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thedrifter
06-16-06, 07:51 AM
Release No. 6-06-06

June 15, 2006

Senate approves amendment barring Tricare retail pharmacy hikes

The Senate on Wednesday approved an amendment by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) that would bar the Department of Defense from increasing pharmacy copays in the Tricare retail network through Fiscal Year 2007.

The Lautenberg amendment was introduced in opposition to a provision in the FY 2007 Defense Authorization Bill (S.2766), as drafted by the Senate Armed Services Committee, that would allow the DoD to increase fees by about 67 percent for drugs purchased in retail pharmacies starting Oct. 1.

On the other hand, S.2766 would bar most other Tricare fee increases for at least a year and, in the pharmacy area, it would actually reduce copays to zero for most drugs ordered through the Tricare mail-order pharmacy system.

Members of the military retiree community are urged to follow S.2766 as amendments affecting the military are debated through the rest of the week and perhaps longer.

Ellie