Rising Costs Could Put Americans in Market for Health Insurance Quotes

A growing number of Americans may find themselves shopping for affordable health insurance quotes in the coming months in light of the economy, as well as projections showing that costs will continue to rise for employer-provided coverage.

A recent report from Aon Consulting predicts that healthcare costs will increase 10.5 percent over the next year. The information is said to be based on surveys of more than 60 health insurance companies that have more than 100 million total customers.

The consulting firm noted that the projected increase is in line with other recent years, regardless of whether one has an HMO, PPO or CDH healthcare plan.

"While we're seeing a slight decrease in the trend rates, it's still at double digits, and this year, it's compounded by a struggling economy, lower wage increases, and in some cases, salary freezes," said John Zern of Aon Consulting.

A growing number of employers, especially small businesses have been forced to scale back or eliminate their benefits packages based on the rising cost of healthcare. With that in mind, a growing number of Americans may find themselves shopping around online and elsewhere for health insurance quotes.