COLUMBUS, OHIO.  On Saturday night, the Senate voted to move forward with debate on their version of health care reform.  The bill, sponsored by Senator Harry Reid of Las Vegas, includes a 5% tax on any cosmetic surgery or medical procedure.  The Columbus Society of Plastic Surgeons (CSPS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) strongly oppose this tax as discriminatory, arbitrary and ineffective.

The vast majority of plastic surgery patients – the people who would bear the brunt of this tax – are middle class working women.  It is no longer exclusively in the domain of the upper class.  According to the ASPS, 86% of plastic surgery patients are women, 60% of them report an annual household income of $30,000-$90,000 (only 10% over $90,000) and 91% of these women are working age, from 19-64.  “These data clearly refute the suggestion that elective surgery taxes are ‘luxury’ or ‘sin’ taxes affecting only a privileged few.”  Says ASPS Government Affairs Council Chair and CSPS Secretary, Anne Taylor, MD.

The tax would take effect January 1 and the burden would fall on the patients to pay the cost.  “Although I agree that there are many steps that could be taken to raise money for an overhaul the health care system in America, a cosmetic tax is the wrong approach,” says CSPS President, Jason B. Lichten, MD.  “Many cosmetic patients are using Botox and other procedures to rejuvenate their appearance and to help make them more competitive in an extremely tough job market.  To make this process harder and more expensive feels wrong.”

Furthermore, the one time this tax has been tried at the state level it was ineffective.  New Jersey enacted a 6% cosmetic tax in 2004.  After two years, the state lost $3.39 for every dollar it collected from the cosmetic tax.  Instead of the projected $24 million annual revenue, the NJ Division of Taxation estimates its collections of less than $9 million, which is a 62% shortfall.  In fact, the original sponsor of the bill in New Jersey publicly admitted the tax was a bad idea and led the charge to repeal it.  “This is a tax that simply doesn’t work from an administrative standpoint and is not in line with the goals for health care reform” says Dr. Lichten.  “The President wants health care reform that doesn’t raise taxes on the middle class -- here, it clearly does.” 

The Columbus Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board certified plastic surgeons in Central Ohio.  Members of the CSPS are committed to patient safety and satisfaction.  The CSPS was founded in 2006 as a resource to educate the public about plastic surgery and the unique training and qualifications of board certified plastic surgeons.  The CSPS is the authority on cosmetic, reconstructive and plastic surgery in Central Ohio.  For more information about the CSPS or plastic surgery, including media inquiries, please see the website at www.CSPSOhio.com.

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