Individuals who cannot meet the minimum may drop out of the ride and avoid any out-of-pocket payments.

But those kinds of health plans typically require sizable out-of-pocket payments by individuals.

Out-of-pocket payments were the only major source of health spending to increase faster in 2003 than in 2002, the administration said.

That is without counting the cost of deductibles and other out-of-pocket payments, which have also been rising.

"Within the network, the out-of-pocket payments would be low.

The employer then institutes incentives like lower out-of-pocket payments to encourage workers to use the network.

Such a plan requires only a small monthly contribution or none at all, but carries higher out-of-pocket payments when care is actually received.

The beneficiary's out-of-pocket payments for Medicare-covered services would be limited to $2,000 a year.

Healthcare was meant to be free at the point of delivery, but illegal out-of-pocket payments to health professionals were also common.

It placed a $2,000 ceiling on out-of-pocket payments by Medicare beneficiaries for hospitals and doctors.

So be sure to find out exactly what is covered and what out-of-pocket payments may be needed.

Everyone who makes the switch will have to deal with a new set of customer service representatives and often different rules and out-of-pocket payments.

For the past two years, Richt has doled out-of-pocket payments worth more than $25,000 to three assistant coaches.

"With five children, out-of-pocket payments would have been astronomical for us," Ms. Carter said.

Medicaid paid almost half, followed by out-of-pocket payment by residents, which covered almost a third.

Greater damage in minor collisions can increase an individual's out-of-pocket payments as well as future insurance premiums.

An estimated 30% of the population is deterred from seeking medical services at all due to the high level of out-of-pocket payments charged.

Many countries are seeking the right balance of public and private insurance, public subsidies, and out-of-pocket payments.

At the same time, health maintenance organizations, which provide care for a group for a pre-set amount, have themselves begun to raise out-of-pocket payments.

One issue, Mr. Caulfield said, will be increases in out-of-pocket payments.

Medicaid may pay all of the Part B premium, plus prescription drug costs and the patient's out-of-pocket payments for doctor visits.

The burden of out-of-pocket payments for health services and for private health insurance policies doubled over the last decade.

Half of private health expenditure comes from private insurance and the remaining half is supplied by out-of-pocket payments.

Approximately 70% of Canadian health expenditures come from public sources, with the rest paid privately (both through private insurance, and through out-of-pocket payments).

Medicaid accounted for 41 percent of the total; out-of-pocket payments by patients accounted for 51 percent.