INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — More companies are offering workers a form of high-deductible insurance called a consumer-directed health plan as they struggle with rising costs and prepare for coverage expansions under the health care overhaul, according to a survey from the benefits consultant Mercer.

Mercer said it saw this year the biggest increase ever in the adoption of these plans by large companies. A total of 32 percent of all employers with 500 or more workers offer a consumer-directed health plan, or CDHP, compared with 23 percent last year.

CDHPs pair high-deductible insurance with a health savings account or employer-funded health reimbursement arrangement to help manage out-of-pocket costs. These plans take less from a worker's pay check for health insurance, but they also come with a deductible well in excess of $1,000 that must be paid before most coverage starts.