Proposed: Federal tax on plastic surgery

[SarahG]

To pay for the national health care system being proposed, the senate's democrats now want a 5% tax on all elective procedures in the United States.

This is after the house democrats stripped the health plans from offering abortions (which being defined as elective would also be taxed by 5% under this proposal if the criteria is based on elective status- it would be hard to define cosmetic legally) and after they've forced everyone to buy an exchange policy (with a 2.5% of your gross income as a penalty for anyone who refuses to comply).

I guess this is an indication not to hold your breath on Obama re-instituting FFS or SRS as tax deductions (as they were before the Bush Admin). Nope, instead of getting back what you would have in the Clinton years, the reverse would be true (you'd have to pay as much in addition to your existing medical bills).

I wonder if they'd start charging people who go overseas for elective procedures with tax evasion for not paying the tax.

But what do I know? No one took it seriously when I predicted abortions being dropped like a pile of bricks.

US Senators target plastic surgery in health overhaul
AFP
Thu Nov 19, 10:25 am ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Americans opting to have surgery to suck out fat, grow or shrink breasts, shape their nose or banish wrinkles may pay for a health care overhaul that was unveiled by US Senate Democrats.

The White House-backed plan would impose a five-percent tax on elective cosmetic surgery that is estimated to raise an estimated 5.8 billion dollars over 10 years towards the 849-billion-dollar plan.

The measure exempts plastic surgery done to remedy a deformity arising from, or directly related to, a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or disfiguring disease.

Individuals who seek purely elective procedures, which are typically paid for directly out of patients' pockets, would have to pay the new tax starting in January 2010.

The global economic recession has not dented US demand for cosmetic surgery procedures, which were up three percent in 2008 to 12.1 million procedures, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

But breast augmentations were down 12 percent from 2007, to 307,230, while wrinkle-banishing Botox injections were up eight percent to just over five million procedures.

The legislation does not exempt US lawmakers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091119...plasticsurgery

[BLKGSXR]

Heh I guess they are hurting that badly.

[SarahG]

Depending how much work a girl needs and whether or not it would apply to surgeries done overseas- this would add a good 3 grand or so to the cumulative costs of transitioning (or, enough for a trach shave to quantify it with a cost most girls would come across).

[Bunzee]

that is a dumb idea
but when the FUCK are they gonna get out of IRAQ and afghanistan and stop wasting money on that mess!!

[Silcc69]

Wait so the repubs didnt tax these surgeries or what?

[CaptainGeech]

I got to be honest. I thought they were taxed already. But its a slippery slope with the wording they use. In particular the word "elective". Who is to say what is elective. Are breast implants "elective"? If so, what about all the breast cancer survivors who feel they "need" that procedure to regain there self worth and feeling of womanliness? Or the morbidly obese who could live an extra 20 years if they get gastric bypass surgery?

All of our money problems would go away if they taxed the correct people and things. The churches, drugs (make them legal first), pharmaceutical companies, and all of the foreign power suppliers (oil, electricity, etc...). Sadly that will never happen. Why? Because those are the people who control everything and pay the politicians kickbacks to stay quiet and further their cause.

[SarahG]

But its a slippery slope with the wording they use. In particular the word "elective".

Exactly, what does elective mean in this context- anything that insurance doesn't cover?

They're talking about botox, that isn't a surgery- so are they going to open this up to include everything done for cosmetic purposes? Will that include hair transplants (baldness effects some GG's btw)? What about laser/electro for hair removal? Laser treatments for spider veins? Fat injections? Hell what about cosmetic dentistry (would getting fangs now have a 5% tax? What about caps?)?

I don't like the way this is heading (not that I ever DID like the way this reform plan was heading).

[Silcc69]

CaptainGeech the pharmaceutical companies and foreign power suppliers would simply pass the extra taxes on to the consumers.

[CaptainGeech]

CaptainGeech the pharmaceutical companies and foreign power suppliers would simply pass the extra taxes on to the consumers.

Yes. I know. But the government can regulate things or at the very least not deregulate them. In California several years ago they tried to convince us that by deregulating the standard prices electricity companies would start a bidding war. Consumers would pay less. What happened? Shockingly they all jacked up the prices and made record profits. People lost there home because it cost $1,100 a month to have air conditioning. I am guessing the politicians didn't receive any of that cash to deregulate the energy laws.

I know regulating companies and enforcing taxes are different but the end result can be the same. Companies paying there fair share.

[SarahG]

CaptainGeech the pharmaceutical companies and foreign power suppliers would simply pass the extra taxes on to the consumers.

Yes. I know. But the government can regulate things or at the very least not deregulate them. In California several years ago they tried to convince us that by deregulating the standard prices electricity companies would start a bidding war. Consumers would pay less. What happened? Shockingly they all jacked up the prices and made record profits. People lost there home because it cost $1,100 a month to have air conditioning. I am guessing the politicians didn't receive any of that cash to deregulate the energy laws.

I know regulating companies and enforcing taxes are different but the end result can be the same. Companies paying there fair share.

They're deregulating the power companies in PA starting next year IIRC. Prices are already projected to go up to 20% higher from what I've read.

I don't know where this "everything in America has to be private-run and capitalistic" comes from because it is a blatant historical fabrication. What next, handing the police departments over to black water?