Walgreens pharmacies join the TRICARE retail pharmacy network on Dec. 1, 2016, while CVS pharmacies, including those in Target stores, will leave the network on the same day, according to the Defense Health Agency.
“The network will still have more than 57,000 locations across the country,” Dr. George Jones, DHA’s Chief of Pharmacy Operation, said in a release. “About 98 percent of beneficiaries still have a network pharmacy within 5 miles of their home.”
Express Scripts, Inc. manages the TRICARE retail pharmacy network under a contract with the Department of Defense, the release said. ESI reached a new network agreement with Walgreens, but not CVS.
“Most of the pharmacy network stays the same, including major chains like Rite Aid and Walmart, grocery store pharmacies, and thousands of community pharmacies around the country,” Jones said in the release. “While we know this change might cause an inconvenience for some people, it’s easy to search for another network pharmacy near where you live or work.”
If customers fill a prescription at CVS after Dec. 1, it will be a non-network pharmacy. This means customers will pay the full cost of the medication upfront, and file a claim for partial reimbursement. TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery and military pharmacies may also be lower cost choices for some beneficiaries.
The ESI website has more information on the revised network, and can help customers find a new retail pharmacy location near them, according to the release.