In a year awash with news regarding the myriad aspects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, from coverage of state exchange issues to the brouhaha surrounding the Supreme Court decision regarding contraceptives, there's been silence about one particular component of the PPACA.

However, that silence is likely temporary.

"PPACA has allowed the insurance exchanges to charge as much as a 50 percent surcharge for smokers," notes Ted Haughey, senior vice president at CBG Benefits. "And that will have varying impacts. The intent of the smoking surcharge is positive, as insurers are asking consumers to take more responsibility for their behaviors that directly impact overall health care costs. But critics say that the surcharges will adversely affect the poor and uninsured, who already have a higher smoking prevalence."