New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has urged 15 health insurers based in the state to change their mail-order policies, according to a statement from his office. Letters to the companies ask them to permit certain members to get their specialty drugs at retail pharmacies instead of mandatory mail-order services. His request is in response to complaints his office has received from patients. The request would cover people with diseases such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and HIV/AIDS. The attorney general proposes the companies adopt a “hardship exception” similar to the one his office negotiated with Empire BlueCross BlueShield. The letters were sent to Aetna Inc., AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company, CDPHP, CIGNA, EmblemHealth Inc., Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Fidelis Care New York, Healthfirst, HealthNow New York Inc., Independent Health, MVP Health Care, Oxford Health Plans LLC, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, UnitedHealth Care, and WellPoint Inc.

To read the statement, click here.