Frequently Asked
Do I need a Part D drug plan?
No. TRICARE Pharmacy (Express Scripts) is creditable coverage. Enrolling in a standalone Part D plan can disrupt your TRICARE benefits.
No. And this is one of the most common mistakes.
The TRICARE Pharmacy Program — administered by Express Scripts — is certified by CMS as creditable coverage. That means:
- You're not subject to a Part D late-enrollment penalty for skipping it.
- You don't need Part D to have prescription coverage.
- Enrolling in a standalone Part D plan can interfere with TRICARE Pharmacy claims processing.
You have four channels for prescriptions through TRICARE:
- Military pharmacy — free, lowest cost.
- TRICARE Home Delivery — cheapest mail-order for 90-day fills.
- TRICARE retail network (e.g., CVS, Walgreens) — small copay.
- Non-network pharmacy — highest cost, generally avoid.
The one exception: if you join a Medicare Advantage plan that includes Part D (MA-PD), you'll have both. You can choose whichever fills are cheaper. This is fine — the issue is enrolling in a standalone Part D plan on top of TFL.
Continue learning
— suggested by the knowledge graph- What is TRICARE For Life? The complete guide for retired militaryThe Medicare-wraparound benefit you earned through service — what it covers, who qualifies, what it costs, and how it activates.
- What is Medicare? A complete overview for retired militaryA plain-English, handbook-grounded overview of the federal health insurance program for people 65 and older, written specifically for retired service members and their families.
- Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage)An optional, all-in-one alternative way to get your Medicare benefits — delivered through a private plan instead of through Original Medicare.
- TRICARE For Life (TFL)The wraparound secondary health coverage for Medicare-eligible military retirees, spouses, and survivors — no premium, no enrollment fee.
- Creditable CoverageNon-Medicare coverage that CMS deems at least as good as a standard Medicare Part D plan — TRICARE Pharmacy qualifies, so TFL beneficiaries don't need Part D.
- MedicareThe federal health insurance program for people 65+, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with ESRD or ALS.
Related lessons
Related glossary terms
Related Official Resources
Continue learning straight from the source. Every link below goes to an official government or DoD resource.
Last reviewed January 2026 against the 2026 Medicare & You and TRICARE For Life handbooks.