HHS touts savings for seniors under health law

Federal health officials are marking the third anniversary of President Obama's healthcare law by highlighting its savings for people on Medicare.

Seniors have saved more than $6.1 billion on prescription drugs since the law's passage, officials said, crediting discounts that are helping close Medicare's "doughnut hole" coverage gap.

Under the Affordable Care Act, seniors in the gap will pay increasingly less for brand-name and generic drugs, with their contribution bottoming out at 25 percent in 2020.

This year, the discounts for most brand-name and covered generic drugs will be about 53 and 21 percent, respectively.

"By making prescription drugs more affordable, the Affordable Care Act is improving and promoting the best care for people with Medicare," Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement.

---