Right-Wing Media Fat Cats Deny the Existence of a Health Crisis

In recent months, conservative hosts Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity -- who each reportedly make more than $20 million per year and presumably have good health care coverage -- have downplayed the struggles of those lacking adequate health care, asserted that "there isn't a health care crisis," or characterized the United States as having "the best health care system in the world."

Rush Limbaugh

Limbaugh, the highest paid talk radio host in the country, reportedly signed an eight-year, $400 million contract with Clear Channel Communications and its syndication subsidiary, Premiere Radio Networks, in July 2008. According to The New York Times, Limbaugh's "$50 million a year paycheck represents a raise of about $14.4 million a year over his current contract, which was paying him $285 million over eight years and was set to expire in 2009."

On the July 22 broadcast of his radio show, Limbaugh stated: "there isn't global warming and there isn't a health care crisis, but [President] Obama says he's gotta raise taxes and take over the private sector to fix both those things."

On the June 18 edition of his radio show, Limbaugh asserted: