A strengthened bill, he suggested, might require equal co-payments for mental and physical illness, and prevent companies from setting day and visit limits on care.

The legislation would require teachers retiring after 20 years to pay 40 percent of their insurance premiums, as well as co-payments and deductibles, he said.

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

The company wants to change the workers' medical benefits so that all workers will be enrolled in a single plan requiring co-payments, he said.

The labor groups currently have different medical benefits, and the pilots' plan does not require co-payments.

But that law left a loophole that allowed companies to require much higher deductibles and co-payments for mental health treatments than for other diseases.

Mr. Bush is already encountering furious opposition from veterans to his proposals to require higher co-payments.

Increased accessibility to screening for breast and cervical cancer requires removing insurance deductibles and co-payments so all women can afford these tests.

She noted that many city employees would continue to have the option of a HIP health plan that requires neither premiums nor co-payments.

So state officials have adopted numerous measures to rein in costs - some of them requiring co-payments, for instance, others limiting the number of each patient's prescriptions.