Highcharts offers a background color for all columns in a series. The hover color across themes is consistently a light blue (155, 200, 255, .2).
To see an example, visit: http://jsfiddle.net/38pvL4cb/
If you look at the source code, Highcharts creates a path like this:
<path fill="none" d="M 678.5 49 L 678.5 326" stroke="rgba(155,200,255,0.2)" stroke-width="274.25" zIndex="2" visibility="hidden"></path>
This element dynamically adjusts based on your hovering location. I'm trying to modify its color within the theme settings but haven't found it in the API reference.