Changes to TRICARE Insurance to impact policy holders, local pharmacies

Local businesses, veterans, and active military who use TRICARE Insurance are at a loss because of a new contract to fill prescriptions.

SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) — Local businesses, veterans, and active military who use TRICARE Insurance are at a loss because of a new contract to fill prescriptions.

Tiffany Capps is the pharmacy operations manager at Galloway-Sands Pharmacy in Southport. She says the Department of Defense contracted with Express Scripts to manage the TRICARE pharmacy benefits. According to Capps, some independent pharmacies weren’t even offered the contract and those that were would lose money filling prescriptions.

As a small business, and like other mom-and-pop pharmacies in the area, they cannot afford to sign on to the new contract.

This leaves patients with limited options — one being to use mail-order pharmacies.

“What happens when the mail is delayed and you don’t have your medication? What happens if it’s temperature controlled like your insulin or your diabetes medication and it sits on your porch in 90-degree weather or drops below freezing in the winter and then your prescriptions are no longer viable to use?” Capps said.

Capps says TRICARE users were given until the beginning of the year to figure out a new way to fill their prescriptions, whether by mail or an in-network pharmacy. The deadline has since changed to October 24, giving users about a month to figure it all out.

“They’re coming in with these letters and they don’t want to change [pharmacies]. They have questions about their prescriptions, they’ve used our pharmacy for years, our pharmacists know them,” she said.

A majority of TRICARE users are military. Capps believes they’ve earned the right to their coverage and the right to choose where to address their healthcare needs.

After 27 years of active duty service in the army, Retired Lieutenant Colonel Joan Ramsey agrees.

“I want to support the local community. I think it’s important and I think I’ve earned my right, I guess, having served 27 years for the military to be able to get my prescriptions here as opposed to going through the mail,” Ramsey said.

WWAY has reached out to TRICARE but has not yet heard back.

However, Express Scripts did respond with a statement that confirms that the changes will begin on October 24th, and they intend to support any impacted beneficiaries in finding a pharmacy that meets their needs.

“With this change, we continue to exceed TRICARE’s standard for pharmacy access. TRICARE beneficiaries will maintain access to nearly 41,000 chain, grocery store and independent pharmacies, as well as home delivery and military pharmacies. More than 90% of beneficiaries will have a pharmacy within a 15-minute drive time of their home.”

Galloway-Sands has a list of ways to reach out to area representatives, the Department of Defense, and more to make your voice heard if you are interested in supporting pharmacy access for TRICARE beneficiaries.

For more information, visit their website or inquire when you visit in-store.