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705-805 (Hard)|   Weaken|      
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honchos
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A major impediment to universal access to medication is the 11 Nov 2013, 03:29
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45% (02:03) correct 55% (02:13) wrong based on 621 sessions

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A major impediment to universal access to medication is the high cost of patented drugs, which are often specifically required by patients for survival. In an attempt to make such drugs more widely available to patients, one drug company is planning to offer patients a free one-month drug supply for every $1,000 they spend on patented drugs.

Which of the following, if true, most threatens the plan's prospects for success?

A. Many patented drugs are not designed to be used for more than two weeks.
B. The drug company offering free one-month supplies will increase their prices so that the effective cost per dose remains the same.
C. Most patients who depend on patented drugs for survival possess insurance coverage that pays most of the cost of the drugs they require.
D. Whenever possible, physicians prescribe drugs that are available in generic alternatives that are not patented.
E. Patients who suffer from the most severe ailments often require multiple drugs patented by different companies as part of their daily regimen.
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B
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A major impediment to universal access to medication is the 12 Nov 2013, 21:08
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I will go with C.

If insurance is available , there is no need of plan to implement.
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A major impediment to universal access to medication is the 13 Nov 2013, 03:52
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honchos
A major impediment to universal access to medication is the high cost of patented drugs, which are often specifically required by patients for survival. In an attempt to make such drugs more widely available to patients, one drug company is planning to offer patients a free one-month drug supply for every $1,000 they spend on patented drugs.

Which of the following, if true, most threatens the plan's prospects for success?

A. Many patented drugs are not designed to be used for more than two weeks.
B. The drug company offering free one-month supplies will increase their prices so that the effective cost per dose remains the same.
C. Most patients who depend on patented drugs for survival possess insurance coverage that pays most of the cost of the drugs they require.
D. Whenever possible, physicians prescribe drugs that are available in generic alternatives that are not patented.
E. Patients who suffer from the most severe ailments often require multiple drugs patented by different companies as part of their daily regimen.
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I think C is right.
If the drugs are funded by insurance, than it won't help reducing the cost, because it won't help....
Anyone?
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A major impediment to universal access to medication is the 16 Nov 2013, 06:59
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B it is,

A major impediment to universal access to medication is the high cost of patented drugs, which are often specifically required by patients for survival. In an attempt to make such drugs more widely available to patients, one drug company is planning to offer patients a free one-month drug supply for every $1,000 they spend on patented drugs.

Which of the following, if true, most threatens the plan's prospects for success?

A. Many patented drugs are not designed to be used for more than two weeks. Even if all of them are not designed to be used for two weeks, there might be several of them,so the dosage can span for a month. In any case, we get the benefit because we get the drugs for free.
B. The drug company offering free one-month supplies will increase their prices so that the effective cost per dose remains the same.Correct,If the effective cost remains the same then why on earth will this scheme be beneficial. It would be on the other hand harmful to the patients who do not spend 1000$.This is the one that most damages the plan's prospect of being successful.
C. Most patients who depend on patented drugs for survival possess insurance coverage that pays most of the cost of the drugs they require.I don't care if it pays for most of the cost. I still do get a benefit with the scheme.
D. Whenever possible, physicians prescribe drugs that are available in generic alternatives that are not patented.Irrelevant, what happens if alternatives are not available, In any case the company is providing me with the benefit.
E. Patients who suffer from the most severe ailments often require multiple drugs patented by different companies as part of their daily regimenMaybe they do but does it absolutely make for a case where no patient would spend a 1000 bucks for the patented drug ?
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A major impediment to universal access to medication is the 29 Jun 2014, 12:58
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ramannanda9
B it is,

A major impediment to universal access to medication is the high cost of patented drugs, which are often specifically required by patients for survival. In an attempt to make such drugs more widely available to patients, one drug company is planning to offer patients a free one-month drug supply for every $1,000 they spend on patented drugs.

Which of the following, if true, most threatens the plan's prospects for success?

A. Many patented drugs are not designed to be used for more than two weeks. Even if all of them are not designed to be used for two weeks, there might be several of them,so the dosage can span for a month. In any case, we get the benefit because we get the drugs for free.
B. The drug company offering free one-month supplies will increase their prices so that the effective cost per dose remains the same.Correct,If the effective cost remains the same then why on earth will this scheme be beneficial. It would be on the other hand harmful to the patients who do not spend 1000$.This is the one that most damages the plan's prospect of being successful.
C. Most patients who depend on patented drugs for survival possess insurance coverage that pays most of the cost of the drugs they require.I don't care if it pays for most of the cost. I still do get a benefit with the scheme.
D. Whenever possible, physicians prescribe drugs that are available in generic alternatives that are not patented.Irrelevant, what happens if alternatives are not available, In any case the company is providing me with the benefit.
E. Patients who suffer from the most severe ailments often require multiple drugs patented by different companies as part of their daily regimenMaybe they do but does it absolutely make for a case where no patient would spend a 1000 bucks for the patented drug ?
Show more

For your explanation of point B. The company sells a drug for 1200$ now, so for 2 drugs = 2400$ they'd have to give you 2 month free supplies. now they up the cost to 1600$ so for 2 drugs they'd have to give you 3 months of free supplies. isn't it beneficial to you?

Plus no matter how much of the cost you may increase, you can always make up for it in a single day of free supplies. even if you paid 1 million $ for drugs, you could make up for it in a single day of free supplies.
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A major impediment to universal access to medication is the 29 Jun 2014, 22:42
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honchos
A major impediment to universal access to medication is the high cost of patented drugs, which are often specifically required by patients for survival. In an attempt to make such drugs more widely available to patients, one drug company is planning to offer patients a free one-month drug supply for every $1,000 they spend on patented drugs.

Which of the following, if true, most threatens the plan's prospects for success?

A. Many patented drugs are not designed to be used for more than two weeks.
B. The drug company offering free one-month supplies will increase their prices so that the effective cost per dose remains the same.
C. Most patients who depend on patented drugs for survival possess insurance coverage that pays most of the cost of the drugs they require.
D. Whenever possible, physicians prescribe drugs that are available in generic alternatives that are not patented.
E. Patients who suffer from the most severe ailments often require multiple drugs patented by different companies as part of their daily regimen.
Show more

Responding to a pm:

Plan: offer patients a free one-month drug supply for every $1,000 they spend on patented drugs
What does the plan want to achieve? "to make such drugs more widely available to patients"
The plan will try to make the high cost drugs more widely available.

Option (B) says that prices will be increased so effective cost per dose will remain the same. If this happens, patients will pay whatever they have been paying. It does not reduce the price of the drug and hence does not make it more widely available. It directly attacks the plan and hence is the correct answer.

If you want to take some numbers to understand, say a patient needs $1000 worth patented drugs every month. If the company bumps up the cost to $2000 for a month's supply and gives him a month's free supply when he buys the $2000 drug, the patient still pays $2000 for 2 month's drug therapy. Hence the price does not come down for him so the company's plan of making the drug more widely available does not succeed.
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A major impediment to universal access to medication is the 19 Jun 2019, 03:02
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honchos
A major impediment to universal access to medication is the high cost of patented drugs, which are often specifically required by patients for survival. In an attempt to make such drugs more widely available to patients, one drug company is planning to offer patients a free one-month drug supply for every $1,000 they spend on patented drugs.

Which of the following, if true, most threatens the plan's prospects for success?

A. Many patented drugs are not designed to be used for more than two weeks.
B. The drug company offering free one-month supplies will increase their prices so that the effective cost per dose remains the same.
C. Most patients who depend on patented drugs for survival possess insurance coverage that pays most of the cost of the drugs they require.
D. Whenever possible, physicians prescribe drugs that are available in generic alternatives that are not patented.
E. Patients who suffer from the most severe ailments often require multiple drugs patented by different companies as part of their daily regimen.
Show more

I have some doubts.
1. Attempt is to make drugs (which are required for survival) more widely available
2. free one-month drug supply for every $1,000: Does this mean that somebody can invest $1000 every month to earn a free one month trial of the drug? Even if not, the drug would be available for atleast a month.
3. Even if drugs are available only for a month (indicated in choice B): Does that not account for increase in availability?

I initially though of C, but understanding that the money issue is still there (after accessibility to insurance). B is the only viable option, but for weakener questions on GMAT, we hardly come across ambiguous answer choices.

Pl correct me if I am wrong.
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A major impediment to universal access to medication is the 07 Mar 2021, 02:40
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Even if the price is hiked the patient doesn't care because for every 1,000 he spends he will get a month free. Thus, even if he gets 1 pill or 10 pills it doesn't matter as long as he spends 10,000$. If he does he will get a month treatment for free.
That's why I don't think its B
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A major impediment to universal access to medication is the 31 Jan 2025, 01:15
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Hi KarishmaB,

I had some doubt regarding the explanation given, if you could please clarify it, would be great.

Your reasoning assumes that the company will offer the one month free supply at inflated prices

but we are given in the option that the company "will" increase the prices, so in the future , not now

as per the stem, at present, they are offering one month free supply at 1000$,
unless we know that these 1000$ are inflated, we cannot assume that customers are paying higher prices

(B) only holds credence if the company hikes the current prices, but that is not what is given

The prices will be hiked in the future
KarishmaB
honchos
A major impediment to universal access to medication is the high cost of patented drugs, which are often specifically required by patients for survival. In an attempt to make such drugs more widely available to patients, one drug company is planning to offer patients a free one-month drug supply for every $1,000 they spend on patented drugs.

Which of the following, if true, most threatens the plan's prospects for success?

A. Many patented drugs are not designed to be used for more than two weeks.
B. The drug company offering free one-month supplies will increase their prices so that the effective cost per dose remains the same.
C. Most patients who depend on patented drugs for survival possess insurance coverage that pays most of the cost of the drugs they require.
D. Whenever possible, physicians prescribe drugs that are available in generic alternatives that are not patented.
E. Patients who suffer from the most severe ailments often require multiple drugs patented by different companies as part of their daily regimen.

Responding to a pm:

Plan: offer patients a free one-month drug supply for every $1,000 they spend on patented drugs
What does the plan want to achieve? "to make such drugs more widely available to patients"
The plan will try to make the high cost drugs more widely available.

Option (B) says that prices will be increased so effective cost per dose will remain the same. If this happens, patients will pay whatever they have been paying. It does not reduce the price of the drug and hence does not make it more widely available. It directly attacks the plan and hence is the correct answer.

If you want to take some numbers to understand, say a patient needs $1000 worth patented drugs every month. If the company bumps up the cost to $2000 for a month's supply and gives him a month's free supply when he buys the $2000 drug, the patient still pays $2000 for 2 month's drug therapy. Hence the price does not come down for him so the company's plan of making the drug more widely available does not succeed.
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