Drugmakers Eye Clinical Trial Diversity Despite Medicaid Gaps

First Move will not publish Monday, Oct. 14, due to the Columbus Day federal holiday. We’ll return Tuesday, Oct. 15.

Some 42 million Medicaid patients in 38 states—who are disproportionately women and minorities—are locked out of most clinical trials as drug companies and regulators more closely scrutinize how treatments affect more diverse populations. Federal law doesn’t say Medicaid has cover doctor’s appointments that are related to clinical trials, and only 12 states require it.

Filling the Gaps: Companies developing new medications are taking a harder look at how they recruit clinical trial participants to ensure their studies reflect racial and ...