What We’re Reading: Wyoming Abortion Pill Ban; Reducing Racial Disparities in Health Care; Affordable Insulin in California

Wyoming Governor Signs Proposed Abortion Pill Ban

Republican Gov. Mark Gordon signed into law a ban on the use of abortion pills in Wyoming, with a separate measure allowing abortion restriction to become law without his signature, according to The Associated Press. This ban would not only prohibit the use of abortion pills in the state starting in July, but also condone legislation banning all abortions. There is no implementation date yet for the all-encompassing abortion ban; abortion remains legal in Wyoming up until viability, or until the fetus would be able to survive outside of the womb.

ACA Reduces Racial Disparities in Health Care

A new report by The Commonwealth Fund shows expanded health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) reduced racial disparities in health care, according to CBS News. Since its implementation in 2013 allowing Medicaid expansion, the ACA has increased health insurance eligibility among minority individuals and their families. According to the report, "The coverage gap between Black and White adults dropped from 9.9 to 5.3 percentage points, while the gap between Hispanic and White adults dropped from 25.7 to 16.3 points,” according to the study.

California Enters Contract to Make Its Own Affordable Insulin

Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced a contract with nonprofit drugmaker Civica Rx to create California’s own line of affordable insulin for individuals living in the state, according to NPR. The contract will cover 3 forms of insulin: glargine, lispro, and aspart, which are expected to be used interchangeably with other brand name insulins, such as Sanofi’s Lantus, Eli Lilly’s Humalog, and Novo Nordisk’s Novolog, respectively. Once approved by the FDA, California will enter a 10-year contract to create CalRx insulins later this year, with a price tag not to exceed $30 per 10-mL vial.