Does Walmart Still Accept Tricare in 2024? Here Are Your Best Options
Walmart pharmacies have long been a convenient and affordable lifeline for millions of military families covered by Tricare insurance. But as of December 15th, 2021, Walmart and Sam’s Club locations officially left the Tricare pharmacy network.
This change has caused major disruption, with more than 60% of survey respondents saying it has negatively impacted their family’s health and finances (Source).
I‘ll explain why Walmart made this move, where you can now fill Tricare prescriptions, key factors in choosing a new pharmacy, and whether Walmart could potentially rejoin Tricare in the future. My goal is to provide military families with definitive guidance during this challenging transition.
Why Walmart is So Important to Military Families
With over 4,600 locations nationwide, Walmart offered unparalleled convenience as a Tricare network pharmacy:
- 93% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store (Source)
- Open late nights and weekends when other pharmacies are closed
- Familiar shopping experience for military families who relocate frequently
This accessibility has been crucial for Tricare members getting vital maintenance medications for chronic conditions or urgent prescriptions when needs arise.
Why Did Walmart Leave the Tricare Network?
According to Walmart spokespeople, the company and Tricare were unable to agree on reimbursement rates and contract terms to continue their partnership (Source).
Walmart likely wanted higher reimbursements from the Tricare program to account for rising medication costs and pharmacist wages. This would allow them to continue serving Tricare members without losing money.
Tricare, which is administered by the Defense Health Agency, could not accept rates that would increase overall costs for taxpayers and the military health system.
Similar contract standoffs have occurred between Walmart and major insurers like UnitedHealthcare and Humana, though they eventually resumed in-network agreements (Source).
Where You Can Fill Tricare Prescriptions Now
Losing almost 5,000 Walmart and Sam‘s Club pharmacies was a major blow. Thankfully, Tricare offers other national and regional pharmacy choices:
| Pharmacy | Number of Locations | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kroger Family | 2,200 | Often located in Fred Meyer and other Kroger-owned grocery chains |
| Rite Aid | 2,300 | Many 24-hour locations with drive-thru windows |
| Walgreens | > 8,000 | Digital pharmacy management tools through mobile app |
| Accredo Specialty | N/A | Closed-door pharmacy focused on specialty/complex medications |
Depending on where you live, smaller regional chains like H-E-B Grocery, Publix, and Wegmans may also be part of the Tricare network.
You can verify participating pharmacies using the Tricare Pharmacy Locator Tool.
Choosing the Best New Pharmacy for You
Consider the following factors as you search for a new Tricare-accepted pharmacy:
Location & Convenience – How close is the pharmacy to your home or work? Can you easily park or access drive-thru services?
Hours of availability – Some pharmacies like CVS and Rite Aid have 24/7 locations or keep weekend/evening hours for after duty schedules.
Transferring medications – Ask if they can seamlessly transfer your existing active prescriptions from Walmart‘s system. This saves time.
Pricing & discounts – Tricare will cover most costs, but pricing can still vary. Using publisher discount cards like GoodRx may offer additional savings.
Customer service – Do staff members appear knowledgeable? Are they friendly and willing to answer all medicine-related questions?
Submitting New Tricare Prescriptions
After choosing an ideal pharmacy, you have two options for sending new prescriptions:
1. Electronic Transfer – Your military or community provider can send prescriptions electronically to your pharmacy for convenience. Be sure they have the correct store on file.
2. Written Prescriptions – You can drop off handwritten scripts from off-base providers at your pharmacy. They will input and file it. Allow extra turnaround time.
Either way, remember to bring your uniformed services ID card along with identifying Tricare information.
I suggest proactively giving the pharmacy a heads up that you have Tricare coverage when first submitting prescriptions. This allows them to accurately file claims and assign discount rates upfront.
Will Walmart Pharmacies Rejoin Tricare?
There‘s hope that Walmart and Tricare can eventually negotiate a new contract given the high demand on both sides.
For context, from 2013 to 2015, Walmart removed all their pharmacies from the TRICARE network for similar reasons before ultimately rejoining in 2016 (Source).
More recently in 2022, Walmart reached new agreements with UnitedHealthcare‘s Medicare Part D plan (Source) and some Humana Medicare plans after being out-of-network (Source).
This suggests Walmart is actively resolving pay disputes in the pharmacy sector. Coming to terms with Tricare may well be next on their agenda. I advise Tricare members to politely continue providing feedback to Walmart on rejoining the network.
Conclusion
Losing Walmart pharmacies has severely impacted military families relying on the accessibility and affordability of Tricare prescription coverage.
While reestablishing this partnership would be ideal, Tricare members must immediately identify another in-network pharmacy using the guidance above. Consider location, hours, transferability, pricing, discounts, and customer service as you choose.
With contract negotiations constantly shifting in healthcare, we can only hope Walmart eventually rejoins Tricare. But in the meantime, becoming informed consumers and self-advocates is key!
Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions!
