Reading Comprehension Related

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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.

The passage implies that

  • A. There is a crisis in numbers management in the healthcare industry.
  • B. Primary care physicians should work out of emergency rooms.
  • C. Indigent people should not be allowed into emergency rooms.
  • D. Insurance companies are getting rich.
Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The passage discusses the reliance on emergency rooms for primary care, leading to a vicious cycle of rising costs that are passed on to patients and insurance companies. It highlights the financial burden faced by patients who cannot afford co-payments or deductibles, and the subsequent increase in insurance rates. Therefore, the implication is that there is a crisis in numbers management in the healthcare industry, indicating a systemic issue that needs to be addressed to prevent further negative consequences.