The elective procedure tax we wrote about last July is now part of the latest healthcare reform bill and could be implemented as early as 2010.  The tax is a 5 percent charge on any procedure, administered by a licensed medical professional, that isn’t necessary to ameliorate a disease, injury or congenital deformity.

Cosmetic and plastic surgeons have offered strong objections to the bill. One such objection is that women, the predominant consumers in this industry, will pay the projected 5 billion dollar revenue almost entirely. The tax is “discriminatory” and therefore, “the wrong way to raise money to pay for expanding health care.”

Others, such as the ASPS, are trying to draw attention to the fact that cosmetic surgery procedures are not a luxury for the rich and famous, but services primarily purchased by the middle class.

A recent press release said the following:

In a 2005 ASPS survey of people planning to have cosmetic surgery within the next two years, 60% of respondents reported an annual household income of $30,000-$90,000 a year. Most importantly, 40% of those reported a household income of only $30,000-$60,000. Only 10% of respondents reported a household income of over $90,000, which clearly refutes the suggestion that elective surgery taxes are “luxury” or “sin” taxes affecting a privileged few.

Follow the links below to learn more about the elective cosmetic medical tax.

• Politico.com: Senate bill includes the Botox tax

• Nasdaq.com: US Cosmetic Medical Market Faces New Challenge in Senate Bill

• Bnet: Why Allergan and Medicis Should Embrace Botox Tax