We want to hear about your experience with Tricare medical coverage, tell me about this news in (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tricare-military-medical-coverage-share-experience-rcna598314)

This link refers to an NBC News callout and reporting initiative where journalists sought firsthand accounts from military service members, veterans, and their families regarding their experiences with Tricare, the U.S. military’s healthcare program.

The reporting focus centered on systemic challenges and recent disruptions within the Tricare network:

• Pharmacy Network Reductions: A major catalyst was the late-2022 transition in Tricare’s pharmacy network management (administered by Express Scripts), which resulted in thousands of community and independent pharmacies leaving the network. Patients frequently reported sudden losses of access to their long-term pharmacists, delays in critical medication refills, and significantly longer travel times to find participating locations.

• Access to Care & Delays: Families reported ongoing difficulties securing timely appointments with primary care providers and specialists, as well as lengthy pre-authorization and referral processes for vital medical procedures.

• Mental Healthcare Shortages: Tricare beneficiaries consistently faced severe shortages of in-network behavioral and mental health specialists, leading to extensive wait times or significant out-of-pocket costs to see non-network providers.

• Provider Reductions & Contract Shifts: Periodic regional contract transitions between private contractors (such as Humana Military and Health Net Federal Services) frequently led to confusion, disruptions in ongoing treatments, and drops in provider participation.

NBC News requested these personal stories to document the real-world impact of these administrative and network changes on active-duty personnel, retirees, and their dependents.