Doris Spatz takes a once-a-day pill, Kisqali, to keep her metastatic breast cancer in check. As a patient in the Defense Department health system, she can fill routine prescriptions at a military pharmacy without a copay but also has the option of using a regular pharmacy through Tricare, the Defense Department's private health care program.
Some pharmacies were small, independent operations that decided not to participate next year because of the lowered reimbursements. But they were surprised by an early dismissal, and patients with specialized needs could face difficulties in the transition.
This week, Representative Jodey Arrington (TX-19) joined two of his Republican colleagues from West Texas, Representatives August Pfluger (TX-11) and Ronny Jackson (TX-13), in criticizing the Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Health Agency’s (DHA) decision to move forward with Cigna/Express Script’s reduced reimbursement plan.“Independent and community pharmacies serve as