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Save Money, Time...It's a Matter of Choice
New Member Choice Center Simplifies
Mail Order Pharmacy Program
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If you’ve been thinking about signing up for the convenience of TRICARE’s mail-order pharmacy but haven’t gotten around to it yet, then your decision just got a little easier.
With the launch of the Member Choice Center (MCC) in August 2007, all it takes for you to start receiving prescriptions by mail is a phone call or a click of your mouse. Also, as a military family member or retiree you can use the MCC to update your prescription information and get answers to your pharmacy questions.
TRICARE is always looking for ways to improve customer service and add value. You don’t have to download forms or wait to have forms mailed. Just log on to Express Scripts and complete the registration form or call the MCC at 1-877-363-1433 to switch from the retail program to the mail-order pharmacy. It’s that easy.
When you call the MCC, a patient-care advocate from Express Scripts, Inc., TRICARE’s pharmacy contractor, will verify your information and walk you through the conversion process. To help you complete the process, Express Scripts will contact your doctor to have your prescriptions transferred to the mail-order pharmacy.
You can also fill out an online enrollment form and convert your existing medications to home delivery.
Using the mail-order pharmacy can save you as much as 66 percent on maintenance medications for conditions such as high blood pressure, asthma or diabetes. You receive up to a 90-day supply of generic medications for $3, the same amount you would pay for a 30-day supply at a retail pharmacy. If you require a brand-name medication and your doctor authorizes it, your copayment for up to a 90-day supply is just $9.
Some of the benefits of using TRICARE’s mail-order pharmacy include:
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Free standard shipping of your medications directly to you
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Ordering refills online, by phone or by mail
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All prescriptions checked by a pharmacist for accuracy and potential drug interactions
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Pharmacists available 24 hours a day, every day, to answer your questions
The Department of Defense (DoD) saves money when you use the mail-order pharmacy. The DoD pays 30 percent to 40 percent less for prescriptions filled through the mail-order service compared to retail pharmacies. The savings can be substantial. The DoD would save $24 million a year if just 1 percent of all prescriptions shifted from the retail pharmacy to the mail-order pharmacy.
As with all health benefits, there are things you can do to reduce costs. Having prescriptions filled by mail saves time and lowers the cost for the entire military health system.
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