During the 2010 debate on health care legislation in the U.S. Congress, radio commentator Rush Limbaugh, appalled at the prospect of a system of near-universal access to health insurance, vowed to move to Costa Rica. He was not aware that since 1941 Costa Rica has had an excellent social security system with health services that by now cover the vast majority of the population. The creation of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) was not an isolated act. It was contemporaneous with the passing of a pathbreaking labor code and the introduction of a chapter on social rights in the constitution. This Limbaughian nightmare contributed to putting Costa Rica on the path to becoming one of the most successful democracies in Latin America with some of the highest welfare standards in the region.
As if to confirm the dictum that “success has many parents,” prominent Costa Ricans tried for...
