On Feb. 6, the Task Force on the Future of Military Healthcare heard four Tricare proposals by Navy Rear Adm. Thomas McGinnis, Tricare’s chief of pharmaceutical operations. The thrust was to encourage Tricare beneficiaries to use the mail order system. He would move all third-tier maintenance medications not on the uniform formulary to the mail order pharmacy service. He also would authorize purchase of maintenance drugs on the formulary only by mail order or from base pharmacies. In addition he would place certain over-the-counter medications into the uniform formulary to be dispensed at no cost. Finally, he would completely revise the co-pay system as follows:
Jump up retail pharmacy co-pays for generic drugs (Tier 1) from $3 to $5;
Ratchet up retail co-pays for name-brand drugs (Tier 2) from $9 to $15;
Move all non-formulary (Tier 3) medications to the mail order system; and
Change mail order co-pays to $0 for Tier 1 drugs, $15 for Tier 2, and 20 percent of Tricare’s cost for Tier 3.
