On Christmas Eve, the Senate passed the latest version of its health-care reform bill, which is predicted to cost approximately $871 billion in the course of the first 10 years. The bill includes the “11th hour” addition of a 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services. The approval process took just 15 minutes, resulting in a “yes” vote of 60-39.

The House passed its $1.05 trillion version of the bill back in November. The next step is for the Senate and House versions to go to conference committee so the major differences can be reconciled. Besides the tanning tax discrepancy, there are also conflicts regarding the consequences of not participating, the costs – both overall and to the public, the level of government involvement, the funding of abortions, and coverage for illegal immigrants.

It's estimated that the parties will work through the process in January, then sending the agreed-upon version to the president to sign in February. However, based on the conflicting views seen largely between Republicans and Democrats concerning the legislation, there's no guarantee that the process will occur quickly or smoothly

Many organizations such as the ITA are releasing information to assist indoor tanning professionals in protesting the proposed 10 percent tax in the health-care reform bill. Time is of the essence. There are a variety of measures you can take, such as contacting Senators and Congressmen. Stop by the ITA's Web site for additional information, chat with other salon owners about it on TanToday.com , and visit the following specific links to make your voice heard:

To spread the word on Facebook .

To sign a petition to Congress.

If you own a business or work in the tanning industry .

If you are a tanning customer .