How the new Trump will impact medical conferences

Will the incoming Trump administration impact the meetings industry? Experts say the impact could be significant, but the exact impact won’t be known until Trump’s executive team is in place and his policy and legislative changes are actually implemented. That said, medical meetings may be among the most likely to be affected.

Why? Two controversial picks if elected president – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) and Dr. Mehmet Oz to head Medicare and Centers for Medicaid Services (CMS) head – were confirmed by the Senate, arguing that significant changes are likely to occur in health care that could easily be implemented in the health care conference.

CMS, part of HHS, manages not only Medicare and Medicaid but also the Affordable Care Act individual insurance market, which provides health insurance to 155 million Americans. In announcing his selection of Dr. Oz, Trump said the celebrity doctor would work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to “tackle the disease-industrial complex.”

Pat Schaumann, CMP, CSEP, DMCP, HMCC, is one of those peering into the crystal ball and trying to determine the future of medical conferences. As president of Schaumann Consulting Group, he also serves as a director of MPI. What did he see? On the one hand, economic policies under Trump have resulted in profit trends for large medical-related businesses and pharmaceutical companies that could easily translate into reduced or increased investments in medical education, sponsorships, events, and conferences.

Another area of ​​concern: Trump’s promise to lower drug prices. If profits fall as a result, so do the budgets of medical conferences and congresses.

If tensions with trading partners and other countries increase, “some foreign entities may choose destinations outside the United States to host medical conferences, particularly in Europe or Asia.” Likewise, tightening of visa and immigration policies may reduce U.S. conferences of attendance. If tariffs or tensions strain cooperation with specific countries, this could jeopardize sponsorship of medical activities and partnerships with international organizations.

On the other hand, the future may not be all bad. If Trump’s America First policies spur domestic innovation, it could mean “an increase in U.S. medical research and conferences demonstrating progress.”

Schaumann concludes: “As a global meeting director, you may want to prepare for these potential shifts by focusing on flexible planning strategies, monitoring regulatory updates and aligning with company priorities. Work with key stakeholders to assess their impact on Perceptions of the political climate will also help predict potential impacts.”

But wait, there’s more

Other potential impacts are less obvious but equally important. Take, for example, any changes the Trump administration makes to programs like Open Payments, a transparency initiative under the Affordable Care Act administered by CMS. It requires pharmaceutical and medical device companies to report financial relationships with doctors and teaching hospitals.

Schaumann noted that if Trump weakens open payment reporting requirements in the name of reducing bureaucratic oversight, it could “impact the way pharmaceutical and device companies sponsor and educate at medical conferences. Companies may be more interested in supporting events or paying speaking fees, Costs such as travel and meals may feel less restrictive. “Instead,” he said, tighter rules may lead to more conservative spending, affecting funding for education programs and collaborations.

learn more: How to plan better medical meetings digitally

“The future of open payments under Trump will depend on the administration’s prioritization of health care reform versus deregulation. This is a dynamic area to watch closely as changes could significantly impact compliance, industry behavior and funding,” Schaumann said. He noted that a less transparent process “could face criticism, could impact trust in the health care system and increase scrutiny at medical meetings.”

The possible impact of RFK Jr.

Schaumann also weighed in on the potential impact Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could have on the medical conference industry.

Kennedy’s stance on many vaccines is one of them. Schauman said this could trickle down to conference topics related to immunology, vaccine development and public health. The conference may feel the need to debate vaccine authorization, safety protocols and public health alternatives. The controversial nature of these topics is likely to fuel polarization through “more lively and potentially more contentious conversations at medical conferences.” Kennedy’s policy may also create challenges for organizers to maintain neutrality and inclusivity at events.

Schaumann pointed to other possible impacts of RFK Jr.:

• Increased scrutiny of pharmaceutical companies in the form of tighter regulations could impact sponsorship budgets for events and medical education.
• Research funding priorities may change to emphasize Kennedy’s priorities for environmental health or alternative medical approaches, which may be reflected in the research presented at the conference.
• Industry readiness may require that medical meeting planners need to be prepared for greater scrutiny and ensure content is fact-based.

“For planners, the focus should be on promoting a balanced, evidence-driven conversation that anticipates audience sensitivities and is consistent with emerging trends in public health under the influence of Kennedy,” Schauman said.

Possible Influence of Dr. Oz

Schaumann said that if Dr. Mehmet Oz leads CMM, his unique background as a physician, media personality and advocate for alternative health practices may influence his impact on the medical conference.

Working with Kennedy, Dr. Oz’s public health focus on lifestyle medicine, nutrition, and alternative therapies can “shift the conference agenda toward wellness, preventive medicine, and complementary therapies,” as well as broader public health topics such as obesity, psychological Health and chronic disease prevention. His emphasis on emerging technologies such as integrative medicine and artificial intelligence could lead to “an expansion of these topics that could attract new audiences and spark debate.”

On the other hand, Dr. Oz’s endorsement of some controversial health products and practices may lead to “greater scrutiny of conference content and speakers, particularly in evidence-based medicine” and “address scientific rigor and error.” information” debate or group discussion.

Altogether, Schaumann said, if Dr. Oz teamed up with HHS’s RFK Jr., their influence “could create opportunities and challenges that reshape medical meetings to emphasize holistic health, innovation and public engagement while raising questions about scientific rigor.” Discussions of Sexuality and Public Trust” in Health Information. “