Is it a tax or a penalty?

The recent Supreme Court ruling on the health reform law ignited a national argument about what to call the federal assessment to people who don’t buy insurance.

That question is beside the point, argues Ronald Bachman, longtime health care actuary and strategist. The real problem is the true cost of the Affordable Care Act, which grows each year, says Bachman in a new GHN Commentary piece.

“So when you read that the cost of Obamacare is increasing, the truth is those costs have always been there,’’ Bachman writes. “The true costs are becoming part of each new 10-year calculation.’’

Here’s a link to his Commentary.

Georgia Health News welcomes Commentary submissions. If you would like to propose a Commentary piece for Georgia Health News, please e-mail Andy Miller, editor of GHN, at amiller@georgiahealthnews.com