Economists know that healthy people pose less of an economic burden on society than unhealthy people. Therefore every dollar that our state government spends on prenatal care for undocumented immigrants will save the state taxpayers three dollars. Which of the following, if true, best explains why these statistics about savings from prenatal care are not surprising?

Introduction / Context:
This critical reasoning problem explores cause and effect in the context of public health economics. The argument claims that spending one dollar on prenatal care for undocumented immigrants saves three dollars for taxpayers, and that this should not be surprising since healthy people are less of an economic burden than unhealthy people. The question asks which additional fact best explains why this particular statistic about prenatal care savings is predictable.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Healthy people cost society less than unhealthy people.
• The state spends money on prenatal care for undocumented immigrants.
• Every dollar spent on such prenatal care saves three dollars for state taxpayers.
• We need a fact that connects prenatal care specifically to lower health costs in a clear way.

Concept / Approach:
The conclusion is that the savings are not surprising. To support this, we should look for a statement that shows why prenatal care strongly improves health outcomes and reduces costly complications. A good supporting option will explicitly link lack of prenatal care with higher rates of health problems for mother and child, which in turn implies higher medical and social costs. Options that only describe who pays, or that do not bear directly on health outcomes, will be weaker explanations of the three-to-one savings ratio.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: The main reasoning is: healthier individuals cost less, prenatal care increases health, therefore prenatal care spending saves money.Step 2: Option A states that taxpayers pay for prenatal care for all immigrants. This describes who pays but does not explain why each dollar spent generates three dollars in savings.Step 3: Option B states that pregnant women who do not receive prenatal care are much more likely to experience serious health problems than other pregnant women.Step 4: If women without prenatal care have many more complications, then the medical costs for them and their babies will be significantly higher. Providing prenatal care reduces complications and therefore reduces these high costs.Step 5: This directly explains why each dollar spent up front on prenatal care can save several dollars later in avoided emergency care, high risk births, and long term health problems.Step 6: Option C combines A and B, but the strength comes from B. Adding A does not improve the explanation of the savings ratio.Step 7: Option D says that none of the options explains the statistics, which is incorrect because B clearly does.Step 8: Option E mentions that prenatal care is more expensive than other routine services. That may make the three-to-one savings ratio even more striking, but it does not directly explain why the savings occur.

Verification / Alternative check:

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Option A concerns who pays but does not address the health impact of prenatal care.
• Option C includes A but gains no extra explanatory force beyond what B already provides.
• Option D is incorrect because at least one option, namely B, does explain the statistic well.
• Option E focuses on relative cost of services and does not show why prenatal care in particular leads to large savings.

Common Pitfalls:

• Confusing information about who pays for care with information about whether the care actually reduces future costs.
• Being distracted by cost comparisons in option E instead of looking for evidence about health outcomes.
• Choosing option C simply because it combines two statements rather than evaluating the strength of each component.

Final Answer:
The claim is best explained by the fact that pregnant women who do not receive prenatal care are much more likely to experience serious health problems than other pregnant women.