Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is traveling to Canada in January for hernia surgery.
The operation, Paul says, is physical fallout related from an injury incurred in 2017 when his neighbor attacked him while he was mowing his lawn.
The attacker, Rene Boucher, broke six of Paul’s ribs and bruised his lung, and said that he attacked his neighbor because he reached a breaking point over how the senator maintained his yard.
The outpatient surgery is scheduled for the week of Jan. 21 at Shouldice Hernia Hospital in Thornhill, Ontario, the Courier Journal reported.
Canada has a universal healthcare system that is publicly funded and provided through the Provincial Ministry of Health.
Paul is a vocal opponent of passing any universal, or government-financed healthcare system in the U.S. A spokesperson made it clear that he is traveling to Canada for the operation because it is a renowned hospital for hernia surgeries.
“This is more fake news on a story that has been terribly reported from day one — this is a private, world-renowned hospital separate from any system and people come from around the world to pay cash for their services,” said Kelsey Cooper, a spokeswoman for Paul.
The senator practiced as an ophthalmologist before venturing into politics.
