Why It Matters
A Senate hearing on the TRICARE pharmacy program is set to examine whether military families are paying more for drugs than they should. The core issue: Express Scripts, which has managed TRICARE pharmacy benefits since 2003, charges the Department of Defense an average of $484 more per generic drug through its own mail-order pharmacies than through competing pharmacies. Lawmakers have characterized this structure, where a single company acts as both pharmacy benefit manager and pharmacy owner, as a major conflict of interest.
The hearing comes after months of pressure from Senator Elizabeth Warren and a bipartisan group of lawmakers who say Express Scripts may be using its TRICARE contract to overcharge taxpayers. Warren pressed the Defense Health Agency in May to commit to auditing the contract and releasing pharmacy reimbursement data to Congress. When the agency missed her June 22 deadline, the hearing became the next step in the escalating scrutiny.
The TRICARE Pharmacy Program Under Fire
Express Scripts has held a monopoly on TRICARE pharmacy administration for more than two decades. Warren has stated that the Department of Defense cannot continue to ignore the conflict of interest arising when a company owns both a pharmacy benefit manager and a pharmacy. She and Senators Mike Rounds, Peter Welch, and Representative Buddy Carter sent a formal letter raising concerns that Express Scripts may be using its TRICARE contract to overcharge taxpayers.
The stakes extend beyond cost. The Military Officers Association of America flagged that a new TRICARE contract could establish an enrollment period outside the traditional November–December open season, creating confusion and an additional deadline for military families already navigating complex benefits.
Congressional Hearing Details
The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, chaired by Tommy Tuberville, will hold the hearing on July 15, 2026 at 6:30 PM in 222 Russell Senate Office Building. Elizabeth Warren, the subcommittee's ranking member, has led the push for accountability on the issue.
Multiple organizations have been monitoring the TRICARE pharmacy debate closely. Lobbying disclosures show that Cigna Group, pharmacy coalitions, and other healthcare interests have tracked TRICARE pharmacy issues through multiple quarters in 2025 and into 2026, signaling sustained attention to potential policy changes.
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