Colorado residents are going to find it a bit more difficult to find affordable health insurance quotes. Research from the Lockton Benefit Group predicts an average rate increase of 14.4 percent over last year. While costs will likely rise across the country, the anticipated hike in Colorado is the highest.

Companies aren't going to absorb the increase entirely. More than 70 percent of survey respondents indicated that employees would be expected to pay higher premiums. Furthermore, deductible rates are high as well. The study found that just under 50 percent have a premium of more than $1,000, which marks an increase from last year and is higher than national averages.

Lockton Benefit president Bill Lindsay says higher health insurance premiums hurt Colorado residents.

"This makes it harder for Colorado employers to compete," says Lindsay. "Moreover, the resulting plan changes place Colorado workers at a greater disadvantage in terms of higher deductibles, out-of-pocket expense, and more significant premium cost sharing than their counterparts nationally."

Complying with healthcare reform was also noted as a concern for employers in the survey. The new laws will allow for adult children to stay on their parent's plan until age 26, which may prove to be costly to companies.

It doesn't come as a surprise to many people that healthcare costs are expected to rise next year. Most people have seen the amount of money they've been contributing towards insurance coverage take more from their paycheck. What may be new information for consumers, however, is how much premiums are set to rise.

The Milliman Group Health Insurance Survey reveals that the estimated increase for health maintenance organizations is more than 10 percent and nearly 12 percent for preferred provider organizations.

Some attribute the rate increases to healthcare reform. There are a number of new provisions the legislation brings, including requiring most people to have health insurance as well as prohibiting insurers from denying coverage based on medical history.

The survey found that many insurers plan to implement quality incentive programs as well as participate in the health insurance exchanges in 2014.

There are people who have managed to reduce the amount they spend on care. Flexible spending accounts, for example, allow people to set money aside tax-free and use the funds towards medical expenses. Consumers can also look for affordable health insurance quotes online to see if there are more cost-effective plans available.

Healthcare reform stands to impact the lives of many Americans. From those who have searched for individual health insurance plans to those who have decided to forgo coverage, major regulations are still set to take effect.

However, even though reform is still in its infancy, the topic is set to be a major factor in the upcoming midterm elections. The Kaiser Health Tracking Poll has found that support for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is waning somewhat.

The poll found that 44 percent of respondents are not in favor of the law, up from 40 percent. The proportion of those who favor the law stands at 42 percent, with the remaining 15 percent of those polled not having an opinion.

Some of the new measures under the Affordable Care Act prohibit health insurance companies from denying children coverage based on medical history and allow adult children to stay on their parent's health insurance plans until age 26.

There are still a number of provisions yet to be implemented. Effective in January, the law will allow for free preventative services for seniors on Medicare and prescription drug discounts.

Anyone who has looked for affordable health insurance quotes knows that rates have been increasing. A slew of healthcare regulations have been proposed and help mitigate rate hikes and make care more accessible.

Nonprofit organization Consumer Watchdog, however, says that recent acts by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and state Senator Mark Leno will make it easier for health insurance providers to increase premiums. The group asserts that Californians stand to suffer financially because of the decision.

Consumer Watchdog executive director Doug Heller says that Schwarzenegger's signing of SB 1163 will allow health insurance companies to hike rates "virtually without restraint."

"Governor Schwarzenegger and Senator Leno teamed up to make it easier for health insurance companies to justify rate hike after rate hike," says Heller. "By 2014 every Californian will be forced to buy health insurance and this bill helps insurance companies while leaving consumers unprotected."

A number of health insurance companies have cited healthcare reform as their reason for recent rate increases. The Wall Street Journal reports that some insurers have been asking for premium increases between 1 percent and 9 percent.