BOTAX - new plastic surgery tax

I am writing you today about an issue that affects everyone who is receiving or is considering aesthetic medical treatments from a licensed and specialized physician, including botulinum toxin and dermal filler injections, microdermabrasion, dental caps and implants, teeth whitening, laser hair removal, and many more.

To help pay for the health care reform bill that is being debated over the next few weeks by the U.S. Senate, users of such cosmetic medical treatments like yourself have been unfairly targeted with a 5% federal tax on these procedures. As your physician specialized in aesthetic medical treatment for 15 years, I oppose this tax for several reasons outlined below:

· The tax is punitive and places an additional burden on the middle class – According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, sixty percent of patients considering a cosmetic medical procedure are squarely in the middle class, earning between $30,000 and $90,000 per year. This tax would come on top of increased payroll and income taxes sure to result from health reform’s $849 billion cost, and would penalize those who have made a well-educated and informed decision in consultation with a specialized physician to opt for cosmetic medical treatments because they allow them to express their best self and have been scientifically tested.

· The tax discriminates predominantly against women – Medical society data shows that 91 percent of patients seeking cosmetic medical procedures are women. And many of these women are seeking treatment to improve their appearance to enhance their self-image and self-confidence which helps them succeed at work and in other areas of their lives.

· The tax does not serve the goals of health reform – Since these procedures are generally not covered by insurance, the proposed tax will not reduce the cost of health care nor will it reduce insurance premiums. Further, it will increase administrative costs for physician offices.

· The tax puts cosmetic procedures in the same category as cigarettes and alcohol – So called “sin taxes” on cigarettes and alcohol were imposed to try to change unhealthy behavior and cover the significant costs that these products placed on the health care system. This is logical. But a tax on cosmetic medical procedures is illogical because they are healthy and merely a responsible form of self-improvement. Furthermore, these procedures do not impact the heath care system since patients pay for these procedures themselves and they are not covered by insurance. People should have the freedom to decide what is best for their personal health care, including our own aesthetic appearance and therefore be free to spend our own, hard-earned money to correct, alter or enhance our appearance responsibly, in consultation with a physician, without being forced to pay an extra tax

If you agree talk to your legislator. Obviously, tax on lawyers services and tort reform are not considered as a way to pay for and improve health care