Introduction to HLTH 2025
The HLTH conference returned Sunday for its eighth annual gathering, promising to be the most comprehensive healthcare innovation event of the year. Held at the Venetian Expo Center, the conference expects to welcome 12,000 healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders from across the globe. This year’s agenda features over 400 distinguished speakers addressing critical topics that shape the future of healthcare delivery.
The opening day set an impressive tone with billionaire investor and entrepreneur Mark Cuban taking center stage, alongside actor Rob Lowe conducting an engaging interview with Eli Lilly’s Jacob Van Naarden. Their discussion centered on breakthrough innovations in clinical trials and pharmaceutical development, setting the stage for three days of intensive healthcare dialogue.
Notable Speakers and High-Profile Sessions
The HLTH conference 2025 brings together an unprecedented lineup of healthcare visionaries, technology innovators, and clinical experts. The speaker roster represents every sector of the healthcare ecosystem, from traditional pharmaceutical giants to cutting-edge digital health startups.
Celebrity and Business Leaders at HLTH
Mark Cuban’s appearance generated significant buzz among attendees, as the entrepreneur has become increasingly vocal about healthcare transformation and pharmaceutical pricing transparency. His insights into healthcare innovation and business model disruption consistently draw standing-room-only crowds at major industry events.
Government Shutdown Impact on Federal Participation
A notable development at this year’s HLTH conference is the conspicuous absence of federal health officials from the final agenda. The ongoing government shutdown forced several high-profile cancellations that would have provided crucial policy perspectives.
Cancelled Government Speakers
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, M.D. was originally scheduled to deliver a keynote address on Medicare innovation and value-based care initiatives. Similarly, Jim O’Neill, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, withdrew from his scheduled panel discussion. Chris Klomp from CMS also pulled out from his speaking engagement.
Remaining Federal Presence
Despite these cancellations, Amy Gleason, acting administrator of the U.S. DOGE Service and strategic advisor to CMS, remains committed to her Tuesday morning session. Her presentation will focus on innovative strategies for improving patient experience across healthcare delivery systems, a topic that resonates strongly with the conference’s emphasis on patient-centered care.
Pharmaceutical Industry Presence at HLTH
Major pharmaceutical companies have established a commanding presence at this year’s conference, reflecting the industry’s commitment to innovation and collaboration. The executive lineup includes representatives from the world’s leading drug manufacturers.
Pharmaceutical Giants Taking the Stage
Industry titans participating include Novo Nordisk, Bristol Myers Squibb, Regeneron, GSK, Merck, Amgen, and Novartis. These companies will share insights on drug development pipelines, clinical trial innovations, and strategies for bringing breakthrough therapies to market faster.
Biotech Innovation Spotlight
Beyond traditional pharma, several prominent biotech companies are featured prominently. Flagship Pioneering and Mammoth Biosciences executives will discuss cutting-edge gene editing technologies, precision medicine applications, and the future of therapeutic development.
AI Revolution Transforming Healthcare Delivery
Artificial intelligence continues to dominate healthcare conversations, and the HLTH conference reflects this seismic shift. Advances in generative AI and agentic AI promise to revolutionize everything from diagnostic accuracy to patient engagement and administrative efficiency.
AI in Mental Healthcare
Mark Frank, CEO of SonderMind, emphasized the transformative potential of AI in mental health services while stressing the need for responsible implementation. “The hot topic is without question the role AI has played, and will continue to play in mental health care. I’m pro-AI, and feel 2026 is going to bring an exciting array of new solutions and the evolution of existing ones,” Frank told Fierce Healthcare.
However, Frank cautioned that ethical oversight remains paramount: “Everything in the AI and mental health space must be built with the utmost care given to oversight, clinical rigor and privacy. The industry can’t just release chatbots or care apps that aren’t underpinned by serious clinician oversight and governed ethically.”
Beyond AI: Healthcare Innovation Spectrum
While AI captures headlines, attendees are equally interested in advances across multiple healthcare sectors including primary care transformation, employer health benefits optimization, tech-enabled preventive health solutions, food-as-medicine initiatives, and comprehensive digital mental health platforms.
Conference Topics: From GLP-1s to Women’s Health
The HLTH 2025 agenda encompasses an extraordinary range of subjects reflecting healthcare’s complexity and opportunity. Major discussion tracks include:
- Weight management and GLP-1 medications – addressing the obesity epidemic
- Longevity medicine – extending both lifespan and healthspan
- Women’s health innovation – closing gender gaps in research and care
- Healthcare policy – navigating regulatory landscapes
- Breakthrough therapies – accelerating drug development timelines
Advanced Primary Care Evolution
Ami Parekh, Included Health’s chief health officer, expressed genuine optimism about primary care transformation reaching an inflection point. “I’m genuinely excited that we’re at a point where we can realize the outcomes from Advanced Primary Care that we’ve been talking about for so long,” Parekh stated.
She explained that the pieces necessary for successful implementation are finally aligning: “The challenge in healthcare has never been the ideas. This concept of Advanced Primary Care has been around for years. The issue has been in figuring out how to pay for it, how to deliver it at scale, and how to engage patients in using it. All of these pieces are starting to come together now, and it’s incredibly exciting.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of Healthcare
The HLTH conference continues through Wednesday, offering attendees countless opportunities to network, learn, and collaborate on solutions to healthcare’s most pressing challenges. As the industry navigates technological disruption, regulatory uncertainty, and evolving patient expectations, events like HLTH provide essential forums for collective problem-solving and innovation acceleration.
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