High-technology medicine is driving

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Stimulus

High-technology medicine is driving up the nation’s health care costs. Recent advances in cataract surgery illustrate why this is occurring. Cataracts are a major cause of blindness, especially in elderly people. Ten years ago, cataract surgery was painful and not always effective. Thanks to the new technology used in cataract surgery, the greatly, which has, in turn, driven up the total amount spent on cataract surgery.

What this question is testing

Weaken

Your task

Find the choice that makes the argument's conclusion less likely to be true.

Common trap

Answers that look negative but attack a claim the argument never relied on.

Winning move

Find the assumption the argument depends on, then pick the choice that undermines it.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question

Each of the following, if true, would support a challenge to the author’s explanation of the increase in the number

Answer choices

Alternate Explanation5% picked this
The overall population of the nation has increased from what it was
If the overall population has increased, then naturally there could be more people needing cataract surgery, which serves as an alternate explanation for the increased number of operations.
5%
Alternate Explanation4% picked this
Any one individual’s chance of developing cataracts is greater than it was
This suggests that a higher risk of developing cataracts might be the reason for more surgeries, offering an alternate explanation to the author's claim about technology improvements.
4%
Alternate Explanation4% picked this
The number of older people has increased during the last
An increase in the elderly population would naturally lead to more cataract surgeries, especially since we were told that this condition primarily affects the elderly.
4%
Alternate Explanation9% picked this
Today, health insurance covers cataract surgery for more people than it did
If more people have insurance coverage for cataract surgery, this could lead to an increase in the number of surgeries, offering an alternate explanation for why there are more surgeries.
9%
Correct77% picked this
People who have had unsuccessful cataract surgery are left with more seriously impaired vision than they
Why this is right
This statement is about the negative effects of unsuccessful cataract surgeries, which doesn't suggest an alternate reason for the increase in the number of surgeries performed nor does it challenge the author's idea that the surgery is cheaper and more effective than before. Yes, these unsuccessful surgeries clearly weren't effective, but there will always be some bad surgeries. Since this doesn't compare the rate of unsuccessful surgeries now to before, it doesn't allow us to say, "Author, are you sure the surgery has gotten more effective?"
Skill tested: Weaken · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
77%

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