Tricare beneficiaries save time, money with new service

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FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AFPN) --  Registering for the Tricare mail-order pharmacy is now just a quick phone call or click of a mouse away for military families and retireees with the launch of the new Member Choice Center.

With this new service, beneficiaries obtain enrollment assistance, and MCC members contact the physician to obtain new prescriptions and forward them to the Tricare mail-order pharmacy, or TMOP, for processing, making the switch from retail to mail order virtually effortless for beneficiaries.

"We are always looking for ways to improve customer service and add value for Tricare beneficiaries," said Army Maj. Gen. Elder Granger, the deputy director of the Tricare Management Activity. "They wanted a more user-friendly program and the MCC delivers."

Beneficiaries don't have to download forms or wait to have forms mailed. They can go to the "My Benefit" portal on www.tricare.mil or to www.express-scripts.com/tricare to complete the registration. There's also the option to call the MCC at 877-363-1433 to switch from the retail program to TMOP.

When a beneficiary calls the MCC, a patient care advocate from Express Scripts Inc., Tricare's pharmacy benefit provider, explains the program and offers to transfer the current prescriptions to the safe and convenient mail-order option. If the beneficiary agrees, Express Scripts Inc. submits a prescription transfer request to the patient's physician.

The mail-order pharmacy can save beneficiaries as much as 66 percent on medications for conditions such as high blood pressure, asthma or diabetes. The beneficiary may receive up to a 90-day supply of most medications for the same amount they would pay for a 30-day supply at a retail pharmacy.

The Department of Defense saves money, too. DOD pays 30 to 40 percent less for prescriptions filled through the mail-order service compared to retail pharmacies. The department's savings could be substantial - $24 million a year - with just a 1 percent shift of prescriptions from retail to mail order.

"As with all health entitlements, there are things our beneficiaries can do to reduce costs," General Granger said. "The military treatment facility is the most cost-effective option, but that's not always available for some beneficiaries. Mail order is the next best thing. Having prescriptions filled by mail saves them time and money. It also lowers the cost for the entire military health system."