The high-deductible policy would cost less than traditional comprehensive coverage, thus making insurance more affordable.

Empire got into trouble because it couldn't control the cost of its traditional fee-for-service coverage.

There are three variations of traditional fee-for-service coverage: basic, major medical, and comprehensive.

The insurance industry argues that traditional coverage remains as valuable as ever.

Once they become ill, they may regret having given up traditional coverage.

Besides traditional coverage, they could use their share of the Government money to join a managed-care plan or set up medical savings accounts.

The survey combined dental, vision and hearing with spending on traditional medical coverage, the type that most employees have.

The employees typically pay out less than for traditional coverage, to induce them to join.

But, increasingly, workers are losing out on traditional coverage, in some cases because whole, heavily covered industries have virtually disappeared.

That means paying more out of your own pocket for health care expenses than with traditional coverage.