TRICARE and You – Pharmacy Changes

Pharmacies participating in the TRICARE Network will change as of December 1, 2016. Walgreens will become part of the network and CVS pharmacies will leave the network. If you go to a CVS pharmacy after Dec. 1, 2016 you will have to pay in advance for your prescription and file for partial reimbursement after as CVS would then be a non participating pharmacy.

By LT Sarah Janaro in Benefits, Families, Retirees on
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This blog is the most recent in a series helping members of the Coast Guard family understand how to use their TRICARE benefits. The blog series will continue every Monday, right here on Coast Guard All Hands.

Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Helen Kenworthy, a health services technician from the Coast Guard's Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama fills a prescription for a patient in the pharmacy Tuesday, May 13, 2008. U.S. Coast Guard photograph by Petty Officer 2nd Class Thomas M. Blue.
Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Helen Kenworthy, a health services technician from the Coast Guard’s Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama fills a prescription for a patient in the pharmacy Tuesday, May 13, 2008. U.S. Coast Guard photograph by Petty Officer 2nd Class Thomas M. Blue.

Written by Cmdr. Paul Fawcett

Pharmacies participating in the TRICARE Network will change as of December 1, 2016. Walgreens will become part of the network and CVS pharmacies will leave the network. If you go to a CVS pharmacy after Dec. 1, 2016, you will have to pay in advance for your prescription and file for partial reimbursement after as CVS would then be a non participating pharmacy.

What you should do?

You’ll need to transfer your prescriptions to a new network pharmacy so that you don’t incur unnecessary costs. You can do that one of several ways:

  • Call your new pharmacy and ask them get your prescription information from your old pharmacy.
  • Take your prescription bottles to your new pharmacy.
  • Call your doctors’ office and ask them to send your prescription to your new pharmacy.

 

For more information about the pharmacy benefit change visit the TRICARE website.

TRICARE Mail Oder Pharmacy

Don’t forget that as a TRICARE enrollee that you are eligible for the TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy (TMOP) program. TMOP allows you to have 90 day allotments of maintenance medication delivered to your home. You should get short duration prescriptions for acute conditions at the pharmacy. For generic medications that are part of the standard formulary there is no cost. Brand name formulary drugs cost $20 for a 90 prescription. You can get information about the TMOP program from the Express Scripts website. You can also check our previous blog post for more in depth information about your pharmacy benefit.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Samantha Rath, a Health Services Technician at the Coast Guard Yard clinic in Baltimore, gives a patient an injection, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012, at the clinic. The clinic provides health care services for the Coast Guard members and civilian employees of the yard. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Lindberg
Petty Officer 3rd Class Samantha Rath, a Health Services Technician at the Coast Guard Yard clinic in Baltimore, gives a patient an injection, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012, at the clinic. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Lindberg.

Flu Shots

Cold and flu season is upon us and so is the season for influenza vaccines (flu shots). TRICARE will cover a flu shot at no cost to eligible beneficiaries. You can receive your flu shot at participating network pharmacies. Active duty members may receive theirs at their servicing Coast Guard Clinic, DOD Military Treatment Facility, or from their servicing Independent Duty Health Service Technician (IDHS). Coast Guard Reservists not on orders receive their flu shots from the contracted LHI provider they are directed to. Influenza vaccines are mandatory for active and reserve Coast Guard members.

The change to flu shots for 2016 is that the flu shot is authorized only in the injectable form, flu mist is no longer a covered benefit. For more information about the flu vaccine program see the Flu Vaccine page on the TRICARE website.

FAQs

Q: How do I find a TRICARE Network Pharmacy in my area?
A: You can search the pharmacy locator by zip code to find a pharmacy near you.

Q: How do I know what’s in the formulary so I know what my pharmacy benefit covers?
A: You can search the formulary to see what’s covered.

For other TRICARE questions, please contact the USCG Health Benefits Assistance line at 1-800-9-HBA-HBA or CGHBA@uscg.mil . You can also leave us a comment below.

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