There are several reasons why health insurance quotes continued to rise in 2011. The most common reason is the ongoing financial crisis, which continues to see increases in health care costs across the nation. Due to the economic crisis, several health insurance companies have lost a number of customers over the last two to three years. This is partially due to job losses, which make it difficult to keep up with monthly premium payments. In order to cover costs, several health insurance companies have raised premium rates by 5 to 15 percent. This helps offset the cost of extending existing coverage, as well as adding new coverage options and services. A number of smaller health insurance companies also merged with larger entities, which resulted in premium increases across the board.

With any health insurance provider, customers should expect a premium rise after one year. This tends to occur whether a fiscal crisis is present or not. It is simply based on age, where the older you get, the more your premiums will cost. With more people living longer, life expectancy has also attributed to rising health insurance costs. In fact, a number of websites that specialize in health insurance quotes, now list premium rates for a range of age groups. This allows potential customers to see what their premiums will be as they get older. Another factor in rising health insurance is the unstable job market. With unemployment hovering around 9 percent, many companies have implemented hiring freezes across the board. With no way to earn a continuous income, numerous individuals are simply living without any health coverage. Health insurance companies have also seized this opportunity to increase rates for those with existing coverage. In hindsight, it is simply a way for health insurance companies to secure market growth and longevity.

One of the biggest reasons why health insurance quotes continue to rise is federal regulation. According to recent reports, the federal government will mandate, oversee and monitor all health insurance companies in 2012. This will limit, and even restrict certain increases for health insurance companies. In fact, health insurance companies that want to raise rates over 10 percent will first have to get federal approval. While monitoring health costs seems to be good for the economy, it has caused several companies to raise rates before the new rules are applied. For employer-sponsored health coverage, certain plans have also had to increase rates due to employee coverage demands. For example, many employees have demanded employer coverage for certain medical procedures, such as mammograms. As a result, employers have raised premium costs to cover these treatments, while expanding their overall base of services. This has led to soaring health costs too.