ICYMI: At Hearing, Warren Presses Military Leaders on Potential Conflicts of Interest in TRICARE Pharmacy Contract; Secures DoD to Strengthen Whistleblower Protections

Skip to primary navigation Skip to content × Close Mobile Nav About About Elizabeth Committee Assignments About Massachusetts Voting Record Contact Share Your Opinion Help with a Federal Agency Office Locations Send me Updates Share Your CFPB Story Save Our Schools Services Help with a Federal Agency Return to Repayment Guide Visiting DC/Tours Flag Request Internships Meeting Requests Academy Nominations Special Recognitions Grants Small Businesses Veterans, Servicemembers and Military Families FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act Requests FY 2027 Appropriations Requests Oversight Reports Letters Social Security War Room Save Our Schools Campaign Legislation Newsroom News Coverage Press Releases Op-Eds Videos × Close Site Search search Elizabeth Warren Senator Elizabeth Warren's Facebook Page (This link opens in new window or tab.) Senator Elizabeth Warren's BlueSky (This link opens in new window or tab.) Senator Elizabeth Warren's Twitter (This link opens in new window or tab.) Senator Elizabeth Warren's Youtube (This link opens in new window or tab.) Senator Elizabeth Warren's Instagram (This link opens in new window or tab.) About About Elizabeth Committee Assignments About Massachusetts Voting Record Contact Share Your Opinion Help with a Federal Agency Office Locations Send me Updates Share Your CFPB Story Save Our Schools Services Help with a Federal Agency Return to Repayment Guide Visiting DC/Tours Flag Request Internships Meeting Requests Academy Nominations Special Recognitions Grants Small Businesses Veterans, Servicemembers and Military Families FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act Requests FY 2027 Appropriations Requests Oversight Reports Letters Social Security War Room Save Our Schools Campaign Legislation Newsroom News Coverage Press Releases Op-Eds Videos Español Close Search Open Search Popup Popup Search Close Search Popup MENU Senator Elizabeth Warren's Facebook Page (This link opens in new window or tab.) Senator Elizabeth Warren's BlueSky (This link opens in new window or tab.) Senator Elizabeth Warren's Twitter (This link opens in new window or tab.) Senator Elizabeth Warren's Youtube (This link opens in new window or tab.) Senator Elizabeth Warren's Instagram (This link opens in new window or tab.) Home Newsroom Press Releases May 21, 2026 ICYMI: At Hearing, Warren Presses Military Leaders on Potential Conflicts of Interest in TRICARE Pharmacy Contract; Secures DoD to Strengthen Whistleblower Protections Opening Remarks (YouTube) | Round 1: Exchange (YouTube) | Round 2: Exchange (YouTube) Washington, D.C. — At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pushed top Department of Defense (DoD) leaders on issues facing service members and their families, including access to affordable health care and necessary reforms to protect military whistleblowers from retaliation for reporting their concerns through protected channels. Senator Warren delivered opening remarks calling out Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for mismanaging the DoD’s budget, unfairly blocking promotions, undermining the military justice system, disregarding the importance of DoD civilian personnel, and endangering the health of troops. “Secretary Hegseth and President Trump have asked our troops to risk their lives in an illegal war with Iran at the same moment that the administration’s actions make life harder for service members and their families,” said Senator Warren. During the hearing, Senator Warren raised concerns that the TRICARE pharmacy contractor, Express Scripts, which is the largest pharmacy benefit manager in the United States, has, over time, been overcharging military families for their prescriptions. The Senator cited reporting that Express Scripts charges DoD $484 more, on average, to dispense generic drugs through the mail-order pharmacies Express Scripts owns than through competing pharmacies. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Keith Bass committed to conducting annual reviews of TRICARE’s contract and providing the data and audits to Congress. TRICARE’s contract with Express Scripts is set to expire in 2029, which allows DoD to negotiate a better contract for service members and their families. Senator Warren emphasized the need for regular audits and greater transparency in future contracts. “DoD cannot continue to ignore this conflict of interest,” said Senator Warren. In her round, which focused on whistleblower retaliation, Senator Warren highlighted the need to protect service members and their families from retaliation for reporting wrongdoing by military housing companies. Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata confirmed his support for Congress passing reforms in this year’s NDAA that would protect service members and their families from reprisal for reporting when these companies are forcing them to live in terrible conditions. The Senator also raised the importance of Do