Recent changes occurring within the U.S. health care system, including lower insurance
reimbursement rates, have resulted in
A) a growing number of doctor’s choosing to open private practices.
B) more medical practices being owned by hospitals than by individual doctors.
C) a majority of hospitals closing routine medical practices in order to focus only on
emergency care facilities.
D) a majority of doctors working directly for insurance companies.
You explain to your roommate Surya, who makes beaded headbands, about an
economic theory which asserts that consumers will purchase more of a product at lower
prices than they will at higher prices. She contends that the theory is incorrect because
over the past two years she has lowered the price of her headbands and yet has seen a
decrease in sales. How would you respond to Surya?
A) Surya is right; she has evidence to back her claim. The theory must be erroneous.
B) Surya is making the mistake of assuming that correlation implies causation.
C) I will explain to her that she is making the error of reverse causality: it is the
decrease in demand that has caused her to lower her prices.
D) I will explain to her that there are some omitted variables that have contributed to a
decrease in her sales such as changes in income.