NCPA Sends Letter to Defense Conference Committee on TRICARE Co-Pays:

 On Friday, NCPA sent a letter to leaders on the House and Senate Armed Services Committee expressing our views on provisions in the defense bill that pertain to the TRICARE pharmacy program.  The letter expresses our strong concerns about the dramatic changes included in the administration’s budget that would more than triple out of pocket costs for TRICARE beneficiaries over the next few years.  We do however appreciate the more modest co-payment changes that were included in the House passed version of the bill.  In conclusion, the letter points to the irrefutable evidence that mail order encourages millions of dollars in waste each year and we don’t believe that beneficiaries should be financially penalized for choosing community pharmacy.  The Senate recently passed their version of the bill and TRICARE co-payment changes were not addressed.  They have since appointed conferees to resolve differences between the two bills.  The House has not formally appointed conferees but we believe informal discussions between the two chambers have already begun.