The nation’s leading radio host Rush Limbaugh said Tuesday that he would leave the United States for medical care if President Barack Obama’s healthcare plan is passed and implemented – a comment that was erroneously reported as meaning he’d permanently move to the Central American nation of Costa Rica.
Liberals who don’t like the conservative Limbaugh’s vociferous criticism of President Obama’s policies seized on the comment to tout Costa Rica’s socialized medical system, Limbaugh responded on this own Web site that they had misunderstood him once again.
"So a guy calls up and says, ‘If all this happens, what are you going to do?’" Limbaugh wrote on his Web site.
“And I said, ‘Well, if doctors are not permitted to opt out of the government insurance pool and so forth, Medicare, Medicaid, whatever it is, and if they're not allowed to establish a private practice with private sector patients paying their own way, then I'll go to Costa Rica.’"
“Well, that has been turned into I'm going to leave the country for Costa Rica and move there if Obamacare passes,” Rush continued. “I've had all kinds of reporters: ‘Are you serious? Do you really mean this?’ So I've had to patiently explain today to people who do not bother to stay informed on this stuff what the genesis and the primary context of my comment was.
Limbaugh explained that many insurance companies are making contingency plans to move to Costa Rica if Obamacare passes. Costa Rica is increasingly becoming a destination spot for many Baby Boomer retirees.
“I said, ‘Look, there are insurance companies who don't want to be put out of business.’ We've talked to them on the program. I've talked to them privately. They are establishing healthcare clinics with quality doctors in places like Costa Rica. They're going to continue to sell policies to people who have the ability to fly down there and get treatment.
“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.
“So they're just in a tizzy out there, between Costa Rica and Eric Massa. So -- (laughing) -- it's going to be a fun day. Heck, it already is a fun day."
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