HOUSTON — TRICARE beneficiaries in 45 Texas counties can temporarily refill certain prescriptions early under an emergency waiver that will remain in effect through July 25, 2026. The waiver, authorized by the Defense Health Agency, aims to ensure continued access to essential medications during an ongoing emergency situation.

The emergency refill flexibility applies specifically to the following counties: Atascosa, Austin, Bandera, Bastrop, Bexar, Blanco, Brazoria, Brewster, Burnet, Caldwell, Colorado, Comal, Crockett, DeWitt, Dimmit, Edwards, Fayette, Fort Bend, Frio, Galveston, Gillespie, Goliad, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Harris, Hays, Jackson, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, La Salle, Lavaca, Lee, Llano, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Pecos, Real, and Schleicher. Among these are Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria, and Galveston counties, which are part of the Houston metropolitan area and have large populations of military-affiliated residents.

Beneficiaries seeking an early refill can bring their prescription bottle to any TRICARE retail network pharmacy to request the emergency refill. If the prescription bottle is missing or the label is unreadable, beneficiaries can contact Express Scripts for assistance. Alternatively, they may ask their prescribing provider to send a new prescription directly to a TRICARE network pharmacy.

To locate a TRICARE-authorized pharmacy, beneficiaries can call Express Scripts at 1-877-363-1303. In addition, most TRICARE beneficiaries—excluding active-duty service members—can visit any TRICARE-authorized urgent care center without a referral if their primary care provider is unavailable due to the emergency.

TRICARE is the Department of Defense health insurance program for service members, military retirees, and eligible family members. The emergency refill waiver is part of a broader response to severe storms affecting Texas, ensuring that military-affiliated populations maintain uninterrupted access to critical medications during a time of disruption.