Healthcare: Rush Limbaugh will go to Costa Rica if reform passes

[ar81]

Limbaugh Now Says He Won’t Move To Costa Rica — Will Just Go There To Use Its Public Health System

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.

Health Care in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has universal health care, one of the best health systems in Latin America. As always with nationalized health care, expect red tape and long waits, but the quality of Costa Rica's health care is excellent.

It seems that Rush Limbaugh who is against the reform, supports not a public option but a fully nationalized healthcare system that provides universal healthcare since 60 years ago at a lower per capita cost than USA and brings a higher life expectancy than US.

Some people in US are quite funny nowadays.

[GGT]

Why not put this in the Health Debate thread?

Anyway, I heard/saw the clip from his radio show. He did say if the current reform bill was passed, and after five years or so it's more of the same, he'd move to Costa Rica. Not sure how he can back down from that statement when it's recorded for posterity.

[ar81]

Because it is not about healthcare, it is about someone who opposes universal healthcare, saying that he will go to a country with universal healthcare.
It is about inconsistency of positions of those who oppose.

[Loki]

There was actually an article in the Times that talked about Costa Rica having one of the best private healthcare systems, and that a lot of Americans go there for treatment because it's cheaper than the American equivalent. Limbaugh was referring to the private system, not the system that forces Costa Ricans to wait months to get a simple procedure. Good job in totally missing the point as usual though.

[GGT]

Then you're as bad at making OP titles and threads as I am.

A wealthy, conservative radio talk-show host and media personality derides health reform. Gets on the big bad government band wagon, but exposes his hypocricy by saying he'd use a socialized system in another country.

This isn't news. This is business as usual.

[Ominous Gamer]

Not sure how he can back down from that statement when it's recorded for posterity.

We're still waiting on Hannity to get waterboarded for charity, and for Glenn Beck to prove he didn't rape and murder a young girl 1990. I don't think anyone is going to count Limbaugh's move as a lost; I will however feel sorry for the Ricans.

[Loki]

Then you're as bad at making OP titles and threads as I am.

A wealthy, conservative radio talk-show host and media personality derides health reform. Gets on the big bad government band wagon, but exposes his hypocricy by saying he'd use a socialized system in another country.

This isn't news. This is business as usual.

Read what I wrote. He didn't say he'd use Costa Rica's public healthcare system. Costa Rica is known for having an excellent private healthcare system. The only hypocrisy here is the speed at which people jump on Limbaugh when they're just as quick to attack him when he does the same.

[Ominous Gamer]

And you don't see the connection between a beefed up private sector being the result of having to compete againist a public option?

[GGT]

There was actually an article in the Times that talked about Costa Rica having one of the best private healthcare systems, and that a lot of Americans go there for treatment because it's cheaper than the American equivalent. Limbaugh was referring to the private system, not the system that forces Costa Ricans to wait months to get a simple procedure. Good job in totally missing the point as usual though.

Source please?

It better include the break down in tax revenue from wealthy visitors coming for medical tourism, and if that feeds the national base for providing care for their citizens.....

Otherwise let's ask Rush where he got his cochlear implant. Or why he wouldn't go to Mayo Clinic for anything else, since our system of care is supposedly the Bessst in the Woooorld.

[Loki]

And you don't see the connection between a beefed up private sector being the result of having to compete againist a public option?

That makes absolutely no sense. The private sector in Costa Rica caters to the Costa Rican rich and foreigners...

Source please?

It better include the break down in tax revenue from wealthy visitors coming for medical tourism, and if that feeds the national base for providing care for their citizens.....

Otherwise let's ask Rush where he got his cochlear implant. Or why he wouldn't go to Mayo Clinic for anything else, since our system of care is supposedly the Bessst in the Woooorld.

And another one that makes absolutely no sense. The whole point was that Costa Rica has a strong private healthcare industry that caters to the rich and foreigners...

[Ominous Gamer]

You're getting there Loki...

That makes absolutely no sense. The private sector in Costa Rica caters to the Costa Rican rich and foreigners...

Thus it has no relation, connection, or purpose in the current US health debate. Perfect material for Limbaugh to use.

[Loki]

Making it have no relation or connection to the current US health debate. Perfect material for Limbaugh to use.

So why attack Limbaugh for hypocrisy? Do try to put your hyper-partisan glasses away every once in a while.

[Ominous Gamer]

So why attack Limbaugh for hypocrisy? Do try to put your hyper-partisan glasses away every once in a while.

You're confusing posts, or making stuff up again Loki. I never mentioned hypocrisy.
In fact I totally skipped that part of discussion. I'm trying to see how Limbaugh's comments relate at all the actual discussion or debate on US health care reform.

[Loki]

Pardon. Your post made an even more tenuous claim. But yes, if we become a third world country where our own citizens can't afford private healthcare, then having public healthcare will indeed lead to the creation of a private healthcare sector that caters to foreigners. Why you think that would be a good thing is beyond me.

[GGT]

Oh, so what happened to the mantra that the US is the Best?

I'd want to see the facts---how much of wealthy tax revenue is used to provide basic care for Costa Ricans? How much of gov't mandated prices/rates are responsible for affordability in the private sector?

Do they use a system to "lift all boats", or are the private doctors and insurers living in luxury while the "other half" is barely scraping by?

[Loki]

How is any of this relevant? Why not ask for the average temperature in the western half of the country in April?

[GGT]

I'm curious how you reconcile the two sides of the coin, Loki.

When anyone talks about a Canadian or euro type system, you cite how their providers are underpaid and coming to the US, or how their patients are standing in line for basic services. That the US attracts the best and brightest because they can be paid more.

But when a public figure says they'll go to a nation with socialized primary care, because their private side is great (presumably with caps on fees, or taxes initiated by the gov't).....that would imply the US private side isn't as great as you let on.

So, which is it?

[Ominous Gamer]

our own citizens can't afford private healthcare

I assume you're using insurance coverage in order to exclude the US from this description?

[agamemnus]

I see what you did there, Ominous.

[ar81]

Read what I wrote. He didn't say he'd use Costa Rica's public healthcare system. Costa Rica is known for having an excellent private healthcare system. The only hypocrisy here is the speed at which people jump on Limbaugh when they're just as quick to attack him when he does the same.

Private system serves mostly rich people and some foreigners with high buying power, because public system is more affordable.
The life expectancy stats reflects that even with some long waits for A FEW procedures, public system works fine.
In recent days I had to go to the doctor for a minor problem. I got up early in the morning and they set an appointment for 2 hours later. In about 30 minutes the doctor had finished with me, and I had to go for the medication, which is also included in the money I pay. Smooth and by the numbers.

My wife has gone to the doctor because she had flu in recent days and service was fine too. No need of thinking about bills or preapproved things.

I am not paying a minimum wage for healthcare ($1115 per month), like in US. I am having a deduction of 9% of my salary. Quite affordable, isn't it?

[Aimless]

I don't get it, how can Costa Rica have an excellent private healthcare sector comparable to the best the US has to offer if the private Costa Rican clinics are cheaper??

[ar81]

I don't get it, how can Costa Rica have an excellent private healthcare sector comparable to the best the US has to offer if the private Costa Rican clinics are cheaper??

Overhead. Private medicine market inefficiencies.

[Loki]

I don't get it, how can Costa Rica have an excellent private healthcare sector comparable to the best the US has to offer if the private Costa Rican clinics are cheaper??

Cost of living in Costa Rica is substantially lower. The cost of med school in Costa Rica is substantially smaller. Doctors therefore can easily afford to charge much less (according to the NY Times article, most surgeries there cost 50-70% less). The quality is still worse than the US, but it might be worth it for the less complex procedures.

[ar81]

Cost of living in Costa Rica is substantially lower. The cost of med school in Costa Rica is substantially smaller. Doctors therefore can easily afford to charge much less (according to the NY Times article, most surgeries there cost 50-70% less). The quality is still worse than the US, but it might be worth it for the less complex procedures.

You do not know about the way Costa Rican system works.

Costa Rican services are divided in 3 levels according to complexity. Simple problems are serviced by cheaper centers, called EBAIS. Medium complexity problems are served by clinics. Complex problems are served by hospitals. There is a system of reference and counter-reference that makes those centers to work as a single network, making the system cheaper on a national level. EBAIS also take care of preventive medicine, which reduces the amount of patients in nearby communities, therefore reducing costs because some people who would be patients will be no more.

US centers are just expensive health centers with a certain level of costs that add overhead, not efficiency. You will not see an executive in the Costa Rican system making a high salary a year enough to buy a jet fighter. Americans are paying high salaries of executives and insurance bonuses, and administrative expenses, instead of paying for healthcare.

Health centers lack national coordination in US to respond to a national health crisis. And Costa Rican system may even become cheaper and more efficient if it adopts some measures implemented in UK's NHS in resource allocation.

If quality of healthcare in US is so good why is that these stories told by Americans at healthreform.gov are seen as "barbaric and horrendous" by Costa Ricans? For SOME procedures you may see long waits, but you will not see people not quitting a job and not becoming an entrepreneur because of healtcare coverage, old old people staying at work not to lose health coverage.

Costa Rican statistics are lower than US because nicaraguan poor immigrants are serviced in Costa Rica. If even poor are serviced and they can afford it, one just wonders why Americans have to pay so much.

US has a lower child mortality figure because US figures do not include abortion as child mortality while Costa Rica does.

[Nessus]

US has a lower child mortality figure because US figures do not include abortion as child mortality while Costa Rica does.

Whoa whoa whoa there Buckaroo Batman!

Abortions shouldn't figure into infant mortality either, except maybe in the extreme cases where a viable fetus is aborted due to some complication

[EyeKhan]

@ this screwy topic:

I think it would be great if Rush goes somewhere else for health care, especially if its been nationalized there for decades. The more ways he showcases his hypocrasy, the better. Notice he left himself an out as fat as he is: nobody's going to prevent doctors from forming private practices in the US. Good old Rush, never not plotting to deceive.

[ar81]

Whoa whoa whoa there Buckaroo Batman!

Abortions shouldn't figure into infant mortality either, except maybe in the extreme cases where a viable fetus is aborted due to some complication

That's what I said, US figures do not include abortion in child mortality. In Costa Rica abortion is a crime, but still abortions are included in the stats of child mortality.

[Nessus]

That's what I said, US figures do not include abortion in child mortality. In Costa Rica abortion is a crime, but still abortions are included in the stats of child mortality.

Due to your inept English it's pretty hard to determine whether you're for or against including abortions in infant death rates. Which they, for the vast majority, should not be.

[littlelolligagged]

That's what I said, US figures do not include abortion in child mortality. In Costa Rica abortion is a crime, but still abortions are included in the stats of child mortality.

Why should abortions count?

[Loki]

@ this screwy topic:

I think it would be great if Rush goes somewhere else for health care, especially if its been nationalized there for decades. The more ways he showcases his hypocrasy, the better. Notice he left himself an out as fat as he is: nobody's going to prevent doctors from forming private practices in the US. Good old Rush, never not plotting to deceive.

Which part of "he was referring to the private healthcare system" is difficult to understand?

Speaking of healthcare in Costa Rica: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...04f713f9107915