Private insurance is much less likely to cover drugs than hospital care or doctors' services.

And some thought it could be used for drugs already covered by their health insurance, he said.

Medicare generally does not cover drugs for people outside the hospital.

Or the person could join a private plan covering drugs along with doctors' services and hospital care.

The question now is not whether Medicare should cover prescription drugs, but how.

The judge held her responsible for all the drugs covered by the indictment.

Medicare generally does not cover prescription drugs outside a hospital.

A third of the 40 million Medicare beneficiaries have no insurance to cover drugs.

The program already covers drugs injected in a doctor's office.

Some states cover only drugs needed for certain conditions like heart disease, arthritis or diabetes.