More than 58 percent of consumers cite higher co-payments for prescription drugs and physician visits as the most significant change to their health insurance coverage during the past year, according to a survey conducted by national ratings service Weiss Ratings Inc.


Higher prescription drug co-pays were cited by 34.3 percent of consumers polled, while 23.8 percent indicated that higher co-pays for physician visits were the biggest change, says Jupiter, Fla.-based Weiss.


The results of the online survey were based on voluntary responses from 915 individuals who visited the Weiss Ratings Web site (www.weissratings.com).


Presented with the question, How has your health insurance coverage changed most this year? respondents were asked to vote for one of five choices.


In addition to the 34.3 percent who said that higher drug co-pays were the biggest change and the 23.8 percent who said physician-visit co-pays were, other choices were: changed provider, which 15 percent of respondents chose; loss of health insurance, 11.3 percent; and other, 15.7 percent.


Skyrocketing health-care expenses have forced insurance companies and hence employers to pass more costs onto their employees, resulting in higher co-pays, says Melissa Gannon, a vice president at Weiss. This trend is likely to continue as consumers are forced to take more responsibility for an efficient health-care system.


Weiss is an independent provider of ratings and analyses of financial services companies, mutual funds, and stocks.