Access to the TRICARE Pharmacy Program remains a critical service-earned benefit for MOAA members, their families, and their survivors. MOAA has worked tirelessly to maintain this access, especially to the brick-and-mortar pharmacy network, but a recent announcement from a national in-network pharmacy chain has put the strength of this network back in the spotlight.
Walgreens will close about 1,200 stores over the next three years. The chain has yet to announce which locations will shutter, but it’s far from the only TRICARE network provider likely to have fewer locations in the coming years – about 900 CVS stores have closed or are closing, and a planned merger involving Kroger could reduce that brand’s footprint.
The brick-and-mortar TRICARE pharmacy network has lost about one-fourth of its locations since 2022, with disproportionate impact on beneficiaries in rural areas and those with complicated prescription needs. MOAA’s work to secure this benefit resulted in Congress ordering a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report assessing the strength of the network. This independent review will look at the network availability in remote areas, whether the network includes enough pharmacies specializing in long-term care medications, and other factors important not just to MOAA’s advocacy, but to lawmakers attempting to regulate and protect this benefit.
Share Your Story
Have you been affected by changes to the TRICARE pharmacy network? Could impending store closures make it difficult for you or your loved ones to secure needed medication?
Your experiences help shape MOAA’s advocacy efforts. Tell us your story via MOAA’s Legislative Action Center at the link below.
What’s Next?
You may not have felt the impact of recent store closures, and scheduled closures may not change how you plan to get prescriptions in coming years. However, that may not always be the case.
The new TRICARE pharmacy contract, known as TPharm5, allows the network to drop from a 50,000-location minimum to 35,000 locations. It’s already at “more than 41,000,” according to a recent update at TRICARE.mil.
A 2023 MOAA.org article outlined what limited options could mean for you and your benefit, but here are the highlights:
- Rural residents may face even longer drives as some chains downsize and others (Walmart, for example) remain outside the network.
- Elderly beneficiaries often struggle with transportation challenges, meaning even a slight change in routine could cause more than a minor inconvenience.
- Long-term and specialty care patients will have fewer locations to meet their specific needs.
- Anyone in an emergency situation may have limited choices when attempting to fill a needed prescription if mail-order drugs are delayed by supply chain issues, natural disasters, or other factors.
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MOAA’s Role
The pending release of the GAO report will give MOAA and our advocacy partners much-needed information as we work to secure the world-class health care benefit you’ve earned.
We also rely on our members and others to provide “boots on the ground” details on your health care experience – if you’ve struggled to maintain access to your prescriptions, please join hundreds of your fellow members who’ve shared their stories with us.
Keep up with MOAA’s Advocacy News page for the latest on this issue and others. MOAA Premium and Life members will get the latest on their TRICARE benefit as part of MOAA’s annual TRICARE Guide, set for inclusion in the November issue of Military Officer.
