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Health insurance Plan A requires the insured to pay $1000 or 50% of total cost, whichever is lower. Plan B requires the insured to pay the initial $300, but then pays 80% of the cost over $300. Which of the following is a cost level for which both insurance plans pay out the same amount?
A. $600
B. $1000
C. $3800
D. $5300
E. $6200
OA C.
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Health insurance Plan A requires the insured to pay $1000 or
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Hi All,
We're told that Health insurance Plan A requires the insured to pay $1000 or 50% of total cost, whichever is LOWER. Plan B requires the insured to pay the initial $300, but IT then pays 80% of the cost over $300. We're asked which of the following is a cost level for which both insurance plans pay out the SAME amount. You can answer this question with Algebra or by TESTing THE ANSWERS. Either way though, you have to pay careful attention to the wording of the prompt.
Since Plan A requires a $1000 payment OR 50% of total cost from the insured - whichever is LOWER - there's a great tactical shortcut here: any total bill that is over $2,000 will require that the insured pay $1,000 through Plan A. Since most of the answers are over $2,000, we can look to see if any of them would require that a total of $1,000 be paid by the insured through Plan B.
I'll start with the smallest option from Answers C, D and E...
Answer C: $3,800
Insurance pays (3800 - 300)(.8) = (3500)(.8) = 2800
Insured pays initial 300 + whatever the insurance does NOT pay (3500 - 2800 = 700).
300 + 700 = 1,000
This is a MATCH for what we're looking for, so this MUST be the answer.
Final Answer: C
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
We're told that Health insurance Plan A requires the insured to pay $1000 or 50% of total cost, whichever is LOWER. Plan B requires the insured to pay the initial $300, but IT then pays 80% of the cost over $300. We're asked which of the following is a cost level for which both insurance plans pay out the SAME amount. You can answer this question with Algebra or by TESTing THE ANSWERS. Either way though, you have to pay careful attention to the wording of the prompt.
Since Plan A requires a $1000 payment OR 50% of total cost from the insured - whichever is LOWER - there's a great tactical shortcut here: any total bill that is over $2,000 will require that the insured pay $1,000 through Plan A. Since most of the answers are over $2,000, we can look to see if any of them would require that a total of $1,000 be paid by the insured through Plan B.
I'll start with the smallest option from Answers C, D and E...
Answer C: $3,800
Insurance pays (3800 - 300)(.8) = (3500)(.8) = 2800
Insured pays initial 300 + whatever the insurance does NOT pay (3500 - 2800 = 700).
300 + 700 = 1,000
This is a MATCH for what we're looking for, so this MUST be the answer.
Final Answer: C
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Brent@GMATPrepNow
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Here's an algebraic approach:AAPL wrote:Manhattan Prep
Health insurance Plan A requires the insured to pay $1000 or 50% of total cost, whichever is lower. Plan B requires the insured to pay the initial $300, but then pays 80% of the cost over $300. Which of the following is a cost level for which both insurance plans pay out the same amount?
A. $600
B. $1000
C. $3800
D. $5300
E. $6200
OA C.
Let T = TOTAL COST
Plan A: Person pays EITHER $1000 OR 0.5T, whichever is LESS
Plan B: Person pays $300 plus 20% of anything over $300. In other words, the person pays $300 + 0.2(T - 300)
Since Plan A has two different scenarios, we need to test both. That is, create equations that see both plans costing the insured the same amount.
Case #1) 1000 = 300 + 0.2(T - 300).....now SOLVE
Expand: 1000 = 300 + 0.2T - 60
Rearrange: 760 = 0.2T
Solve: T = 3800
Perfect!!
The correct answer is C
Just for "fun" let's check out case #2
Case #2) 0.5T = 300 + 0.2(T - 300).....now SOLVE
Expand: 0.5T = 300 + 0.2T - 60
Rearrange: 0.3T = 240
Solve: T = 800
Hmmm, it seems that if the TOTAL cost were $800, both plans would require the insured to pay the same amount ($400). That said, $800 is not one of the answer choices.
Also notice that the question says, "Which of the following is a cost level for which both insurance plans pay out the same amount?" So, there are two possible correct answers, and the question asks us to find one of them.
Cheers,
Brent
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THE INSURED is the person covered by the insurance.AAPL wrote:Manhattan Prep
Health insurance Plan A requires the insured to pay $1000 or 50% of total cost, whichever is lower. Plan B requires the insured to pay the initial $300, but then pays 80% of the cost over $300. Which of the following is a cost level for which both insurance plans pay out the same amount?
A. $600
B. $1000
C. $3800
D. $5300
E. $6200
Plan A:
If $1000 is LESS than 50% of the cost level, then THE INSURED pays $1000, and PLAN A pays the remainder.
If $1000 is MORE than 50% of the cost level, then THE INSURED pays 50% of the cost level, and PLAN A pays the remainder.
Plan B:
THE INSURED pays the first $300.
PLAN B pays 80% of the remainder.
We can PLUG IN THAN ANSWERS.
When the correct answer is plugged in, the amount paid by Plan A will be equal to that paid by Plan B.
B: 1000
Plan A:
Since 0.5(1000) = 500 -- which is LESS than $1000 -- the insured pays $500.
The remainder is paid by Plan A:
1000-500 = 500.
Plan B:
Amount paid by the insured = 300.
80% of the remainder is paid by Plan B:
0.8(700) = 560.
In this case, the amount paid by Plan A is LESS than that paid by Plan B.
Eliminate B.
D: 5300
Plan A:
Since 0.5(5300) = 2650 -- which is greater than $1000 -- the insured pays $1000.
The remainder is paid by Plan A:
5300-1000 = 4300.
Plan B:
Amount paid by the insured = 300.
80% of the remainder is paid by Plan B:
0.8(5000) = 4000.
In this case, the amount paid by Plan A is GREATER than that paid by Plan B.
Eliminate D.
When the cost level = 1000, the amount paid by Plan A is LESS than that paid by Plan B.
When the cost level = 5300, the amount paid by Plan A is GREATER than that paid by Plan B.
Implication:
For the two amounts to be EQUAL, the cost level must be BETWEEN 1000 AND 5300.
The correct answer is C.
C: 3800
Plan A:
Since 0.5(3800) = 1900 -- which is greater than $1000 -- the insured pays $1000.
The remainder is paid by Plan A:
3800-1000 = 2800.
Plan B:
Amount paid by the insured = 300.
80% of the remainder is paid by Plan B:
0.8(3500) = 2800.
Success!
Here, the amount paid by each plan is the same: $2800.
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We can let x = a cost level for which both insurance plans pay out the same amount.AAPL wrote:Manhattan Prep
Health insurance Plan A requires the insured to pay $1000 or 50% of total cost, whichever is lower. Plan B requires the insured to pay the initial $300, but then pays 80% of the cost over $300. Which of the following is a cost level for which both insurance plans pay out the same amount?
A. $600
B. $1000
C. $3800
D. $5300
E. $6200
Since 50% of $2000 is $1000, if x > 2000, Plan A will pay out (x - 1000) and Plan B will pay out 0.8(x - 300). Setting them equal, we have:
x - 1000 = 0.8(x - 300)
x - 1000 = 0.8x - 240
0.2x = 760
x = 3,800
Now, if x < 2000, then Plan A will pay out 0.5x and Plan B will still pay out 0.8(x - 300).
0.5x = 0.8(x - 300)
0.5x = 0.8x - 240
240 = 0.3x
800 = x
We see that x could be either 3,800 or 800. However, since the question asks for a cost level (instead of the cost level) and only 3,800 is given, then 3,800 is the correct answer.
Answer: C
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