WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Veterans covered by Tricare must now switch from getting their prescriptions filled at local pharmacies to getting them by mail.
Due to contract changes, at least 15,000 pharmacies were booted from the Tricare network.
Tricare provides health care benefits to thousands of American veterans across the world.
Right here in Central Georgia, one man had his story shared on the U.S. House floor.
"The government makes a promise, the government ought to stick to what they say, not, 'We got a problem with this, we got a problem with that.' I got a problem, too -- my health," 20-year-veteran Thomas Kimsey said.
Kimsey gave 20 years of service to his country working in aviation in the U.S. Navy.
He says when he finally got out, one of the things promised to him was health care, but recently, his health has taken a turn.
"I have leukemia which I just was diagnosed with a little over a year ago and I've been on chemo drugs for that,” he said about his recent diagnosis.
As a veteran, Tricare pays for his medicine.
He says 60 pills would cost $18,000 without it, but through Tricare, it costs him $38. However, a switch in contracts between the company and the department of defense means that he and thousands of others will have to get medicine by mail instead of at their local pharmacy.
That's when he reached out for help.
"He called my office after trying to fill his prescriptions and only had 5 pills left of this critical drugs. The new DOD pharmacy said they could fill his prescription in 10 days, but he couldn't wait 10 days," U.S. Representative Austin Scott said on the House floor.
U.S. Representative Austin Scott told Kimsey's story on the house floor and pleaded for him and other veterans across the U.S.
"What people don't know is Express Scripts actually owns the mail-order pharmacies that they're trying to shift our business to,” he explained.
Scott says Kimsey wasn’t his only call about the issue and those veterans must be able to get meds locally.
He says for Fortune 500 companies to require veterans to use pharmacies that they own is a conflict of interest.
"They have morphed into something that has got to be taken care of, or we as American citizens are going to have pharmacies left," Scott said.
Kimsey says shortly after Scott made that speech, he also helped him get his prescription filled.
He says he's awaiting the chance to personally thank the congressman.
Scott says he's speaking with house committees about legislation.
He encourages veterans to call his office if they need help.