With the unemployment rate still high at 9.5 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a number of people are relying on Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act for their health insurance needs. COBRA allows people to stay on their employers health insurance plan at their own expense.

Research by consulting firm Aon says COBRA is being strained from the increased number of people relying on the coverage. They report that more people are utilizing COBRA services as they get closer to losing the coverage all together.

Aon senior vice president Tom Lerche says people should expect to see additional expenses coming their way.

"In addition, we expect to see new costs related to excise taxes and potential cost shifting from reductions in Medicare reimbursement to providers, which will be on top of existing long-term medical trend inflation," Lerche said. "These factors will lead many employers to consider increased employee contributions for health coverage, as well as plan design cost sharing."

Employees have already begun to pay higher health insurance premiums. The Kaiser Family Foundation says premiums for employer-sponsored plans increased almost 8 percent from 2005 to 2006 and just over 9 percent the year before that.

Having a newborn is an exciting time in any parent's life. For new parents, taking care of a little one can be a challenge, especially if they don't already have a lot of experience taking care of a newborn.

Most new parents are well aware of the importance of taking their infant to the doctor on the regular basis. Many, however, don't know realize that seeing the optometrist is important for overall health, too.

A survey by the American Optometric Association found that less than 25 percent of infants have an eye exam. Unfortunately, the lack of exams may be a contributing factor to one in 10 infants having an undetected vision problem.

"It is crucial that parents understand the importance of comprehensive eye exams for infants and how they are administered," said optometrist Dr. Glen Steele. "The good news about a trip to the optometrist is that most babies seem to enjoy the 'games' we use to determine whether their visual development is progressing normally and their eyes are healthy."

Receiving an eye exam is important at any age. Many health conditions can be caught by an optometrist. Detecting a condition early may ultimately lead to lower expenses and health insurance costs.