How will the Affordable Care Act impact the Cosmetic Surgery Industry?

A recent online poll conducted by Plastic Surgery Practice—the report of which was released during a Feb 24, 2014 webinar—revealed that more than 88% of the respondents comprising aesthetic doctors and medical practitioners are concerned about how Obamacare’s provisions, formally known as the Affordable Care Act, will directly affect the plastic surgery industry.
Davis B. Nguyen MD - Article Title - Romeo gets a facelift

“Most respondents were worried that reimbursement rates would be reduced so dramatically that they would have trouble paying their own bills as a result. There was also concern that there would be an influx of non-qualified practitioners providing aesthetic procedures at cut rates to increase their revenue stream, which would compromise patient safety.”

The demand for cosmetic procedures like a facelift in Beverly Hills continues to increase dramatically and plastic surgery has long been synonymous with the affluent Los Angeles city. Beverly Hills is known as the home to the world’s leading facial plastic surgeons and other highly reputed aesthetic professionals. However, with the introduction of the Affordable Care Act, board certified plastic surgeons are concerned about the proliferation of unqualified, untrained practitioners of cosmetic surgery. This could have a grave impact on patient safety while also threatening profits for some credible facial plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills. When the law was first passed in 2010, Democrats wanted to impose a 10% tax on cosmetic surgery procedures and materials related to aesthetic surgery. However, the public and the doctors were kept uninformed as to which processes or materials would fall under that 10% tax. While a movement was formed to fight against the taxation on cosmetic surgery procedures, the group couldn’t keep the government out of the industry.

Today, a 2.3 % tax on all cosmetic surgery-related materials, such as prosthetic devices and pacemakers, is still in effect. The 10% tax provision plan is still on the table. Meanwhile, facial plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills, such as renowned Dr. Davis B. Nguyen, and others like him, will continue to approach cosmetic surgery adhering to the highest technical and medical standards, while promoting the triad of healthy mind, body, and spirit for a truly youthful look.

(Source: Close to 90% of Plastic Surgeons Worry about How ObamaCare will affect the Specialty, Amy di Leo, February 24, 2014)

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