Healthcare is better in COSTA RICA then UNITED STATES

[Ced's shadow]

Agreed hands down it's a better system the one we have, been sick in both places, here and the US, got taken care of way better in here than the US, besides, I did not have to pay anything here, in the US since I was on vacation they ripped me off... Also, we only pay 9% of our salary as healthcare tax and we get a retirement plan by just doing so, the best thing is that 9% is the only tax we get deducted from our salary and the only other tax we citizens normally pay is sales tax, 13% of the price's product, which is already included into the advertised price. Most don't even know it exists. Thank God I live here and I envy no one because of that, get the same plus much more stuff than what I've ever gotten in the US in my many trips there

[BillAccpetor]

Health care shouldn't be a business, but it is... May be Obama can change the train direction...

[jgray]

Yah, CR is awesome. I had a mountain bike accident recently, and was taken to a public hospital initially, for them to pop my shoulder back in, then transferred to a private hospital for the orthopedic surgery (but only because I did not want to sit in a hospital bed for 4 days with a broken knee waiting for the next available surgery appointment). At the public hospital, they didn't ask for money. Was treated, then transferred. Gotta love universal health care. The private hospital cost me money, though, but still a ton cheaper than what I would've paid in the states. Cost me a total of $5k for a 3-day hospital day, trip to the ER, orthopedic surgeon, medicine, etc. I think I would cringe at what it would cost back home.

What exactly are you comparing here? So the public system provides little service and didn't charge (small wonders, huh?). Pretty poor value for 9% of your income (forever), if you ask me....

[Boscoe]

They're right about the national sales tax.

Healthcare.... Not so much.

[thebestthereis]

whatever you do, don't go to a doctor at all costs

[mathdotcom]

"best" is measured by bang for buck, not overall quality. Here is an analogy you guys can understand. The U.S. health care system is like the New York Yankees. They are the best at what they do, but given what they pay it is not clear that it's worth it. If they pay their players five times as much as another team you would expect them to perform five times as well but they don't.

If you have a decent job in the U.S. you are better off there. You're only better off elsewhere if you're below the poverty line.

[mathdotcom]

Fishhead, how do you scam health insurance when you have no employer?

Something tells me you are not paying for it...

[RabidDog]

Keep comparing apples and oranges guys one country has 4.5 mil. the other 300 mil.. There's no other place in the world I'd rather get sick then here in the US. Get cancer or have heart surgery in Costa Rica No thanks. Peope from Canada come down here to have there surgerys even there government officials, they have to wait for ever in Canada because of rationing. The number one prblem in the US is the Lawyers, Docters are scared of getting sued so they cover there ass which costs lots of money. There are things that need to be changed in this system buy what was just passes will not help costs and is only going to hurt this country in the long run. As someone who voted for Obama and is a Union member, I'm very scared whats happening to this country, it feels like the fall of Rome which collapsed because of there politicians.

[d1m@]

Health care shouldn't be a business, but it is... May be Obama can change the train direction...

I dont think obama will change something, maybe in worst diraction than it is now