Over the last several weeks patients have repeatedly asked me what I think of the new Botax.  This newly proposed measure is a 5% tax not only on cosmetic surgical services such as breast augmentation, tummy tucks and facelifts, but also less invasive procedures such as Botox, facial fillers and teeth whitening.  This new tax is attached to the current senate version of the health reform bill working its way through congress.  When recently asked the reason for the new tax, the architects of the health bill replied, “We simply need more money.”

I feel the authors of this new tax bill view plastic and cosmetic surgeons and their patients as easy defenseless prey for such a measure.  I am sure they felt the average voter in the United States would see this tax as simply an extension of the President’s promise to tax only the wealthiest Americans to finance the new health care program and his multiple other social programs.

My practice in Mansfield, Texas serves a wonderful community full of very friendly, hard-working individuals who span the garment of social classes and walks of life.  They are marvelous people.  The average patient in my practice is a middle income mom with two kids looking to repair the changes from child bearing or the older individual attempting to reverse the ravages of aging.  Although they are usually financially stable, the one thing they usually are not – is rich.  If President Obama’s promise was to only raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans, the new Botax certainly hits below the belt.

Given the wide range of new and innovative cosmetic services available in the United States today, it is the average American and not the idol rich who is requesting these services with their discretionary income left over after they have paid their already established taxes.  Patients desire these services to help repair their self-esteem and increase their confidence.  My patients usually say “I am doing this for myself because I feel I have earned it.”  Well, President Obama and Congress apparently feel you haven’t.

It is my hope that this new 5% tax, that I am sure at this point seems so defenseless, will in hind site a few years from now be seen as one of the revealing events that opened America’s eyes to the true changes in our way of life that are on the horizon.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 12:38 pm and is filed under Home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.