Proposed Cosmetic Surgery Tax Sets a Dangerous Precedent

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. -– The 6 percent tax on elective cosmetic surgery procedures proposed by Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes to fund a stem cell research institute sets a dangerous precedent that medical procedures are available to be taxed, said The American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

If the Illinois legislature approves this tax, Illinois would be only the second state in the country to tax medical procedures. This summer, a highly controversial bill was signed into law in New Jersey, to help resolve the state's large budget deficit.

"This tax is distressing on many levels," said Scott Spear, MD, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. "The people of Illinois should be very concerned about what this tax may mean to their health in the future. It's frightening to think that lawmakers now feel entitled to tax patients who choose to or need surgery. The idea that the legislature will decide whose operation is politically acceptable and whose deserves to be taxed is scary. What's next, a tax on bariatric, lasik, or orthopedic procedures based on the state's, rather than a physician's, interpretation of 'medically necessary?'"

The society is also concerned that the cosmetic surgery tax discriminates against women, 86 percent of the total cosmetic surgery population. Ninety-one percent of the total female cosmetic surgery population is of working age between 19 and 64 years.

 "This is not the 'luxury tax' that Mr. Hynes would like the public to believe," said Dr. Spear. "Plastic surgery, as the statistics illustrate, has become more mainstream. It is not just an indulgence of celebrities and rich people. It is a reasonable option for anyone who wants to look or feel better about their appearance."

The ASPS represents 94 percent of all the board-certified plastic surgeons in the U.S. Ninety-four percent of all ASPS members perform cosmetic plastic surgery and 89 percent of all ASPS members perform reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS, founded in 1931, represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

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