A new “elective cosmetic medical tax” was unveiled Wednesday as part of the recent health care reform bill that Dr. Cuzalina says will be “devastating” for cosmetic surgery practices in the United States.  “You’d be surprised how price sensitive people are to this.  It’s a tax against women and the baby boomer generation having these procedures” comments Dr. Cuzalina.

Cosmetic and plastic surgeons have spoken publicly against the addition of this tax and shared many arguments against it.  Here are 5 of those arguments.

• Discriminatory: Women purchase 86 percent of all cosmetic medical procedures in the United States.

• Targets middle class America: In a 2005 ASPS survey of people planning cosmetic surgery, 60 percent of the respondents reported incomes of $30,000 to $90,000 a year.

• Historically ineffective: New Jersey implemented a similar tax in 2004 and it fell drastically short (59 percent) of its projected revenue.

• Line between reconstructive and cosmetic isn’t always clear: the tax imposes the burden of making clear distinctions between procedures that are medically necessary and simply elective.  Who will make these distinctions?

• Could promote medical tourism: Patient safety is a major priority; keeping costs down will discourage Americans from seeking risky cosmetic surgeries abroad.