Conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh said this past week he’d go to Costa Rica for medical treatment if Congress passes proposed reforms to the US Health Care system. That might sound like an unusual choice, since this is a country with one of the longest standing socialized Health Care systems on the planet. Everyone here (including resident foreigner), are required to pay into the government-run health system, whether they use it or not. But Limbaugh’s choice may also serve to advertise what many Americans traveling here for medical treatment already know: Costa Rica is a fabulous place for medical tourism. Life expectancy in this little Central American country surpasses that of the United States and at one point, back in the early 2000s when the World Health Organization rated countries’ general health, Costa Rica ranked higher (No. 36) than its northern neighbor (No. 37), despite spending 87 percent less on health care per capita and the coverage extends to 86.8 percent of the population. People travel to Costa Rica and receive the same quality of medical services for a fraction of the cost. Lower labor costs and fewer malpractice suits keep the prices down.
On a later program, Mr. Limbaugh clarified his comment about leaving the United States, after “the liberal media” celebrated his vow of self-imposed exile, viewing healthcare reform as a way to rid themselves of the conservative talk show host. “If I have to get thrown into this massive government health care insurance business and end up going to the driver’s license office every day when I need to go to the doctor, yeah, I’ll go to Costa Rica for treatment, not move there,” he told listeners. There’s a difference between the healthcare systems that serves people living in Costa Rica verses that which is known to foreigners, according to the Heritage Foundation. “It’s the private option for foreigners that Mr. Limbaugh was referring to when he said he would go to Costa Rica.” But there’s another arm of the country’s medical system – the public system – which is relied upon by a majority of the population. Though it provides “universal access,” it’s often criticized for long wait times and delays in treatment.
Of course, if Limbaugh decided to move to or buy real estate in Costa Rica, he wouldn’t be the first celebrity. His neighbors might include actor Mel Gibson, model Gisele Bundchen, AOL executive Steve Case, or Vice President Joe Biden’s brother, Frank.
