, which allows HMOs to charge less for the service they provide. - This does not attack the underlined claim
b)An effective way for HMOs to cut health care delivery costs is to prevent diseases from occurring by providing considerable amounts of preventive health care. - Again irrelevant, does not attack why they deliver little health care
c) If HMOs deliver less health care, competitive pressures will force these companies to lower the rates they charge for health care coverage, returning the profit margin to former levels - Yes, if HMO's deliver very little health care, it affects their profit margin, hence undermines the bolded claim
d)Fee-for-service methods of delivering health care have perverse incentives to provide unnecessary health care at inflated costs. - This does not concern or attach the Doctor's claim about HMO's
e)HMOs are the only proven way to reduce the high health care costs produced by a fee-for-service system without governmental interference. - Strengthens the argument

Hence the answer which weakens would be C. Hope this helps.

Sandeep
--------------------
Give and take Kudos

I agree with seekmba!

Nice explanation,sandeepnerly! +1 to you!

C.........above explanations are good ......

IMO C...Pretty easy
_________________

Kidchaos

http://www.laptopskinvault.com

Follow The Laptop Skin Vault on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheLaptopSkinVault
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LaptopSkinVault

Consider Kudos if you think the Post is good
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot. Nothing is going to change. It's not. - Dr. Seuss