More than one-third of large companies have increased their retirees' share of premiums, and 17 percent have raised drug co-payments.

They are also putting new pressure on cancer patients to make out-of-pocket drug co-payments, which can amount to hundreds of dollars a month.

Most eliminate the deductible and use tiered drug co-payments rather than coinsurance.

Beneficiaries with income below 150% poverty are eligible for the low-income subsidy, which helps pay for all or part of the monthly premium, annual deductible, and drug co-payments.

Federal health officials say that patients have been spending more on their drug co-payments of 20 percent than providers spend to buy the drugs.

Without the county program, his drug co-payments would total $110 a month, Mr. Street said.

And her income from her teacher's pension and Social Security disability payments, about $4,000 a month, is too high to qualify for charitable programs that help patients with drug co-payments.

Chronic Disease Fund: helps underinsured patients with chronic diseases (including Crohn's disease) cover the cost of their drug co-payments.

He proposed higher drug co-payments and new fees for middle-income veterans with no service-connected disabilities.

Boeing also wants the machinists to absorb more of their health costs, with some drug co-payments tripling and premiums for many workers tripling to $2,000 a year from $700.