Feds: Healthcare law saved seniors billions on prescription drugs

Federal officials touted billions in savings for seniors under healthcare reform just hours before the Supreme Court might have ruled against the law.

According to the Medicare agency, more than 5 million seniors and people with disabilities have saved about $3.7 billion on prescription drugs since the Affordable Care Act was enacted.

“Thanks to the health care law, millions of people with Medicare have been paying less for prescription drugs,” said Marilyn Tavenner, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

{mosads}”The law is helping people with Medicare lower their medical costs, and giving them more resources to stay healthy,” she added.

The Supreme Court will issue its healthcare ruling on Thursday.

On Monday, CMS also released data showing that Medicare beneficiaries have gained an average of $651 in savings on prescription drugs because of healthcare reform this year.

Tavenner’s statement added that the so-called “donut hole” will be closed by 2020 thanks to the health law.

Though strong majorities favor most of the law’s provisions, according to a new Reuters poll, the law remains unpopular as a whole. The Obama administration has continued to talk up provisions of the law, hoping to build support ahead of the November elections.