11/08/2022

TRICARE Forcing Military Patients to Use PBM Mail-Order Pharmacies

TRICARE, the nation's health network for 9.6+ million active duty and retired military service members and their families worldwide, has signed a new contract with the PBM Express Scripts that excludes 15,000+ independent pharmacies from the network.

Why this matters: This decision makes it harder for TRICARE patients to obtain prescriptions in a convenient, cost-effective manner. Starting last week, TRICARE is forcing patients with cancer and other serious diseases to use its Accredo Health, a mail-order pharmacy company owned by Express Scripts’ parent company, Cigna.

The effect: The cost, wait time, and likelihood of care disruptions increases when using PBM mail-order pharmacies. COA has documented the many horror stories of patients who have faced this issue.

Next steps: COA has sent a letter to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) and key Congressional committees asking for them to reconsider the Express Scripts decision and put the nation's military first.

Read COA's Letter to the DHA