JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
TRICARE For Life (TFL) beneficiaries will soon receive letters guiding them to TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery or a military pharmacy for some prescriptions in an effort to save them time and transportation costs, while also automatically delivering refills when they are due.
TRICARE began sending letters Feb. 18 to TFL beneficiaries (those using Medicare) notifying them of the pilot. The TFL Pharmacy Pilot starts March 15 and requires TRICARE beneficiaries who use TFL to get certain medications through home delivery or at a military pharmacy.
The pilot applies to refills of maintenance medications taken regularly for chronic conditions. As part of the pilot, TRICARE will stop paying for these medications from a retail pharmacy. The pilot does not apply to medications for acute conditions taken for a limited time, such as antibiotics or pain medications or any generic medications, and at this time does not apply to generic drugs.
Congress mandated the pilot in the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. The pilot lasts for five years, although beneficiaries may choose to opt out after filling an affected prescription under the pilot through home delivery for one year.
Beneficiaries will be notified if they are taking a medication covered under the pilot. They will have two "courtesy fills" available through a retail pharmacy before they are responsible for the entire cost of their medication.
Beneficiaries may call the TRICARE pharmacy contractor, Express Scripts at 1-877-882-3335 or visit www.express-scripts.com/tricare to switch to home delivery or with questions about their medications. To switch a prescription to a military pharmacy, beneficiaries may need to get a new prescription from their doctor.
Some individuals are exempt, including those with another prescription drug plan, or people living overseas. People living in a nursing home may contact Express Scripts to request a waiver from the pilot.
TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery offers beneficiaries a 90-day supply of their medication without copay for generic drugs and $13 for brand-name drugs. Switching from a retail pharmacy to home delivery can save TRICARE beneficiaries up to $152 every year for each prescription. Beneficiaries can also save by asking their doctor to write them a prescription for a generic version of their medication.
For the latest information of the TFL Pharmacy Pilot, visit www.tricare.mil/tflpilot.