<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt">Poor fellow is unaware that Costa Rica has universal health care, and taxes residents for same. I was just there-- a great deal of advertising in the airport and publications to "health care tourists" promising affordable hip & knee replacements, cosmetic surgery, etc.<br><br> From ThinkProgress' Wonk Room:<br><br><p>But unbeknownst Rush, Costa Rica’s hybrid government-private health
care system provides comprehensive universal coverage to all residents —
and even sells affordable policies to soon-to-be visitors like
Limbaugh. The government <a href="http://www.cehat.org/rthc/paper5.htm">owns
several major public hospitals</a> and operates small clinics in almost
every community. Workers are required to contribute 15% of their
salaries to health insurance and the unemployed “<a href="http://www.cehat.org/rthc/paper5.htm">obtain public funding for
all health services</a>, including prescription drugs.” At least a third
of all Costa Rican residents receive some care in the private sector
and the government regularly purchases services from private providers.
The system is not without its problems, but it boasts a higher ranking
from the World Health Organization — <a href="http://www.who.int/whr/2000/en/whr00_en.pdf">Costa Rica is 36,
United States 37</a> — and has higher life expectancy and lower infant
mortality rates. Costa Rica also <a href="http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_spe_per_per-health-spending-per-person">spends
less per capita on health care</a> than the United States and insures
almost all of its residents. </p>
<p>In fact, there is literally nowhere in the developed world Limbaugh
can travel to receive market-driven medicine or escape “government
intervention in health care.” Thus, his accidental endorsement of
universal health reform and Palin’s admission that she had <a href="http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/03/08/palin-calgary/">traveled
to single-payer Canada for care</a>, make for several curious
conservative endorsements of greater government involvement in the
health care system.</p><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><hr size="1"><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> Tom Hansen <thansen@moscow.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> Moscow Vision 2020 <vision2020@moscow.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Wed, March 10, 2010 5:18:56 AM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [Vision2020] Say What?<br></font><br>
"If this passes and it's five years from now and all that stuff gets<br>implemented, I am leaving the country. I'll go to Costa Rica."<br><br>- Rush Limbaugh on health care reform bill<br><br><span><a target="_blank" href="http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/09/limbaugh-exile-health-care/">http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/09/limbaugh-exile-health-care/</a></span><br><br><span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNQn3aBKtlo">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNQn3aBKtlo</a></span><br><br>-------------------------------------------------<br><br>Yet, another reason to pass health care reform.<br><br>Seeya round town, Moscow.<br><br>Tom Hansen<br>Moscow, Idaho<br><br>"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change<br>and the Realist adjusts his sails."<br><br>- Unknown<br><br><br>=======================================================<br> List services made available by First Step Internet, <br> serving the
communities of the Palouse since 1994. <br><span> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</a> </span><br> mailto:<a ymailto="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com" href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>=======================================================<br></div></div>
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