I got an ambulance ride, CT scan and ER care in Brazil. My bill: $0

13 rbanffy 10 6/30/2025, 10:23:43 PM washingtonpost.com ↗

Comments (10)

cpursley · 4h ago
Had a similar experience in the country everyone hates right now including the CT scan (US made machine). If they can do it with a 13% flat tax, where the actual hell is our tax money going?
outcoldman · 2h ago
If you are talking about Russia, the taxes are so hidden, paid by the corporations, and Gov is taking oil money https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Russia, compare to Kuwait where people getting pensions from exporting oil. Not saying Russia is better or worse, just different ways of grabbing money from common folks, and making them feel better. It was always such a common thing, when Russians go to Europe on vacation - and find how clean and nice everything else is - they say "well we pay 13% of taxes, not 50%", which makes every Russian feel so much better.
tqi · 3h ago
Mostly to social security (21%), net interest (14%), and healthcare / insurance (27% combined):

https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/feder...

cpursley · 3h ago
Said country has 23% going to pensions, so about the same. Yet still has free basic healthcare and higher education (if you test in).
clipsy · 3h ago
> in the country everyone hates right now

You’re going to have to narrow this down quite a bit.

jjtheblunt · 3h ago
what's the country everyone hates right now?
dekhn · 3h ago
I asked google 'what country has a flat tax of 13%' and it said bolivia and russia. Guessing they meant russia.
jaybrendansmith · 1h ago
Everyone needs to simply go to a pharmacy or a doctor's office outside the US one time. If everybody did that, the US Healthcare system would be doused with gasoline, lit on fire, and be burned like the trash that it is.
amanzi · 3h ago
This is fairly normal in lots of countries around the world.