Editor's Corner—What's new at the 2024 Fierce Health Payer Summit

One year ago, we brought together top minds in the health insurance industry at our first Fierce Health Payer Summit.

This November, we're back in Austin, Texas, with an agenda and speaker lineup that's even bigger. Whether you attended last year or are discovering the summit for the first time, we want to invite you to join us Nov. 13 and 14 to dive deep into the critical topics facing the health insurance industry.

New this year are two series of track sessions that include both panels and executive interviews digging into member engagement and operational strategies.

In addition, both mornings set the tone with keynote discussions, and general sessions hit on an even wider array of topics than last year.

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Here's a look at some of the agenda highlights:


Glen Tullman, Alex Azar headline speaker lineup
 

Longtime entrepreneur and Transcarent CEO Glen Tullman opens Day 1 of the Fierce Health Payer Summit, joining Fierce Healthcare Executive Editor Heather Landi for a fireside chat on why payers need to think differently about the consumer experience.

Tullman founded Transcarent in 2020 with the goal of deploying technology to drive better care and lower costs for employers. He's also established other well-known healthcare companies, such as chronic condition management company Livongo.

He will take the ballroom stage at 8:45 a.m. CT on Nov. 13.

Meanwhile, we will kick off Day 2 with a conversation with former Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, who will sit down with Landi to discuss why the industry needs to more fully embrace the shift to value-based care.

Azar served as HHS secretary from January 2018 to January 2021 during the initial outbreak and height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, he serves in multiple positions, including as a board member for kidney care company Interwell Health. 

Catch Azar's keynote on Nov. 14 at 9 a.m. CT.


Breakout sessions allow attendees to dig deeper
 

This year's Fierce Health Payer Summit will host two tracks with multiple sessions in the afternoon on Day 1. The Member Engagement Track begins at 2 p.m. CT on Nov. 13 with a panel examining the use of digital health tools to address health equity challenges.

That panel will include speakers from Humana, the Cleveland Clinic, Teladoc, Thomas Jefferson University and Medical Guardian.

You'll also hear from Nick Stefanizzi, CEO of Northwell Direct, who will host a case study discussion on employer direct contracting. Plus, speakers from Blue Cross NC, Best Buy Health and more will close out the track during a panel on member engagement strategies to meet members where they are.

The Strategy and Innovation Track also begins at 2 p.m. CT and kicks off with a panel examining the prior authorization landscape. Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya sits down with experts from the University of Pennsylvania, Livara Health and Humata Health to discuss ways to rethink prior auth.

The track also features a panel on interoperability including speakers from 1up Health, Cotiviti and Macro Health.


General sessions are bigger and better
 

The expanded agenda for this year's summit allowed the team to curate thought leadership on even more hot industry topics. Panel topics include Medicare Advantage, health equity, value-based care and behavioral health—all critical themes from our inaugural event.

New session topics this year include pharmacy benefit management, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges and cybersecurity.

You can also hear from the team at Mountain Health, one of two remaining ACA-era co-ops, on how it's managed to survive in a market where few stood the test of time. Mountain Health Co-Op CEO Blair Fsejeth and Siftwell CEO Trey Sutten join Noah Tong at 2:15 p.m. CT on Nov. 13.

Want to know more? The full agenda is available here.

We'd love to meet you in Austin. If you work in the health insurance industry, we have limited complimentary passes available when you register. Anyone else who's interested in attending can secure 25% of their registration using the code FIERCE. Click here to attend, and we'll see you there!