Plastic and cosmetic surgeons are opposing the tax for a variety of reasons.  Others in support of the tax have suggested that, aside from generating revenue for healthcare, it could encourage talented medical professionals to work in areas of general medicine that need them.

What’s your opinion?

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

This so-called ‘Botax’  or ‘vanity tax’ is being contested in a few different ways, but here are the two common arguments being reiterated:

Would it be gender discrimination?

The tax would be paid almost entirely by women.  Despite the growing popularity of cosmetic procedures for men, women still make up over 90 percent of the patient demographic in the United States.  Obviously, imposing a tax such as the one in question would unfairly discriminate against women.  Think about it this way: would a tax be imposed on men who purchase expensive tattoos, fashionable clothing, or bodybuilding equipment?  It doesn’t seem likely.

Would it affect the rich or the middle class?

There’s a common misconception that’s probably at work here; it’s that “only the rich and famous pursue cosmetic surgery.”  Experience in the industry will show you otherwise.  A 2004 survey conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons revealed that nearly “a third of people considering plastic surgery reported average household incomes below $30,000.”

Recall this New York Times piece by Natasha Singer titled “Who Is the Real Face of Plastic Surgery?”  Ms. Singer discusses the fact that a large number of patients choose to finance their cosmetic surgeries, just as they would a new car.