Who Else Wants Dentists Targeted for Tooth Tax?

Do you think dental services should be taxed?

Apparently Vermont’s Governor Peter Shumlin believes so.

A $24 million new tax package was recently approved by the Vermont House Ways and Means Committee. They voted 7-1 on a package intended to help make up a $176 million projected shortfall in their state.

Fortunately for dentists and patients residing in Vermont, the package did not include Gov. Peter Shumlin’s plan to expand the provider tax to include dental services.

His “tooth tax” initiative would have imposed a 3% tax on the gross receipts of dental services.

Dentists in Vermont were outraged, and more than 4,500 people signed a petition with the VSDS opposing the 3% tax.

The Vermont State Dental Society vehemently opposed the tax, stating, “We believe it makes much more sense to tax items that hinder oral health like candy, soda and tobacco. Taxing health care to pay for health care is a math problem that just doesn’t add up.” The group called for dentists and patients alike to sign the petition through the VSDS website.

The controversial expansion of the provider tax to include dentists that would have raised another $3 million in revenue for the state.

Even though the increased tax would have increased Medicaid payments, dentists still believe a tax on dental services is the wrong way for the state to raise funds.

Should dental services be taxed? If you were in Vermont, would you have signed the petition?

For more on this story, see the Bennington Banner.