Congress urged to avoid increasing TRICARE copays

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) and National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) recently sent letters to the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) regarding increases to TRICARE beneficiaries' copays.

The associations pointed out that increasing copays places a financial burden on the beneficiaries and restricts their access to medical care.

TRICARE beneficiaries, who are retired military members and families of active duty personnel, often live on a fixed income. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal years 2015 and 2016 increased copays for TRICARE beneficiaries who use retail pharmacies and required that they use mail order or military pharmacies for non-formulary medications and prescription maintenance refills. To increase copays for FY 2017 will also penalize beneficiaries who use local pharmacies, the organizations asserted.

The NACDS and NCPA pointed out that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) had reviewed the FY 2016 NDAA and said that the higher copayments may force beneficiaries to stop taking medically necessary medications, which would result in additional doctor visits, use of emergency rooms and hospitalizations. This would negate the $4.9 billion in pharmacy savings with an additional $1.1 billion in medical services.

The NACDS and NCPA continued to urge Congress to reduce TRICARE costs while maintaining access to services. As a part of protecting patient health, the organizations asked that Congress refuse to increase retail pharmacy copayments in the FY 2017 NDAA.