undermines the conclusion

Question

Compared to nonprofit hospitals of the same size, investor-owned hospitals require less public investment in the form of tax breaks, use fewer employees, and have higher occupancy levels. It can therefore be concluded that investor-owned hospitals are a better way of delivering medical care than are nonprofit hospitals.

Which one of the following, if true, most undermines the conclusion drawn above?

(A) Nonprofit hospitals charge more per bed than do investor-owned hospitals.
(B) Patients in nonprofit hospitals recover more quickly than do patients with comparable illnesses in investor-owned hospitals.
(C) Nonprofit hospitals do more fundraising than do investor-owned hospitals.
(D) Doctors at nonprofit hospitals earn higher salaries than do similarly-qualified doctors at investor-owned hospitals.
(E) Nonprofit hospitals receive more donations than do investor-owned hospital

thephoenix · Answer

conclusion: Investor-owned hospitals are a better way of delivering medical care than are nonprofit hospitals because they require less public investment in the form of tax breaks, use fewer employees, and have higher occupancy levels.

So what would weaken/undermine the conclusion? The argument is based on the delivery of medical care. If investor-owned hospitals have higher occupancy levels than nonprofit hospitals the argument could be made that nonprofits are more efficient at the delivery of medical care with fewer patients staying in the hospital thus making it possible to care for more patients.

A) This strengthens the conclusion.

B) I like this answer. If patients recover quicker in nonprofit hospitals than do those in investor-owned hospitals that means the delivery of care is better and more efficient. Moreover, non-profits may have lower occupancy rates because of the delivery of medical care is "better" or more efficient.

C) Who cares about fundraising? Does fundraising make nonprofit hospitals better at delivering medical care?

D) This is interesting ... doctors make more in nonprofit hospitals ... one could argue that this makes delivering medical care more inefficient.

E) Can donations make a hospital more efficient or better at delivering medical care? Possibly.

I'm going with B. What's the OA?

komal · Answer

gmatnmein2010 wrote:Compared to nonprofit hospitals of the same size, investor-owned hospitals require less public investment in the form of tax breaks, use fewer employees, and have higher occupancy levels. It can therefore be concluded that investor-owned hospitals are a better way of delivering medical care than are nonprofit hospitals.

Which one of the following, if true, most undermines the conclusion drawn above?

The keyword here is BETTER MEDICAL CARE. We can undermine the conclusion by taking this keyword into consideration.

(A) Nonprofit hospitals charge more per bed than do investor-owned hospitals.
Incorrect : Does nothing to undermine the conlusion that investor owned hospitals provide better MEDICAL CARE.

(B) Patients in nonprofit hospitals recover more quickly than do patients with comparable illnesses in investor-owned hospitals.
Correct : Viola !!!! This is what we are looking for. This means that NONPROFIT HOSPITALS provide better MEDICAL CARE and hence hurts the conclusion.

(C) Nonprofit hospitals do more fundraising than do investor-owned hospitals.
Incorrect : Fundraising is irrelevant to the scope of the argument.

(D) Doctors at nonprofit hospitals earn higher salaries than do similarly-qualified doctors at investor-owned hospitals.
Incorrect : Doctors Salaries is out of scope.

(E) Nonprofit hospitals receive more donations than do investor-owned hospital
Incorrect : Donations is irrelevant here.

paddle_sweep · Answer

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