Costa Rica’s first-class health care system is drawing more and more people from the United States – even the rich and famous.

Costa Rica is more than ever for medial tourism and all of the celebrities know about it. On my world-famous, monthly relocation retirement tours I talk about the quality of health care in Costa Rica. I take my clients to visit the country’s two premier private hospitals and we go into depth about the country’s health care system at our highly-informative two-day seminar. Below is an excerpt which talks about the quality of the country’s health care. People who relocate here should not have to worry about their health concerns here. I have had many clients on my tours who have come here specifically to take advantage of the country’s low-cost medical care.

San José, Costa Rica – Conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh said this week he’d go to Costa Rica for medical treatment if Congress passes proposed reforms to the US healthcare system. That might sound like an unusual choice, since this is a country with one of the longest standing socialized healthcare 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. Some who’ve studied Costa Rican health care consider it better overall, and attribute that to the fact that free coverage extends to 86.8 percent of the population.

But the Cadillac-style private hospitals at Chevy Aveo prices are what really draw 25,000 Americans to Costa Rica every year.

“People travel to Costa Rica (and) receive the same quality of medical services for a fraction of the cost,” said Jorge Cortés, president of the Council for International Promotion of Costa Rica Medicine and medical director of Hospital Biblica, one of three internationally-accredited private hospitals in Costa Rica. “When people see they can get the same surgery for three or four times less, they decide to get medical care abroad.”

Lower labor costs and fewer malpractice suits keep the prices down here. In Costa Rica’s private system, a teeth-cleaning might run $40 and a general check-up costs $50.

Medical bargains

More extensive surgeries? A facelift averages $2,800 to $3,200 in Costa Rica, compared to $7,000 to $9,000 in the United States. A knee replacement may cost $11,000 in Costa Rica, but can be as much as $45,000 in the United States.
But there’s another arm of the country’s medical system – the public system – which is relied upon by a majority of the population. While celebrated by Costa Ricans for “universal access,” it’s often criticized for long wait times and delays in treatment.

“There’s a difference between the healthcare system that serves people living in Costa Rica verses that which is known to foreigners,” said Robert Book, a healthcare economist for the conservative think tank, 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.”

On Tuesday, 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 Tuesday, according to a transcript on his website.

Mr. Cortés said Limbaugh would not be alone in traveling abroad for medical care. He’s expecting medical tourism to increase by 5-7 percent over the next year, regardless of what happens with the US healthcare reform bills.
Booming business and that increase is building upon a growth Costa Rica has already seen. Since the recession forced many Americans out of jobs, Costa Rica has seen a surge in the number of their northern neighbors coming here for health services. In fact, there’s an entire industry catering to the medical tourist, including post-surgery spa services, sightseeing packages, hotels, and transportation.

But, if Limbaugh did move to Costa Rica and chose to initiate the process of residency, he’d be required to pay into the government-run social security system – which runs the health care system too. Under law, all people employed in Costa Rica must contribute 5.5 percent of their salary to the state-run social security system and employers are required to match their payment with 9.25 percent. Even those here for retirement are obligated to contribute under new immigration laws, regardless of whether they hold private insurance.

“The strengths of our health system (is) that it is universal, that it’s based on the idea of solidarity and that it’s fair,” says Dr. Ana Morice, vice health minister in Costa Rica. “What we need to improve is access to health services. Many times someone requests an appointment and doesn’t receive it until a year later. In that area, we have much to improve.” 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.

The other day I talked to a friend who has lived here for about twenty years. I hadn’t chatted with him for about a year, so we spent time catching up on things. He has an elderly mother in the States who is on her last legs. We got talking about old age and the so called “golden years.” My friend was quick to point out that we are in the golden years now because we are in good health. He is 100% correct!

I feel very lucky to have moved to Costa Rica 30 years ago. Every year has been a “golden year” in this marvelous country. I really feel blessed to live here. On my most recent monthly relocation and retirement tours all of my guests told me the same thing. After seeing all that the country has to offer, my clients said that I was extremely fortunate to have made the correct decision to come here to live.

I gave up a lot when I cam here; a career, security and a whole lot more. But everything worked out because I followed my dream and it came true. Others can do the same if they fall love with the country. Costa Rica just may be the solution to what ails you in your home country. The have a saying here, “Costa Rica cures it all.”

Pura vida!

When I first got connected to the Internet about 14 years ago I remember that dial up was the only option available in Costa Rica. Since it was over the phone line there were frequent interruption when someone called the house and cut off the Internet. I was reminded how inconvenient and slow dial up is when I visited my sister last summer I Seattle, Washington. She has dial up only by choice. She doesn’t use the Internet frequently and feels high speed would be a waste of money.

On the other hand, high speed Internet has been available in Costa Rica for a number of years now. The phone company offers it as well as the private cable TV companies. I really don’t have many complaints about the high-speed Internet here. Once in a while there is a glitch but the same same thing happens in the States.

So in general Costa Rica’s Internet providers are offering good service. On all of my monthly relocation/retirement tours my guests are always curious to know about the quality of the Internet services here and their options. I make it a point to cover everything about the Internet and other relevant topics so that people on the tour understand what life in Costa Rica is really like.

With a growing number of Americans relocating to Costa Rica there has been a proliferation of blogs and so-called hobby websites. Many of the blogs are useful because they give outsiders a view of what living in the country is like through other’s experiences. However, a lot of what people write is done by those who haven’t lived here for a long time and don’t speak the language well enough to understand the culture. Therefore you should take much of what is written with a “grain of salt” and view the writings as personal diaries.

The hobby websites are another toy of many people who move here. Like the blogs they tell about daily life here and what the country has to offer. It seems that almost every foreigner who has a computer makes their own blog or hobby website. Some who have advanced computer skills are even including videos about life here on their hobby websites. A few expats are even posting their videos on You Tube. Most of these efforts are very amateur and the people are not experts about relocating here. Nevertheless, the videos do provide a view of life here.

On my monthly relocation/retirement tours I try to have my guests experience as much possible of what Costa Rica has to offer in a short period of time, so that they can decide whether they want to make the move or not.

Next Sunday is Costa Rica’s presidential election. Costa Ricans are really passionate about their elections. They approach the presidential elections with such enthusiasm that they celebrate Election Day as if it were a big party or national holiday. People wearing party colors, honking cars and bands playing Latin music all contribute to the festive atmosphere.

Last Sunday while conducting one of my monthly relocation/retirement tours we were passing through the town of Grecia and came across one of the presidential candidates and his entourage. Our bus had to slow down as presidential candidate Otto Guevara’s motorcade passed by. There must have been 50 vehicles with each one flying the flag of Otto’s party. All of the cars and trucks were packed with people dressed in the colors of the party. Everyone was screaming and chanting Otto’s name. The people on my retirement tour were thrilled to actually witness the campaign process in Costa Rica. They were really amazed at the enthusiasm and energy of the Costa Rican people. I was so happy my guests could experience this along with the rest of the activities of my tour.

I was also excited about the new addition to my tour. The new feature is a visit to a weekend farmer’s market. My guests really like this activity since they got to mix with the locals and see the huge variety of fruits and vegetables available year-round in Costa Rica. On the tour we also visit several supermarkets and stores to get a good idea of what products are available in Costa Rica. My tours are all about experiencing the country in all of its splendor.