Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) announced that the Assembly passed legislation which would allow consumers to fill their prescriptions at an in-network neighborhood pharmacy, instead of being forced to use an out-of-state mail-order program by their health insurance plan (A.6194). The measure is part of the Assembly Majority’s Families First agenda that puts people before profits.

“Those who depend on prescription medications have the right to have them filled quickly and easily, from a pharmacist they know and trust,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “Access to affordable prescription drugs must always be put ahead of an insurance company’s profit margin.”

The legislation would close a series of loopholes in state law that allow insurance companies to place barriers between patients and their local pharmacy, instead pushing them to use mail-order pharmacies. Mail-order pharmacies are often owned by the insurance company, allowing them to drive up profits by cutting out local options.

This problem is particularly troublesome for those with chronic and life-threatening conditions, such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, hemophilia, rheumatoid arthritis and infertility, because it can cause disruptions in their medication supply. Where a neighborhood pharmacist would be able to work with patients to help them stay on their medications and answer any questions they may have, mail-order pharmacies can be unresponsive or too slow.

In addition, consumers using mail-order pharmacies have reported their medications being lost or stolen in the mail, requiring them to pay out of pocket for replacements. There have also been reports of refrigerated medications spoiling on patients’ doorsteps, having been unknowingly left there by a delivery person.

“New Yorkers deserve greater transparency and accountability from their health insurance companies,” Thiele said. “This legislation will help do just that and allow people to make their own choice when it comes to filling prescriptions.”