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Did you know that the government is proposing implementing a sales tax on elective cosmetic surgeries?
According to the recently proposed health care reform plan, elective procedures such as facelifts, implants, injections, even teeth whitening, would come with a 5 percent tax.
So how bad would it be? Here's how: statistics say that doctors performed about 4.7 million Botox injections last year. At about $400 a visit, a five percent tax would be a devastating number, and that's just on Botox! Can the patients having elective cosmetic treatments afford it?
Numbers say that cosmetic surgery has become something for the many. Statistics say that the majority of cosmetic surgery patients make $30,000 to $90,000 per year, well out of the "very rich" income bracket.
As we progress as a society, so do the needs for cosmetic surgery. In these uncertain economic days, everyone is doing what they can to ensure job security. For many people, that means enhancing their appearance. As facial plastic surgeons, we feel this tax does patients everywhere a disservice, and is discriminatory and inappropriate, to say the least.
This is officially in senate legislation.
To petition this proposed tax, you can contact your local senate. Click here for local senate listings. |
