Doctor and senior woman wearing facemasks during coronavirus and flu outbreak. Virus protection. COVID-2019..

Medicare’s prescription-coverage program cuts healthcare costs by about $12 billion. That’s because the benefit reduces admissions to nursing homes and hospitals, according to a new study. The subsidized drug benefit lets seniors afford preventive medicines that lower their blood pressure and cholesterol, take appropriate antibiotics, and keep their insulin levels and diabetes controlled, investigators found. Full findings appear in The Journal of the American Medical Association.