Hamilton pharmacy rejoins Tricare network [Ravalli Republic, Hamilton, Mont.]

Dec. 17—Veterans in the Bitterroot Valley have another option when it comes to filling their prescriptions under the Tricare health plan.

Timber Ridge Pharmacy in Hamilton recently regained their ability to provide services for military veterans through Tricare, the U.S. military's health care program and government-managed health insurance program.

Pharmacy owner Lans Richardson received a fax from Tricare last week letting him know that the independently owned pharmacy would be able to participate in the program again, but not until after the first of the year. When Richardson logged onto his computer Friday morning though, the pharmacy's account had been turned back on and they were able to submit claims.

"We are back rolling with Tricare and we're the only pharmacy in the Bitterroot Valley that's independently owned, that can do Tricare," Richardson said. "The only reason that I can think of is because we are contracted to provide services for federal agencies. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter to me how that happened. Just that we can provide services and we can expand services and expand care for our veterans because they deserve better."

In October, nearly 15,000 independent pharmacies across the country lost in-network status with Tricare. The pharmacy network is currently managed by Express Scripts, a contractor with Tricare. The change in network status left few options for rural veterans other than the mail-in service. The only in-network pharmacies in Ravalli County until Friday were Walgreens in Hamilton and the Osco located inside Albertsons, also in Hamilton.

A number of Montana officials including Senators Jon Tester, Democrat, and Steve Daines, Republican, Representative Matt Rosendale, Republican, and State Auditor and Commissioner of Insurance and Securities Troy Downing, Republican, denounced the reduction in pharmacy access and the effect it would have on veterans when the Tricare changes were announced.

Last month Express Scripts reported they would be sending out a new contract solicitation to give pharmacies an opportunity to rejoin the Tricare network.

"This announcement followed calls by Senator Jon Tester and lawmakers to preserve Tricare beneficiaries' access to rural pharmacies after it was announced that nearly 15,000 independent pharmacies left the network in October," Liz Timmons, deputy press secretary for the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee said in a written statement on Friday. "It also followed an announcement that Kroger grocery pharmacies would be leaving the Tricare network."

"As a result, Express Scripts recently announced around 2,000 independent pharmacies are rejoining their network next month," she said.

It's a welcome change for the folks at Timber Ridge Pharmacy.

"At the end of the day, we owe it to our veterans and their families provide the best service and care that we can," Richardson said. "When Tricare contracts with one or two corporate pharmacies, there are a lot of rural areas in the Pacific Northwest where you do not have a corporate pharmacy on every corner, and that limits veteran services. I just want our veterans to know, there's some other places that they can go and not stand in line for hours waiting for a prescription, or if they need their vaccinations, whatever it is that they need. There's somewhere else that they can go."

Reporting by Seaborn Larson contributed to this story.

Jessica Abell is the editor of the Ravalli Republic.

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