I’d be interested in references on this, because I’ve looked at this quite extensively via several different sources and no one’s talked about a 1-day requirement, ever. I did mis-remember the 3 years. If I could get CR residency on one day a year, I would be rushing down there right now to get it cost be damned because my wife and I love CR.
The point of medical insurance is that it’s a tax, essentially. Everyone has to pay it, period. CR puts a high premium on the value of health care as a societal good and that’s simply part of the compact you have with the country in exchange for residency.
With respect to “being more generous”, frankly, I don’t think CR really cares. They make no real effort to promote the programs; they’re just there. The reality is that tons of people already want to move there, and tons of people have already moved there, with gobs and piles of money - just drive around Nosara or Escazu or Tamarindo. It’s a gorgeous country with great people and a great culture and tourists go home with a longing to move there. Intel has facilities there, there’s several medical equipment concerns with facilities there, they already struggle with not pricing out the locals. The last thing they need is more real estate investment. So … I’m sure other better options will pop up… from countries that care more.
(Structurally, it’s a terrible place for investment capital - the culture’s just all wrong for it.)