Senate Bill Would Tax Cosmetic Surgery

[ecstatic]

Poll question: Senate Bill Would Tax Cosmetic Surgery

To raise money for the health overhaul, Democrats are proposing a new 5% tax on elective cosmetic procedures. The tax was a surprise addition to the sweeping 2,074-page bill that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled late Wednesday. It generates $5 billion over a decade for the plan, which is expected to cost $849 billion over a decade.

The tax would fall on the individuals who undergo the procedures. If they don’t pay it when they’re billed for their surgery, then it falls to the provider who performed the procedure.

Not all cosmetic surgeries would get taxed. According to the bill, the tax would only apply if the surgery “is not necessary to ameliorate a deformity arising from, or directly related to, a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or disfiguring disease.” It would take effect Jan. 1.

So what do plastic surgeons think of this? We called the American Society of Plastic Surgeons three times Wednesday night. The line was busy each time.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/11/18/senate-bill-would-tax-cosmetic-surgery/

[fasttense]

1. Just tax dividends and interest as much as they tax wages.

Why should making money off of money not be taxed as much as working for a living?

[Lance_Boyle]

13. the theory is that the money invested that earns dividends has already been taxed

as income. While true in some (probably most) cases, it is not true in others (such as inherited wealth generating dividend checks, although that inherited wealth was presumably taxed when it was earned, before it was passed on).

[Eric J in MN]

30. The same could be said about all taxes.

A company pays corporate taxes before it pays its workers.

The wokers pay income taxes before they buy things and pay sales tax, etc.

[bluestateguy]

2. I'll be interested what Henry Waxman's position on that is

Seeing as how his district is chock full of Hollywood celebrities, trophy wives, Stepford wives and numerous plastic surgeons.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. From Botox to Botax.

[frebrd]

4. Good!

It'll give the vain, pathetic, insecure plastic surgery addicts something more to feel insecure about.

:rofl:

[enlightenment]

5. Bad.

It's a sin tax - with the 'sin' determined in an arbitrary fashion.

[ecstatic]

8. I don't like it either. Regular middle class people get a lot of

cosmetic surgery, especially weight loss surgery. Why make it even further out of reach for so many people?

[Spider Jerusalem]

12. Sorry, but I have no problem with shallow, self-absorbed twits having to pay a tax on facelifts.

Gastric band surgery isn't 'cosmetic' especially if you're talking about morbidly obese individuals.

[krabigirl]

25. Same here.

[Lance_Boyle]

14. bariatric surgery is not cosmetic

liposuction is (or can be). I say tax the fuck out of 'em. My sins are taxed - let's hit those half-plastic gorgonstrosities in the pocketbook, too.

[Eric J in MN]

6. It's better than some taxes, but...

...there is a question of why cosmetic sugery should be federally taxed instead of just raising upper-income taxes.

Is it worse for people to spend money on cosmetic surgery than other luxuries?

[kenny blankenship]

26. I agree. I don't like the idea of any medical treatment being taxed

Some cosmetic surgery is done to reconstruct people's appearance after injuries or diseases.

But that's almost beside the point. The appropriate point to levy tax, if a tax must be raised to pay for new services, is on income.

Actually, if we would just approach this problem HONESTLY and get the profit skimming middleman completely out of the basic health care market we could lower the overall expense of our health care "system". There's no reason --except the endemic bribery and corruption of our political leadership-- that we should not be setting our goal at reducing our total expenses by one half. The tax on citizens would represent a savings to them (compared with their insurance costs which as we all know are no guarantee of service) instead of a burden.

[Johonny]

36. I think it's seen as a luxary tax and this another way to tax wealth

The problem I see is I know a lot of people in LA that got nothing in any form of wealth, but have fake * of one kind or another. It's not only the wealthy that do this stuff (at least here). Some people scrimp and save (or worse) just to get this stuff done. So it's possible that it's slightly more regressive than escalating car taxes or property taxes or income taxes in taxing real wealth.

[Barack_America]

7. I sense a huge upswing in "deviated septum" diagnoses on the horizon. nt

[bluestateguy]

9. Is that how you could get around the tax to pay for a nose job?

nt

[Barack_America]

10. Yep. nt

[taught_me_patience]

11. Hello Thailand

Medical tourism is just going to get bigger.

[Barack_America]

15. I voted "no".

I don't see a reason for taxing people with poor self esteem for wanting to change the things they hate about themselves.

Some people really fixate on a particular body part as being the root of all of their unhappiness.

They don't need to be taxed, they need therapy.

If this money were going to provide Americans better access to mental health care, then maybe I'd agree with it.

[ecstatic]

17. Someone on The View said that!

I forget which one.

[Barack_America]

21. Please tell me it wasn't Elizabeth.

I may have to go walk out in traffic.

;)

[krabigirl]

27. Hmmm..where I live, women mainly get surgery/botox just to compete . Tax it all.

[tova]

16. breast reconstruction

I had to have bilateral masectomies because I am BRCA2 positive. Would my breast reconstrucion after the surgery have been considered cosmetic surgery under this new bill? It was certainly not directly related to a congenital abnormality, personal injury, accident or trauma. Once again I think women may be bring treated unfairly because of our sex.

[ecstatic]

18. Women get the most "cosmetic" surgery

So you're right, this is once again something aimed at controlling and limiting the choices of women.

[Lance_Boyle]

22. any opportunity to cry victimhood, eh?

For once I feel totally justified in stating that your opinion is stupid, ugly and wrong.

[ecstatic]

28. It doesn't affect me personally so I'm not a victim

However, I do know several women who have scraped up savings to get lipo and that 5% tax would put it completely out of reach. What's next? A higher tax on certain vacations? Car models? Where does the sin tax end?

[Lance_Boyle]

32. This particular one ends at opting for a treadmill instead of liposuction.

I know lots of people who save up for lots of things, and then pay taxes on their purchases. Or if they find they didn't save enough to cover the purchase and the tax, they do without while saving up a bit more.

Now on the issue of "limiting women's choices" - men consume more beer than women. Does that mean that alcohol taxes are an attempt to control men or restrict their choices?

[tova]

29. mesectomy

Victimhood? It was an honest question and I appreciate the direct answers.

[enlightenment]

33. Gee, Lance,

does that mean that all the other times you inform people that their opinions are stupid, ugly and wrong aren't justified?

Never thought I'd see you admit that . . .

[Lance_Boyle]

20. bilateral mastectomy is trauma n/t

[TwilightGardener]

31. That would fall under "disfiguring disease". Unless prophylactic surgery

is excluded from that category.

[anigbrowl]

37. That would come under disfiguring disease

Indeed, you could argue that BRCA2 is a congenital abnormality.

[Naturyl]

19. Good. Yes it is a sin tax, and finally on one of the right sins.

Sin taxes on vanity are fine with me. We also need more taxes on greed.

[krabigirl]

23. Good. Unless it's for surgery after a mastectomy or accident.

Otherwise, they are elective and should be taxed.

[Ozymanithrax]

24. If it is a surgery of choice, yeah, tax the hell out of it.

If cosmetic surgery is required to repair another medical issue (such as those done after a mastectomy or a broken jaw) then no.

[damntexdem]

34. Nip them where they tuck!

[Kingofalldems]

35. Real Housewive of Orange County will not like this at all!