The Senate Armed Services Committee has voted to raise rates for Tricare beneficiaries - a rate increase that would be the first bump in fees since 1995, according to the Stars and Stripes. The increase would affect working-age military retirees. The Stars and Stripes reports because the Senate vote mirrored that of the House, it will likely go into effect. To be specific:
In addition, Tricare enrollees will be encouraged to use the government's mail-order pharmacy to refill prescriptions, instead of using retail pharmacies. By using mail-order pharmacies, Tricare users will no longer have to pay the $3 charge for generic drugs, according to the Stars and Stripes:
The Department of Defense anticipates these changes will save roughly $2.6 billion over five years.
