Bills have been introduced in Congress to hold down prescription costs.

"But the Treasury was very anxious to get control of rising prescription costs, and their point of view obviously won out."

My leg - scarred, but whole - works fine now and everything was free apart from the odd prescription cost.

It was a policy speech, full of detailed proposals for lower prescription costs and more funding for medical research.

With prescription costs rising, insurers are pressing regulators to make more brand name drugs available over the counter.

"But they have been, and can continue to be a useful part of the plan to control prescription costs."

In the period 1994-2004 prescription costs were the most rapidly increasing cost of health care in the United States.

This approach, the governors say, would certainly lead to cuts in other vital programs to offset the prescription costs.

Then the plan pays 75 percent of the next $2,000 in covered prescription costs.

By implementing these new protections, this bill is expected to lower co-payments for up to 10% of Americans with the highest prescription costs.