About half its 11,300 covered employees will pay higher co-payments for certain doctor visits, a spokesman said.

Company officials said that provision, along with the higher co-payments and deductibles, would save $500 million.

Private insurers have used higher co-payments to discourage the use of certain brand-name drugs.

If you're under 35 with no significant health problems, you might consider a lower-premium plan that requires higher co-payments or deductibles.

As for health insurance, musicians will have to bear higher co-payments and deductibles.

Despite such criticism, the proposals for higher co-payments and the $250 enrollment fee are not necessarily dead.

On the commercial side, insurers typically charge higher co-payments for certain drugs.

The settlement would require workers to pay higher co-payments for doctors' visits, officials said.

But any agreement would probably include higher co-payments for prescriptions and visits to the doctor.

The Medicare plans may charge slightly higher co-payments and often cover fewer drugs.