“Botax” Part of Senate Health Proposal

You may have heard the news about a new tax being levied on cosmetic treatments they’re calling the “Botax”. While I’m theoretically pro-healthcare reform, I am highly displeased with this news. I try to keep my blog entries a “politics-free zone”, but in this case I must speak my mind. First, the news item, from the Associated Press, excerpted below.

WASHINGTON — They call it the “Botax.” The White House and Senate Democrats have turned to a proposal to tax breast implants, tummy tucks, wrinkle-smoothing injections and other procedures as they search for ways to pay for costly health care overhaul plans.

Vanity was an easy target as lawmakers scraped for cash for the nearly $1 trillion plan to expand health care to millions of Americans who lack insurance. But it’s no joke to the drug makers and people who perform the cosmetic nips and tucks. And they’re fighting back.

“It is a random hit on an easy target that is only punitive and not corrective,” said Caroline Van Hove, a spokeswoman for Allergan Inc., the maker of Botox Cosmetic. “The bottom line is that taxing cosmetic procedures is unnecessarily punitive on people who have merely decided to enhance their appearance.”

“The common misconception is that this is going to tax wealthy, suburban Republican women,” said Dr. Phil Haeck of Seattle, Wash., the president-elect of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. In fact, he said, of the 86 percent of cosmetic surgery patients who are female, 60 percent of them have incomes between $30,000 and $90,000. (link to complete story)

As a physician, I strongly oppose this proposed tax.  I believe a tax on elective cosmetic procedures is an unreliable, risky revenue source that has not worked when attempted in the past.  Furthermore, despite the fact that more men are seeking cosmetic procedures than ever, the largest number of patients are still working women, who would be unfairly targeted by such taxes.

It is difficult to define elective vs. medically-necessary cosmetic surgery. There is a blurry line between what procedures are considered medically-necessary and those that are elective. Additionally – and importantly – retention of highly-skilled physicians is at risk. Physicians face many challenges in operating their practices on a day-to-day basis; turning them into tax-collectors is an additional burden on these doctors.

Thanks for reading,

Andre Berger, M.D.