Changes to Medicare under the 2010 health care reform law have saved 14,963 Idaho residents $8.7 million — or $579 each — in prescription drug costs, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says.

The changes affect people who fall into Medicare's "doughnut hole" — a coverage gap that results when prescription drug claims exceed benefit limits but haven't yet reached a level when catastrophic coverage kicks in.

The 2010 health care reform law, known as the Affordable Care Act, provides a discount for Medicare beneficiaries who fall into that hole. The law provides 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs and a 14 percent discount on generics. Last year, it provided a 7 percent discount on generics.

The doughnut hole will be closed by 2020, the department said.

About 3.6 million people on Medicare in the U.S. have saved $2.1 billion on prescription drugs because of the law, the department said. The department said the average American will save almost $4,200 through 2021 because of the changes.