TRICARE program saves money, time Published Nov. 5, 2010 By Brandice J. Armstrong Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- At least 54,000 TRICARE beneficiaries are eligible for a program that will save them and the U.S. government big bucks. The underused mail-order option offers beneficiaries home delivery maintenance medication. For the same price as a co-payment for a 30-day supply, beneficiaries will receive a 90-day quantity in their mailbox. "It saves the government money and in today's economy, that's very important," said Karen Rein, 72nd Medical Group Health Benefits advisor. "I think it would be worth it to have my prescription mailed to me. My time is worth something, that's the way I look at it." Participants -- active duty and their dependents, retirees and their dependents, and survivors -- who are interested simply go online and register at http://www.express-scripts.com/TRICARE/. Prescriptions, excluding painkillers and antibiotics, from first-time users can be faxed in by their physicians. "It's one-stop shopping," said Sharlene Payne, 72nd MDG TRICARE Element chief and contractor liaison. "It's a convenient way to get your medicine quickly and in a timely fashion." Additionally, refill scripts are sent out two weeks before the scheduled refill date. "There are no last-minute dashes to the local pharmacy," Ms. Rein said. Should beneficiaries decide to have their prescriptions mailed to them versus going to a local pharmacy, their accounts are still protected by the patient data transaction service monitor, a safety feature. The monitor tracks their prescriptions to ensure the medicines they receive won't cause allergic or adverse reactions. Roughly only 8 percent of TRICARE's 9.7-million beneficiaries use the home-delivery program. Instead, more than half of them opted for retail pharmacies, which has proven to be the fastest growing and most expensive option to refilling prescriptions. For more information, call 734-2778 and select option 1 or 4.