Using TRICARE Pharmacy Benefits Overseas
If you’re a military family member who has never been assigned overseas before, those overseas permanent change of station moves mean adapting to different ways of accessing benefits and care. One of those changes is how you get prescriptions filled under TRICARE outside CONUS.
Using TRICARE Pharmacy Benefits Overseas
Moving to an overseas military base changes how military families access medications and get prescriptions filled. The TRICARE rules, costs, and methods for obtaining prescription drugs abroad differ from standard stateside procedures.
When it comes to prescriptions, military treatment facility pharmacies are the typical option for families assigned overseas or PCSing there soon. TRICARE beneficiaries can receive up to a 90-day supply of TRICARE-covered medications. Your options include so-called common drugs, though stock varies by location. Call the base pharmacy in advance to confirm medication before visiting.
TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery offers another method for filling maintenance medications taken on a regular basis. Families can use mail delivery if they have an APO, FPO, or DPO address, or if they are assigned to a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
According to the TRICARE official site, you’ll use a non-network pharmacy for in-person, non-mail-delivered TRICARE Pharmacy prescriptions.
“At a non-network overseas pharmacy, you pay the full cost upfront. You then file a claim with the TRICARE Overseas claims processor, International SOS, to get reimbursed. Keep your receipts and include proof of payment when you submit your claim.”
According to TRICARE.mil, you can request reimbursement “based on the covered amount, minus any deductibles, cost-shares, or copayments that apply. You must meet your deductible before TRICARE reimburses you.”
TRICARE Pharmacy Payments and Co-Payments
Those on active duty pay no fee for in-network services, while copayments may apply to military spouses and dependents. Delivery includes free standard shipping for up to a 90-day supply, and refills can be requested through the Express Scripts mobile app or website, but restrictions apply.
Mail delivery may not be possible in Germany, Norway, and Saudi Arabia. Medications requiring refrigeration cannot be shipped overseas through home delivery.
No OTC
TRICARE does not cover over-the-counter medications (OTC) in overseas locations, even if a doctor writes a prescription or if the drug requires a prescription in the host country. In the Philippines, just one example, beneficiaries must use TRICARE-certified pharmacies; claims from uncertified local pharmacies will be denied.
When abroad for leisure or official travel, be sure to fill all prescriptions before you go. Carry enough medication for the duration of the trip. Plan for an additional amount to cover any travel delays, and carry written copies of prescriptions for customs clearance. Contact International SOS if emergency medical support or prescription help becomes necessary while abroad.
>> Never miss benefits news and updates that are important to you. Sign up today to receive the MyMilitaryBenefits newsletter free to your inbox.
About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
