Walgreens pharmacies join the TRICARE retail pharmacy network on Thursday. CVS pharmacies, including those in Target stores, will leave the network on the same day. The revised network will have more than 57,000 locations, and still ensures access to retail pharmacies for TRICARE beneficiaries.
Express Scripts, Inc. manages the TRICARE retail pharmacy network under a contract with the Department of Defense. ESI reached a new network agreement with Walgreens, but not CVS.
Most pharmacy locations in the network aren’t changing, including other major chains like Rite Aid and Walmart, grocery stores, and thousands of community pharmacies around the country. About 98 percent of TRICARE beneficiaries still have a network pharmacy within five miles of their home.
If filling a prescription at CVS after Thursday, it will be a non-network pharmacy. This means customers will have to pay the full cost of the medication upfront, and file a claim for partial reimbursement. Starting on Thursday, the customer can transfer their prescription to Walgreens, or any other pharmacy in the TRICARE retail pharmacy network. 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 find a new retail pharmacy location, or call ESI at 855.778-1417.