INSIGHTS: What Leaders Expect to Hear at HFMA Annual Conference

As healthcare finance leaders prepare to gather for the upcoming HFMA Annual Conference, they face a familiar but intensified set of challenges: shrinking margins, rising operational costs, and an increasingly complex reimbursement landscape. This year, however, a dominant theme emerges from the conversation: the role of Artificial Intelligence in revolutionizing the revenue cycle.  We asked six healthcare executives for insights on what key themes/trends they expect to be the most talked at this year’s HFMA Annual Conference. 

Ryne Natzke, TrustCommerce, a Sphere company that provides financial technologies to the nation’s largest health systems

The HMFA Annual Conference is a great opportunity to connect with our partners and learn more about where the RCM industry is going. AI is bringing forward a lot of changes, both with products and processes, and I’m looking forward to seeing the ways where it continues to get applied to help improve the patient financial experience.

Michelle Durbin, Manager, Solution Management for Ventus, Altera Digital Health

I think that AI will be one of the main topics of interest again this year, as most healthcare organizations want to use AI and robotic process automation (RPA), but many still aren’t sure how to start to maximize their ROI. In the revenue cycle world, denials are skyrocketing. Organizations should leverage these technologies to quickly rework denials once received or even predict and prevent denials outright. Research suggests that up to 65% of denials are never resubmitted, which translates to lost revenue and missed opportunities to invest in patient care and process improvements. On the flip side, the use of AI opens new possibilities for security threats. Healthcare leaders must do their due diligence to minimize these risks while maximizing efficiency and accuracy in the revenue cycle through AI and RPA.

Anurag Mehta, CEO & Co-Founder, Omega Healthcare

As healthcare leaders convene for the upcoming HFMA Annual Conference, I expect AI [AI, GenAI, Agentic AI] to be in the spotlight as a powerful engine that is revolutionizing revenue cycle management (RCM). In a recent Everest Group study, an overwhelming majority (85%) of senior healthcare executives surveyed believe AI will significantly improve efficiencies in RCM operations over the next five years. We are looking forward to meeting with healthcare leaders to discuss how we can help them leverage AI-enabled solutions to enhance operational and financial performance.

Frank Forte, CEO, EnableComp

At this year’s HFMA, hospital and health system leaders aren’t just looking for quick fixes — they’re looking for clear answers on how to navigate a reimbursement landscape that’s only getting more complex. Traditional RCM strategies can’t keep up. Executives want to know how to adapt, where to invest, and which partners can bring the analytics, regulatory insight, and automation needed to thrive. The answer lies in collaboration. With the right strategic partnerships, organizations can reduce denials, enhance cash flow, and establish a more resilient revenue cycle.

Ralph Keiser, CEO, ArcheHealth

This will be my first HFMA conference in a few years, but I am sure that financial leaders are still facing many of the same ongoing challenges around rising costs and diminishing reimbursements. With the emergence of AI-based solutions, I anticipate plenty of discussions about ways organizations can deploy technologies that highlight process inefficiencies, enable proactive performance management, reduce costs, and help create sustainable margin growth.

Kevin Freeman, Chief Commercial Officer, Health Catalyst

As we head into HFMA, I’m planning to hear bold ideas and meaningful conversations about navigating some of the toughest challenges we’re facing, including shrinking margins, increasing regulatory complexity, the looming impact of Medicaid cuts, and an exhausted workforce. Healthcare organizations are still grappling with all of this, often without the resources or technical infrastructure they need. Expectations are rising, and these organizations need support to meet demands head-on.