WOONSOCKET, R.I. — MinuteClinic has become an in-network provider with TriWest, the Western region plan contractor for TRICARE, the health insurance program for the U.S. armed forces.

The CVS Caremark retail health clinic subsidiary said Wednesday that TRICARE provides health care and pharmacy benefits to 2.9 million lives in the Western region, including in six western states where MinuteClinic has walk-in medical clinics in CVS/pharmacy stores: Arizona, California, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Nevada.

MinuteClinic said it’s already contracted with Health Net (the TRICARE North region contractor) and Humana Military (the TRICARE South region contractor) and now offers care to TRICARE members across the United States.

"As we look to add approximately 100 clinics a year nationwide over the next four years, this is an important development in the growth of our business and patient care in these states," MinuteClinic president Andrew Sussman, who is also senior vice president/associate chief medical officer at CVS Caremark, said in a statement. "By offering high-quality treatment in a convenient setting, we can work with TRICARE to help reduce health care insurance expenses for military families as well as the amount of time they spend away from home and the workplace."