In May, the Trump administration published an executive order requiring drug companies to bring prices in line with those paid by other developed nations, otherwise known as Most Favored Nation (MFN) pricing. Although the June 11 deadline has come and gone, no details have been released as to whether drug companies have opted to negotiate or if the government will implement any enforcement action.

A temporary suspension of new interviews for J-1 visas and an ongoing travel ban preventing nationals of 12 countries from entering the U.S. are likely to have a range of impacts on graduate medical training, the rheumatology workforce and research collaborations.

Issues discussed at a meeting with the Office of Management & Budget included increasing Medicare reimbursement for physicians, telemedicine permanence, removing G2211 restrictions, adequate reimbursement for therapies and more flexibility for chemotherapy administration codes. The proposed rule is currently under review by the OMB, which is usually the last step prior to releasing publicly for stakeholder review and comment.