Americans regularly complain about wait times to obtain medical appointments, especially with primary care physicians and certain specialists. Waiting several weeks or a couple of months for an appointment is not uncommon, which can sound to Americans like purported wait times in Canada and other countries with socialized medicine.
Economics and Third-Party Intervention Explain Long Waits
Economic analysis of medical education explains what is behind the long wait times, which are not incidental or random. Beyond understanding the economics of medical education, however, well-meaning third-party attempts to overrule the law of supply and demand to “fix” the wait-time problem have only exacerbated it. As Alexander Pope first declared in the early 18th century: a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
Explanations frequently offered for long medical appointment wait times include: 1) the US supply of physicians is too low; 2) training new physicians is inadequate to replace physicians nearing traditional retirement age; 3) graduate medical education residency programs offer too few openings to accommodate medical school graduates; 4) the aging US population creates increasingly greater demand for physicians’ services; and, 5) physicians are not proportionately distributed across the country by population, between urban and rural areas, and among primary care providers and specialists.
The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC)—a membership organization of US medical schools—reports that the US will face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 by 2036, citing the inadequacy in the number of medical residency positions nationwide as one cause. These residency programs, which last from 3 to 7 years depending on specialty, are considered essential for graduates of 4-year medical schools, and a minimum one-year residency is required before a medical school graduate can become a licensed physician.
The National Resident Matching Program claims that there are 1.82 residency positions per graduate, but that after accounting for applicants who attended foreign medical schools (including some Americans who were unable to get into US medical schools), there are only 0.85 residency positions per medical graduate applicant. Every year, hundreds or thousands of aspiring physicians remain unmatched to a residency program and must apply again for a residency slot the following year. […]
— Read More: mises.org
At Last, a Company With Integrity in the Gold IRA Industry
For several years, I’ve been vetting out precious metals companies in search of the best. I believe in gold and silver but it’s hard to find integrity in the Gold IRA industry. The vast majority operate with shady tactics and gigantic spreads that take advantage of Americans who simply want to protect their life’s savings.
I’ve found a handful that I like and I’ve worked with some of them. By no means would I “unrecommend” them because, again, I vetted them out and found them to be above the fold. Unfortunately, it isn’t hard to be better than the rest when the rest are so darn awful.
After years of searching, I finally found a company that truly operates with integrity. Augusta Precious Metals has three important attributes that set them far above the competition:
- Non-Commissioned Sales Team: I cannot stress how important and unique this is. With just about every other company in the Gold IRA industry, the sales teams make commission from every account they open. This means they steer their clients toward the gold and silver products with the highest commission. With Augusta Precious Metals, the team is solely focused on putting the best gold and silver for their clients into their IRA. They get paid to serve the best interests of the Gold IRA client, NOT their own commission pay.
- Incredibly Low Fees: Most Americans would be shocked if they knew the spread other Gold IRA companies charge. Augusta charges just 5% versus up to 45% elsewhere.
- No Pressure, No Gimmicks: There’s an understanding among most in the Gold IRA industry that fear and pressure is the way to go. Augusta Precious Metals takes a sober approach when working with clients because they hold integrity in the highest possible regard. This is why they don’t offer gimmicks like “free” or “bonus” silver. It’s also why they do not apply pressure tactics to get quick sales. Their educational and transparent approach to doing business is exceedingly rare in the Gold IRA industry.
