Nokea
Health Care's Numbers Game: The game of health care is a risky one. Today emergency rooms are acting as primary care physicians for thousands of patients. This trend produces a vicious cycle of hospitals raising emergency room costs and passing that increase along to paying patients, who in turn pass it along to insurance companies, who in turn raise rates so even more people cannot afford the premium or the co-payment.
For years, indigent people have used emergency rooms for very minor illnesses rather than seeing an outside doctor, but now emergency rooms are seeing people with insurance, but who cannot afford the co-payment or the deductible for the office visit.
If we don't change the way the healthcare game is played, we're all going to lose.
According to the passage, why are more and more people using emergency rooms for minor illnesses?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: They cannot afford the co-payment or deductible required by insurance. The passage explains that more people are using emergency rooms for minor illnesses because they cannot afford the co-payment or deductible for an office visit. This is supported by the statement that "emergency rooms are seeing people with insurance, but who cannot afford the co-payment or the deductible for the office visit." This directly links the financial barrier of affording the co-payment or deductible to the increased use of emergency rooms.
Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because they are not supported by the passage. Choice A suggests that patients want to continue the cycle of healthcare, which is not mentioned in the passage. Choice B states that insurance companies require hospital visits for all illnesses, which is not mentioned either. Choice C claims that doctors in emergency rooms are more skilled, which is also not supported by the passage.