The agenda is now live for US Healthcare 2026: Signals, Signs & Flashing Lights, the Health Management Associates (HMA) national conference, October 5-7, 2026, in New Orleans, LA. Healthcare leaders will join peers, policymakers, innovators, and industry experts to discuss the most significant trends in healthcare, including historic policy and financing changes in Medicaid, program integrity, artificial intelligence (AI), behavioral health transformation, affordability challenges, and emerging care delivery models.
Early bird registration pricing ends August 7!
New This Year: Two Exclusive Preconference Sessions
HMA is offering two special preconference sessions that combine our expert-led learning with valuable networking opportunities.
Attendees will deepen their understanding of, and gain insights into, the federal policy landscape heading into the mid-term elections. This interactive session led by Leavitt Partners, an HMA company, will help attendees understand what’s coming next from Washington, DC, and explore the strategic implications for health plans, providers, state agencies, and healthcare investors.
A preconference session, AI in Healthcare: Moving from Experimentation to Execution, will lead attendees through practical applications of AI across healthcare operations, clinical workflows, analytics, consumer engagement, and administrative efficiency. Discussion will center on topics such as governance, implementation, and risk considerations. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from peers, share experiences, and build connections in a collegial setting before the main conference begins.
Key Topics Shaping the Healthcare Agenda
The 2026 agenda is intentionally reflective of the issues facing leaders who work in strategy, operations, growth, policy, innovation, quality, and community impact across healthcare sectors.
Highlights include sessions on:
- The future of Medicaid financing, delivery system transformation, and state innovation
- Fraud, waste, abuse, and program integrity priorities across federal and state programs
- AI applications that are reshaping healthcare operations, care delivery, and decision-making
- Rural Health Transformation Programs (RHTPs) and strategies for sustainable community investment
- Behavioral health policy and delivery trends, including the evolving crisis care continuum
- Applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy at the intersection of behavioral health, access, and oversight
- Life sciences innovation and its impact on payers, providers, and patients
- Coverage transitions, affordability challenges, and changing market dynamics
- Emerging opportunities for collaboration across healthcare, social services, and community-based care
Attendees also will have opportunities to engage in HMA’s popular Coffee Conversations, during which participants can join facilitated discussions on timely topics and exchange ideas.
Review the full agenda, secure your hotel accommodations, and take advantage of early bird savings before August 7, 2026.