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Plastic Surgeons Protest Tax
Does placing a tax on elective cosmetic surgery violate women's civil rights? Some cosmetic surgeons and product companies think so. The new health-care bill's 5 percent tax on breast implants, Botox, and other elective surgeries will most significantly affect baby boomers—women between the ages of 35-50 who make around $55,000 a year, according to a Botox company called Allergan and the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. The tax "discriminates against women," said Allergan in a statement. "What's next? Are we going to tax people who color their hair?" added Medicis, a filler company. The tax only applies to elective procedures rather than surgeries involving unavoidable birth defects, accidents, and diseases, and the CBO says it will generate approximately $5 billion over the next 10 years.
leeyoder
SO SAD. TOO BAD!! CRY BABY CRY.
Mauiboy
First, this article appears in the Wall Street Journal, so it's objectivity is suspect. It's intended to influence the heath care debate. The GOP complain about it's costs, but here is one fair example of raising monies to off-set the cost of health care reform, so expect push back on this article. This story is a canard.
hfb1053
What about penile implants? And fat sucking is not just for women anymore. And neither is plastic surgery as in face lifts, brow lifts, etc.
guerrilladude
Plenty of men get Botox and plastic surgery, you just don't hear about it, nor are they made the butt of jokes (as are many women who obviously utilize these services). When was the last time a late-night comic made fun of some insecure guy's buttock or pec implants? But how often are various actresses boob jobs and lip injections fair game for ridicule?
To call this tax "discriminatory" is laughable and disingenuous. But then this is coming from an industry dominated by men who do make oodles of money exploiting the insecurities and age-fears of the population, based on convincing said population to engage in completely pointless (and potentially very harmful surgeries). Plastic surgeons - a real upstanding bunch of model citizens out there to protect women's rights. Yeah right ROFL.
reasonable
I hope someone very, very clever talks about Nancy Pelosi.
Nonplussed
Yeah that would be very, very clever, since you came up with it.
reasonable
Nope...that's all you see on TDB. Nancy Pelosi? Botox. Oprah? Fat. John Boehner? Spray tan. Obama? antichrist/messiah. You don't have to read the articles to know what the comments will be, just the headlines.
I'm definitely spending too much time here.
tolatetocry
well, now we know what happened to Nancy Pelosi's face!
reasonable
clever!
Demsdisorder
now we all know im not for this HC bill. but come on the liberal woman are in desperate need for plastic surgery. I think it need to be mandatory and im willing to pay extra tax to see this happen.
America might be broke but at least we wont have to look at the ugly liberal slobs like.... , well i don't have to name names do i?. I would mention old Nanci but we all know how she feels about body work....
Demsdisorder
sorry I didn't mean to sound sexiest. we all know the liberal men love to have hair plugs and botox, lipo and im sure some very invasive surgeries that requires a pump.
jaydeekay
If you and I were in restroom stalls that were next to each other, I wouldn't return that tap to my foot.
Sorry.
Demsdisorder
how many time do i have to tell you???
This user is no longer registered.
n--Y--cvillekidflyoverland
This shows the amateur hour that is going on in Washington. Cosmetic surgery is not a dependable stream of revenue for this. It is the first thing to go in a recession and the last to come back. Botox and LASIK sales are down from 40-50% and are not recovering. Cosmetic procedures are also very price sensitive, so raising the price 5% will reduce the number of cases performed. Moreover, The loss of those cases just shows up as an offset elsewhere. States and Muni's will lose the sales tax; the Fed and States will lose the income tax paid by the providers and device and drug makers will layoff employees engaged in the production, putting them on the dole. Great strategy.
jafi12
It also will help medical tourism since good cosmetic surgery from US trained docs is available in Latin and South America.
5% on a $200 botox is $10 - on $1500 laser $75 it won't have a big effect on the small stuff.
But there will be a lot of procedures re-priced/classified. You'll pay X for the procedure which is taxable - and Y for "counseling" which is not:-)
Demsdisorder
This bill will make the tax code look like child's play. what a joke
DragonScorpion
"Does placing a tax on elective cosmetic surgery violate women's civil rights?"
Are they freaking kidding us with this absurdity?!
Key word here, elective. Cosmetic surgery isn't a right.
aackc1
I feel the same way about "illegal immigrants"
Key word here, illegal. Immigration is not a right!
jaydeekay
Our President is a secret Muslim illegal immigrant!
Demsdisorder
Finally you see what he really is Jay. i commend your open mind, and welcome you to the Conservative party. Im sorry jay i should have told you we don't have koolaid here but we do have the best looking woman.
jaydeekay
Sorry, Dems.
There is no way I would ever put a label over my head. I am who I am because I choose to be this way... not because my political party tells me to be.
BOKOBOT
Whatever will they do? Have to put a hold on that fourth house I guess.
BOKO!
crymeariver
What a bunch of posers, The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery is not composed of REAL plastic surgeons. ANYONE with a medical or dental degree can do "cosmetic surgery". It's not a REAL medical practice. An OB/GYN, a pediatrician, a dermatologist or a family practice doctor can do "cosmetic surgery" to make extra cash. Lots of women end up paying money to get non-board certified plastic surgeons to do invasive cosmetic procedures on them due to lack of education.
Real, BOARD CERTIFIED plastic surgeons are members of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Members of the ASPS are required to have finished SURGICAL residency training (6-9 years) in addition to 3 years of plastic surgery practice.
Unfortunately the tax wouldn't do anything to stop people from getting plastic surgery, who feel that they "need it". No price is too much for beauty. We all know that especially women will spend THOUSANDS of dollars yearly to look presentable because that is the standard that society sets.
nortonclybourn
In fact, we DO tax people who color their hair, and I've never heard them btich about it.
Thank you.
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