The projected cost of providing Medicare beneficiaries with prescription drug benefits through private health plans continues to drop according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
 
The overall cost of the drug benefit program is $117 billion lower over the next ten years than was previously estimated in the summer of 2007.
 
CMS also reports an increase of 1.5 million in new Part D enrollees since last year and improved customer satisfaction.

This article originally appeared in the February 2008 issue of AAKP Public Policy Briefing.