Today free market fetishist and Central American jet-setter Rush Limbaugh made a Garrison Keilloresque ultimatum. The right-wing talker's gambit? That he would leave the country and move to Costa Rica if the United States adopts the much-talked-about health care reform.
When a caller asked the host about the possibility of health care reform passing in the U.S., he said the following:
I don't know. I'll just tell you this, if this passes and it's five years from now and all that stuff gets implemented -- I am leaving the country. I'll go to Costa Rica.
Video is here.
Now, when you talk all day long, sometimes you go off the cuff and say something maybe that wasn't thought out completely. But let's take the man seriously and give him the benefit of the doubt. Let's see what kind of health care Rush would enjoy in beautiful Costa Rica.
Costa Rica has a combination of government and private health care systems, which are controlled by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (aka: the "Caja," or CCSS), where citizens and legal residents pay about 10-11 percent of their incomes to access the government-owned monopoly insurance system.
Costa Rica has a government sponsored network of some 30 major hospitals and 250 clinics. The CCSS system is tasked with providing low-cost health care to Costa Rican residents, and has been in place for more than six decades.
And -- especially good news for Rush -- You can even be an illegal alien and still get treatment! The generosity of the Costa Rican government provides not just for the citizens of Costa Rica, but also to any foreign resident or visitor!
Foreigners in Costa Rica can join CCSS by paying a small income based fee, or elect to buy health insurance from the state-run Instituto de Sugura Nacional (or INS). INS? Ironic! From there, the health tourist can take advantage of the system's 200 private sector doctors, hospitals, labs and pharmacies in the private sector.
Even dental work is covered as a much lower cost than in the U.S. Perfect for the jet-setter with nicotine-stained teeth or talk-induced TMJ.
So Costa Rica is a land where the government owns health care and health insurance (with private health services also available). In essence, should Rush make good on his vow, he'd be moving from a mostly private-industry health care country (the good ol' U.S.) to an entirely public-owned health care country (gorgeous Costa Rica).
Conclusion: Rush would be trading a non-government monopolized health care system for one that is totally government-owned. That guy LOVES government monopolized health care! I can see no other way around it!
Here are some success stories, from the Costa Rican government's Web site on the CCSS system. Thanks to Google for translating.
San Juan de Dios reduced by 83% of amputations due to diabetes
Patients and hospital officials held Monsignor Sanabria Day of Warmth
CCSS treatment keeps 249 patients with multiple sclerosis
Headquarters awareness in cancer prevention
That's all for now! Bon Voyage, Rush! I hope you'll be setting sail soon, to take advantage of all that the world's many government-owned health care systems have to offer.
Bye-bye, everybody!