Senate staff raise idea of taxing indoor tanning salons

Roll Call: "The concept of an excise tax on tanning services, which could include salon walk-ins or tanning beds and sunlamps sold for residential use, was floated in a weekend Senate staff meeting on the health bill. Officials described the idea as preliminary and not being seriously considered at this time. But as senators continue to draft amendments to add spending or scale back other pay-fors, all bets could be off. It would also be in keeping with Senate Democrats' desire to keep any new revenue sources within the healthcare system. Indoor tanning has come under increasing fire of late for harmful health effects."

Roll Call adds that "the Indoor Tanning Association, the trade group representing what it says is a $5 billion industry, could not be reached for comment Monday night" (Cohn, 12/8).