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Limbaugh Now
Says He Won’t Move To Costa Rica — Will Come
Here To Use Its Public Health System
On Tuesday, hate radio host Rush Limbaugh
pledged to leave the United States and go to
Costa Rica if the US Congress successfully
passes and implements its health care
legislation. Yesterday, Limbaugh claimed
that he never said he’d leave the country.
Limbaugh explained that what he meant was
that he would go to Costa Rica to “get major
medical care,” meaning he’d travel there
exclusively to use their health care system:
LIMBAUGH: "I did not say I’m going to Costa
Rica. The stupid people in the media who
cannot trouble themselves to read my
transcripts or listen to this program,
listen to out of context stuff. I was asked
yesterday where will I go for health care if
Obama’s health care passes, and I said if
doctors here are not permitted to form
private practice little clinics with
individuals paying a fee, a retainer, and
for services, then I’ll go to Costa Rica to
get major medical health care. I didn’t say
I would move there. They’re all over these
websites: “Limbaugh says he’d move to Costa
Rica. Why, what more incentive do we have to
pass health care to get Limbaugh to move to
Costa Rica?” Now, New Zealand is reading
about this and they’re all bent out of shape
that I’m somehow not coming there, all
because of the stupid media. They are not
competing for me because Costa Rica doesn’t
think I’m going to move there, which I
wouldn’t. Gosh. "
What is ironic about Limbaugh - who has
ranted about the dangers of “socialized
health care” for years - seeking health care
in Costa Rica is that the country has a
hybrid government-private health care system
that provides comprehensive universal
coverage to all of its residents.
The Costa Rican government owns several
major public hospitals and operates small
clinics in almost every community. Workers
are required to contribute a percentage of
their salaries to health insurance and the
unemployed “obtain public funding for all
health services, including prescription
drugs.” Most Costa Ricans obtain their
health care through a public plan called the
Caja - similar to our Medicare or the
proposed public option.
Costa Rica’s system of universal coverage is
so effective that it actually ranks one slot
above the United States in the World Health
Organization’s ranking of health systems
worldwide while actually spending less per
capita than we do.
Does Limbaugh’s threat to seek health care
on Costa Rica mean that the radio host is
endorsing a similar system for the United
States? |
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