Bake and Take

The revised health care bill introduced by Senate Majority leader Harry Reid is set up to receive a big chunk of its funding from a proposed tax on self-insured health plans. That isn't the only place the plan would draw money from though. A new 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services would also provide substantial income for the health care plan (spectator).

The original proposal involved a similar tax on elective cosmetic surgery. Although a tax on cosmetic surgery would have potentially raised more money (even though the proposed tax on cosmetic surgery was only 5% compared to 10% tax on tanning), the U.S. Senate faced heavy opposition to the tax. Allergan (the makers of botox), plastic surgeons, and the medical community in general opposed a tax on cosmetic surgery. The Indoor Tanning Association (ITA) seemed to lack the necessary lobbying muscle to fight the proposal (dailyfinance).

Some cosmetic procedures such as breast implants and botox injections can be deemed as unhealthy, but indoor tanning's link to cancer is a big justification for an increased tax.

Health Risks

The ITA describes the practice of using tanning beds as 'a therapeutic exercise to harness the positive psychological and physiological effects of exposure to UV light' (theita), but doctors agree that indoor tanning is a known carcinogen and has been linked to melanoma, the second most commonly reported cancer for women in their 20s (cosmopolitan).

A recent 20/20 report claimed that indoor tanning causes the deadly melanoma cancer (lookingfit). The ITA disputes this claim saying that the research featured in the report is 'controversial, does not represent a scientific consensus, and only shows a very small increase in risk for certain sensitive skin types' (theita).

The ITA has gone out of it's way to convince the public that the UV rays used in indoor tanning beds are identical to UV rays one would get from natural sun rays (theita). According to the World Health Organization, there is growing evidence that the UV radiation emitted by tanning beds may damage skin and increase the risk of developing skin cancer (WHO). More than one million people are diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer in the United States every year. Forty to 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will have some type of skin cancer in their lives at least once (cancer).

Short-wavelength UVBs have long been recognized as carcinogenic. There is mounting evidence that longer-wavelength UVAs, which are used in sunbeds and which penetrate deeper into the skin, also contribute to higher risks of skin cancer (WHO). Even if the research is wrong and tanning bed UV radiation is identical to natural sunlight, the ITA fails to point out that, for many people, indoor tanning does not totally replace exposure to sunlight. In 2000, over 200,000 cases of melanoma were diagnosed worldwide, and there were 65 000 melanoma-associated deaths, either from natural sunlight or from artificial sources such as sunbeds (WHO).

Why Tax is Fair

If you are engaging in high-risk behavior, you can expect to see increase heath insurance rates. Such behaviors are optional and are considered by many as self-destructive. "We made the case this will reduce health care costs by hopefully reducing skin cancer in the future - that's the point - and also raise a little revenue now," said Dr. David M. Pariser, president of the American Academy of Dermatology (nytimes).

The proposed tanning tax can be compared to ever-growing taxes on tobacco and alcohol products. The theory is that not only will the taxes bring in a revenue stream, but that the higher costs will discourage people from using the product and thus promote better overall health.

"In the past, taxes on addictive substances like tobacco and alcohol have decreased usage," said Dr. June Robinson, who has studied young people's attitudes about indoor tanning. "That's the dream." (nytimes).

The 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services, which the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation projects will raise $2.7 billion over 10 years (nytimes). The fact that the income from this tax is going to insure millions of uninsured Americans is fitting. Let the people taking unnecessary health risks pay to insure those who are less fortunate.

It should also be pointed out that the majority of people using tanning salons are members of the upper class and are the most likely to be able to afford a tax increase. On average, tanning cost around $60 per month. A 10% tax would raise this about $6 to $66 per month (cnycentral).

If this tax makes indoor tanning too expensive for you, then perhaps you should consider sunlight. To date, there is no tax on sunshine.

References

20/20 Undercover Report: What It Means for the Indoor Tanning Industry. (n.d.). LOOKING FIT magazine: Industry-specific business and management resources to grow a tanning salon.. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from http://www.lookingfit.com/blogs/judie/blogdefault.aspx?m=art&a=20-20-tanning-report.html

Ad Draft. (2009, July 29). The ITA. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from www.theita.com/news/IARC_Ad_Draftv2.pdf

America's Affordable Health Choices Act Section-by-Section Analysis. (2009, July 14). American Benefits Council. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from www.americanbenefitscouncil.org/documents/hcr_housebill_summary071409

Artificial Tanning Booths and Cancer - National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). National Cancer Institute - Comprehensive Cancer Information. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/tip-sheet-tanning-booths

'Botax' Out, 'Tan Tax' In: Health Care Bill Offers a Lesson in Lobbying - DailyFinance. (n.d.). DailyFinance - DailyFinance. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/company-news/botax-out-tan-tax-in-health-care-bill-offers-a-lesson-in-l/19291318

'Botax' Out, 'Tan Tax' In: Health Care Bill Offers a Lesson in Lobbying - DailyFinance. (n.d.). DailyFinance - DailyFinance. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/company-news/botax-out-tan-tax-in-health-care-bill-offers-a-lesson-in-l/19291318

House Democrats Issue Revised Health Care Reform Bill : Health Care Law Reform. (n.d.). Health Care Law Reform : Health Care Lawyer & Attorney : McDermott Will & Emery Law Firm : Managed Care, Product Regulations. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from http://www.healthcarelawreform.com/2009/07/articles/hill-developments/house-democrats-issue-revised-health-care-reform-bill/

ITA Member Alert - Response to 20/20 Report. (2009, December 7). The ITA. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from www.theita.com/news/20-20Report.pdf

Indoor Tanning Association. (n.d.). Indoor Tanning Association. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from http://www.theita.com/indoor/

Klein, P. (n.d.). The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Health Care Bill to Tax Indoor Tanning. The American Spectator. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from http://spectator.org/blog/2009/12/19/health-care-bill-to-tax-indoor

LOUIS, C. S. (n.d.). Skin Deep - Senate Plan Shifts Tax to Tanning Bed From Botox - NYTimes.com. The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/24/fashion/24Skin.html

Roetz, J. (n.d.). Tanning tax targets indoor tanners : News : WSTM NBC3. Latest local news, weather and sports for Syracuse and Central New York - Powered by WSTM NBC3. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from http://www.cnycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=393554

Roetz, J. (n.d.). Tanning tax targets indoor tanners : News : WSTM NBC3. Latest local news, weather and sports for Syracuse and Central New York - Powered by WSTM NBC3. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from http://www.cnycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=393554

Sunbeds, tanning and UV exposure. (2001, March 1). World Health Organization. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs287/en/index.html

Tan Tax - Indoor Tanning Association - Cosmopolitan.com . (n.d.). The Online Women's Magazine for Fashion, Sex Advice, Dating Tips, and Celebrity News - Cosmopolitan . Retrieved January 3, 2010, from http://www.cosmopolitan.com/celebrity/news/tan-tax-email