FALLS CHURCH, Va., Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Military evacuees displaced by Hurricane Katrina may request that their prescription records at military treatment facilities in the Gulf Region be transferred to other military or retail pharmacies nationwide, according to TRICARE, the DoD agency that administers the health plan for the Uniformed Services.
With this policy, displaced beneficiaries with available refills are not required to see a primary care manager to have their prescriptions rewritten. Additionally, from Sept. 1 through Sept. 14, 2005, TRICARE will waive the pharmacy copay for those beneficiaries affected by Hurricane Katrina who are unable to pay it.
TRICARE is working closely with retail pharmacies to ensure that military evacuees maintain access to their pharmacy benefits. For example, victims sheltered in and around Houston are now able to fill their prescriptions at a CVS pharmacy recently set up at the Astrodome. This newly-established facility is now one of many retail pharmacies in the national TRICARE pharmacy network.
Displaced beneficiaries previously using the mail order pharmacy may request their prescriptions from retail pharmacies if they are unable to receive them by mail. For those relocating to areas where postal service is still available, Express Scripts International (ESI), TRICARE’s pharmacy contractor, is updating patient information to include temporary mailing addresses so prescriptions will reach the beneficiaries at their new location.
For assistance, hurricane victims may call TRICARE at 1-866-275-4732. They may also contact ESI at the following phone numbers for questions about the TRICARE mail order and retail pharmacy programs:
- Mail order pharmacy program, 1-866-363-8667 (1-866-DOD-TMOP)
- Retail pharmacy program, 1-866-363-8779 (1-866-DOD-TRRX)
Displaced beneficiaries should call 1-800-444-5445 for more information. The TRICARE Web site, http://www.tricare.osd.mil, also includes important information for displaced or affected beneficiaries.
Beneficiaries may also contact beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinators (BCACs), debt collection assistance officers (DCAOs), TRICARE service centers and family support representatives at local military installations. Other resources available to active duty military personnel and their families include Military One Source at 1-800-342-9647 or http://www.militaryonesource.com.
TRICARE Management Activity
CONTACT: Linda Foote, Deputy Director, Office of Communications,Communications and Customer Service of TRICARE Management Activity,Department of Defense, Health Affairs, +1-703-681-1765,linda.foote@tma.osd.mil
Web site: http://www.tricare.osd.mil//
