In an effort to balance better coverage with the potential for higher cost, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is struggling with 10 bills passed by the Legislature regarding California health insurance.

The bills would expand services for consumers, but could also boost costs and lead millions to drop their California health insurance plans and join the ranks of the uninsured.

At the LA Times, the new health coverage requirements are listed as including things like maternity services, tests for HPV (which can cause cancer), and treatments for mental health and substance abuse problems.

And while these measures could do a great deal to help maintain the health and well-being of consumers, they could also raise California health insurance premiums by a total of $383 million a year.

Of course, medical providers are saying that insurance companies can afford to absorb some of these costs themselves, based on their large yearly profits.

But, convincing them to actually do that might be the only thing harder than choosing among these 10 bills that could help so many Californians.

Group health insurance rates have been going up steadily across the country in recent years, making it difficult for employers to continue offering coverage to their employees.

But according to BizJournals.com, the highest group health insurance increases for 2008 were seen in Cincinnati, Ohio, at a whopping 11.1 percent.

Everywhere else costs went up an average of 6 percent.

Most companies are now struggling even harder to balance the needs of the company with the needs of their employees. In 2009, the average cost per person that major companies will be paying is $8,863, with employees chipping in another $1,946 for their group health insurance fees.

In response, many companies plan to "take a more rigorous and aggressive approach to getting employees healthy," meaning they'll focus on programs to change actual behaviors.

And while getting people to be healthy is always a good idea, this could also mean that more of the burden of health care costs will be shifted to the employees, who are already paying much more than they used to.

Group health insurance is typically less expensive than individual coverage, but as prices continue to go up, it's hard to say how long businesses and companies can continue to pay these prices and still keep their doors open.

The Associated Press released an article this week detailing the difference between affordable health insurance, and the "best" health insurance for someone who has recently become unemployed.

It's a valid issue, as unemployment rates rise, health care costs go up, and people hit the individual insurance market hoping to find an affordable health insurance policy to keep them and their loved ones safe.

But how many people can afford to go with COBRA, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, when such plans run about $400 per month for individuals, and $1,000 for families?

For those who can go to a trade organization or church group to join a large group plan that's a great avenue, as is Medicaid for those low-income families with children, but in today's market the best way to find an affordable health insurance plan is to shop around, and to be aggressive about it.

Some competitors will offer better deals and lower rates when they know your next stop is the competition. It's also wise to know what you'll need, and what will be covered. A single man, for instance, doesn't need maternity coverage. Meanwhile, it's important to have yearly checkups covered, but don't forget to look into the costs that could accrue should you be diagnosed with a serious illness or suffer an accident.

Educating yourself on the insurance market is the best way to find a plan you like at a price you can afford, and while COBRA can certainly offer good coverage to some people, those who are recently unemployed can rarely afford the price tag that comes with it.

Stopping twice in North Carolina this week, Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden spent much of his time arguing for an affordable health insurance plan that would be available to all Americans.

Biden and his running mate Barack Obama propose allowing all Americans to sign up for a more affordable health insurance plan that would mirror the one currently open to members of Congress. This plan would offer a significant improvement over most types of coverage available today, but critics argue that subsidizing the cost of such a plan for those who still couldn't afford it would be too expensive.

Republican hopefuls John McCain and Sarah Palin have taken a different stance, proposing instead tax credits for families that apply to or pay insurance premiums.

According to the article at WCNC.com, Biden's take on affordable health insurance is popular, particularly for those who can't afford coverage right now, or who struggle to pay their medical bills.

To date, around 47 million Americans are uninsured, and the only positive increases in coverage have come from government subsidized programs designed to help middle-lower income Americans to get health coverage of some kind.

It's been a tough year for health insurance companies, especially in California. And it just got tougher now that Health Net has agreed to pay $25 million dollars for dropping the coverage of over 1,000 sick patients.

Health Net has definitely been in the news lately, though they're one of many health insurance companies who are being criticized for the practice known as "rescission."

"Rescission" is the industry's term for the practice of dropping patients from their policy when they get sick and try to make claims on their insurance policies. In Health Net's case, The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the insurance giant must offer new coverage to 926 customers who were dropped since 2004.

They've also agreed to repay $14.2 million in outstanding medical expenses, and $7.2 million in insurance premiums.

Earlier this year Health Net was also ordered to pay $9.4 million for dropping the coverage of a hairdresser in Lakewood whose policy was canceled when she was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Clearly, it's getting very expensive to abuse consumers these days, which is a very good thing for those hard-working Americans who struggle to pay their insurance premiums every month.

Other health insurance companies who are under attack by the Los Angeles city attorney include Blue Shield of California, while Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield have already reached pricey agreements.

At least it's nice to know that while insurance costs may not be going down, at least in these cases the rights of the consumer are being defended from unfair practices.

A new trend among health insurance agencies has been to publish the prices charged at area hospitals for common procedures online, theoretically allowing consumers to compare and shop around.

But will it make affordable health insurance more affordable? Will it really minimize costs?

No one knows just yet, but the Dallas News takes a skeptical stance, questioning everything from the reliability of that information, to the notion that affordable health insurance covers enough in the first place.

According to the article, "the information [posted by insurance agencies] still isn't enough for consumers to make life-or-death decisions," and with health care information changing as rapidly as it does, will these sites represent the newest info?

And then there's a lack of insurance regulations across the country in different states. In one state an affordable health insurance policy will cover a great deal more than in others, which makes it very important not only to shop around, but to know exactly what is and isn't covered.

Finally, in many cases very good doctors and hospitals attract the sickest patients, so scanning through "death rates" may not reflect the truth about where to get yourself treated.

But regardless of it all, many people with an affordable health insurance policy are under-insured and just don't know it. In such cases, a seriously sick or injured person isn't going to stop and do research on their treatment options, they're going to go to the emergency.

And it's only after, when they get their bills, that most people realize that the plan they thought they could rely on didn't cover enough. What people should be better able to do is shop around and compare insurance plans, not just doctors and treatments, so they can make the health care decisions that are best for them.

It's already September, and 2009 is fast approaching. As such, many employers are trying to figure out how they'll offer group health insurance to their employees next year.

Apparently, they'll do it by raising workers' deductibles, copays, or out-of-pocket spending limits.

A survey by Mercer Consulting addressed group health insurance this week, finding that if health-care costs grow at the same rate they've been for the past two years - roughly 6% - they will still outpace inflation and workers' wages.

In order to deal with this increase, BizJournals.com reports that most employers will keep costs down by raising their employees' portion of group health insurance costs.

What does this mean for workers? That it will be even more expensive to hang on to group health insurance next year, unless modifications are made to the insurance industry as a whole. Group health insurance tends to be the most affordable, and is usually easier to get than individual coverage.

However, with fewer employers able to cover families and dependents, many employees are finding that some of those benefits aren't paying like they used to.

Which is bad for employers too, since many employees will go where the benefits are, even if that means taking a job with a larger company over smaller and family owned businesses.