A Certain HMO Is Attempting to Show the Benefits of Managed

A certain HMO is attempting to show the benefits of managed care to an insurance company. The HMO believes that certain types of doctors are more cost-effective than others. One theory is that certification level is an important factor in measuring the cost-effectiveness of physicians. To investigate this, the HMO obtained independent random samples of 30 physicians from each of the three certification levels- Board certified (C) ; Uncertified, board eligible (E) ; and Uncertified, board ineligible (I) - and recorded the total per-member, per-month charges for each (a total of 90 physicians) . Identify the dependent (response) variable for this study.

A) the total per-member, per-month charge
B) the three certifications groups- C, E, and I
C) the 90 physicians
D) the HMO