Dear Cara,

     I am writing you today to bring to your attention what I feel to be a blatant over-reaching of our Government that can and will directly affect many, if not all of you. First of all, let me thank you for being loyal patients and entrusting me with the care of something as personal as the aesthetics of your head, neck and face. I hope I have served you all well and can continue to do so in the future. To those who receive our newsletter or have yet to have a procedure, I thank you as well for taking those first steps and exploring that option with me.

     With the U.S. Senate's release Wednesday night of the health system reform legislation, the Democratic Party has included a tax on all cosmetic procedures.  Called the "Botax" or a "sin tax", this 5% tax is to be administered by physicians who provide the services starting January 1st, 2010. It seems that the Government has taken it upon themselves to determine what a "frivolous" expense is and in so doing arbitrarily discriminate against those who wish to improve their self-esteem and appearance through undergoing cosmetic surgery. Why single out this group of people as opposed to those who choose to improve their appearance by working out with a trainer, using a hair stylist, getting a manicure or using a lifestyle coach. Is it because only people with "money to burn" seek out these types of procedures? That's laughable as 86% of cosmetic surgery patients are working women between the ages of 35 and 50 with an average income of $55,000 a year.

     Part of this issue stems from the Health Care System's view of what is medically necessary vs. what is cosmetic in nature with respect to these types of procedures. I wonder if the people making those decisions have ever had a Keloid on their ear so painful that they can only sleep with one side of their head on a pillow. That's a whole other story. This boils down to a person's right to choose if they want to get a cosmetic procedure and why. If it's because they need to maintain their looks to remain competitive in their line of work as a high end sales rep in the fashion industry or if it's simply because they don't like the fact that their cheeks and jowls sag a little, WHO CARES! These procedures do not harm the environment, they do not lead to violence and they don't negatively affect society. The Government has no right to impose a tax like this and I am disgusted that it seems like it will actually get enacted. It would be nice if they spent their time and effort on something that could affect this whole country like making sure the swine flu vaccine is readily available as opposed to singling out a group of people like you, and imposing a tax simply because they feel they have the right to capitalize on your desire to look and feel better.

     I started this letter with the purpose of simply informing you of this impending tax and to suggest to you that if you were considering a procedure you should get it done this year, before the tax is enacted, and I let some of my personal dismay with the Government seep into it. I am sorry for that, but this is a very personal issue for me as I have seen the differences first hand that procedures like the ones I perform can have on a person's life. I will be having a seminar on December 1st, 2009 at 6:30 pm in Livingston, NJ to discuss surgical and non-surgical face rejuvenation techniques. If you were thinking about having a procedure done in the near future, I urge you to take this opportunity to come to the seminar to learn more about it before the tax is imposed. You can see the seminar details here. This will be my last seminar this year and there are limited seats left. If you were thinking about any other procedures like Keloid removal, Rhinoplasty or anything else, please call my office to talk with one of my Patient Care Coordinators to set up a free consultation.

Sincerely,

Oleh Slupchynskyj, MD, FACS
The Aesthetic Institute of New York & New Jersey

866.402.6106

www.FaceChange.org