Less than one month after the new state health benefits plan went into effect, the Department of Community Health has approved changes designed to ease financial burdens for state employees on it. The biggest change is the replacement of coinsurance with copays for both medical and pharmacy costs. “While the original plan design approved in August of 2013 focused on quality and affordable care, we could not ignore the financial distress created by the institution of cost sharing with our members,” said Clyde Reese, the commissioner of the department, in a prepared statement.