Statistics budget: forecasting encounters. Instead of its current forecast, ZMG Hospitalist Practice now estimates that its Medicare encounters will increase by 4% a month from January through June. In July it will obtain a major contract, and its encounters from July through December will go up by 9% a month. Assuming these are the only changes to Exhibit I.1a, prepare a new forecast of the number of encounters that will be made by Medicare patients during the whole year. (Hint: see Appendix I, at the end of this chapter.)