More than 2,000 independent pharmacies will rejoin Tricare's network, managed by Cigna's Express Scripts, Navy Times reported Dec. 8.
Almost 15,000 independent pharmacies left the Defense Department's health plan networks because of lower proposed reimbursement rates from Express Scripts.
Express Scripts sent contract solicitations in December to the pharmacies who left the network, after Kroger said its 2,200 pharmacies would no longer participate in Tricare's network.
Express Scripts told the Navy Times 2,000 pharmacies agreed to the contract terms, and the remaining pharmacies have several more days to respond.
The contracts are "virtually identical" to the proposed rates offered earlier this year, according to a Dec. 6 letter from the National Community Pharmacists Association.
Pharmacy organizations have slammed Cigna and Express Scripts for dropping pharmacies from the Tricare network.