Those who are looking for affordable individual health insurance quotes will have to do their research well. A recent survey by Buck Consultants reveals that healthcare costs are expected to continue to edge upwards next year.

Furthermore, the survey reveals that healthcare costs are expected to increase at rates higher than those seen in previous studies by the company. Buck principal and consulting actuary Harvey Sobel says there are a couple of factors behind the trends their report found.

"The trend factors reported in our survey reflect, in part, that health insurers anticipate higher claim costs under health care reform," say Sobel. "Also, due to current economic uncertainty, insurers may be projecting higher claim costs because employees who remain after layoffs tend to be older and more expensive to insure."

This study reflects a number of other research findings that have pointed to rising healthcare costs. Data from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that healthcare offerings appear to coincide with economic conditions. For example, health insurance benefits offered by employers have increased and decreased along with the strength the economy. The Kaiser Family Foundation notes that such trends will likely change under healthcare reform in the future.