LIMPBRAIN: Now Says He WON'T MOVE To Costa Rica - Will Just Go There To Use Its Public Health System

[Segami]

On Monday, hate radio host Rush Limbaugh pledged to leave the country and go to Costa Rica if Congress successfully passes and implements its health care legislation. Yesterday, Limbaugh claimed that he never said he’d leave the country. The host 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 government owns several major public hospitals and operates small clinics in almost every community. Workers are required to contribute 15% 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 the island nation mean that the radio host is endorsing a similar system for the United States?


Listen to it:

<http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/10/limbaugh-costa-rica-health/>

[groovedaddy]

1. I'm sure he'll gravitate toward the easiest place to get pain pills. n.t

[DrDan]

3. or the easiest place to get . . . . um . . . . young friends

[county worker]

2. I doubt very much that New Zealand wants Rush to move there.

"Now, New Zealand is reading about this and they’re all bent out of shape that I’m somehow not coming there" Yeah sure Rush, new Zealand loves your brand of hate speech!

[upi402]

4. Republicans I know use all the social programs they possibly can

They have no principles, no shame, and are utterly selfish and self-centered.

[Segami]

6. If anyone knows how to milk the system for personal gain, those honors would

go directly to the repukes taking first & second place. They are career government employed moochers.

[BadgerKid]

5. Here's the spin: how UNpatriotic to use foreign health care.

Isn't America good enough for you, Rush?

Hehe...that should get the RW's dander up.

[Segami]

10. Didn't you get the memo? Its only others who are UNpatriotic, NOT THEM. They claim to be the true

patriots of this land which makes up part of their ad campaign slogans ' Lets RECLAIM OUR LAND '..

[The_Commonist]

7. Umm... Hey, thinkprogress...

Costa Rica is not an "island nation."
Wonder what else is inaccurate in this piece.

[piratefish08]

8. You just beat me to it!

I was about to link a map of Central America.........

[no_hypocrisy]

9. Quelle dommage . . . .

[gratuitous]

11. Rush might need medical care sooner than he thinks

The only exercise I ever see him get is walking back his own comments.

[BlueIdaho]

12. His explanation makes less sense than his original statement!

WTF is he trying to say? Smart rich people go to countries that have socialized medicine because the quality of care they receive there is so much better than the good old USA? Is that what he said when he left the hospital in Hawaii? What a scatterbrained blowhard.

[GoCubsGo]

13. Well, that didn't take long

I knew he'd back out, but I didn't expect it to be so soon. The next day. Sheesh.

[Bitwit1234]

14. When he said he would move....I SAID HE WAS LYING AND I WAS CORRECT.

You know why. Because nothing that comes out of those smirking fat lips ever tells the truth.

[Chemical Bill]

15. Well, he goes to the Dominican Republic to use viagra.

Why wouldn't he go to Costa Rica for other drugs? I bet he can get oxycontin there.

Bill

[Segami]

16. Second time around, Limp will likely be extra careful not to get caught. Wouldn't that

light up the blogs and photoshop artists if he got caught once again....lol!