After promoting the choices available to the elderly and disabled for Medicare drug coverage, the Bush administration is considering limiting those options.

In a 39-page memorandum to insurers, employers and others administering the drug benefit, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services asked for advice on how to simplify the program in 2007.

The agency proposed limiting to two the number of drug plans that a company can offer per region. Many insurers now offer three, and because there are often more than a dozen insurers per region, consumers often have more than 40 choices.