2026 HME News Business Summit Education Program

FIRESIDE CHAT How payers define value – and what it means for HME providers

As health care continues its shift toward value-based care, quality accountability and cost management, understanding the payer perspective has never been more important for HME providers.

In this candid fireside chat, Laura Williard of AAHomecare sits down with Dr. J.B. Sobel of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee to explore how health plans are evaluating provider performance, managing risk and defining value across home-based care. Attendees will gain firsthand insight into the priorities shaping payer strategies and what those priorities mean for HME providers seeking to strengthen relationships, demonstrate outcomes and position themselves for future growth.

The discussion comes at a pivotal moment as payers reassess networks, contracting approaches and care delivery models while expanding their focus on affordability, quality and measurable outcomes in the home.

Discussion topics will include:

• How payers are rethinking provider networks, utilization management and contracting strategies
• What "value" means from a payer perspective and how it is measured in home-based care
• The role of technology, data analytics and automation in driving payer-provider alignment
• Opportunities for HME providers to support quality improvement, risk adjustment and affordability goals
• The future of home-based care and what payers will expect from providers in the years ahead

Moderator:

Laura Williard, senior vice president of payer relations, AAHomecare

Speaker:

J.B. Sobel, MD, MPH, MBA, vice president, enterprise risk adjustment, quality & affordability, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

PANEL From the top: Adapting, strategizing and collaborating

National HME leaders return to the HME News Business Summit for a candid look at how the game has changed – and what it will take to move the industry forward. With heightened activity out of Washington, D.C., shifting payer dynamics and rapid advances in technology, this CEO-level conversation focuses on execution and alignment: How are providers adapting, where are they placing bets, and where must the industry work together to influence what comes next?

Moderator:

Jeremy Stolz, CEO, VGM Group

Speakers:

• Robin Menchen, president and CEO, Rotech Healthcare
• Casey Hoyt, CEO, Viemed Healthcare
• Steve Griggs, executive chairman and director, Quipt Home Medical

PANEL Inside the payer playbook: What TPAs see – and what providers need to prepare for

While third-party administrators (TPAs) and benefits managers are often viewed by providers as an added layer of complexity, they have a unique vantage point into payer priorities, benefit design, utilization management and the role of technology at scale - insight that provider leadership is actively seeking as they make long term business decisions.

Why they’re participating:

• To engage directly with senior provider decision makers in an independent setting.
• To share insight into why payer reliance on TPAs is expanding – and what’s driving those decisions.
• To help clarify common misconceptions about the modern TPA role, particularly around data, automation and compliance.
• To contribute to a more informed, realistic dialogue about how providers and TPAs can coexist as the market evolves.
• The focus will be on market dynamics and practical implications for the next 24–36 months.
• We see this as an opportunity to bring transparency and insight to a conversation that is already influencing strategic decisions across the provider landscape.

Panelists:

• Mandira Singh, president, Synapse Health
• Haley Sofiane, president and board member, CareCentrix
• Lisa Wojno, COO, Northwood, Inc.

FIRESIDE CHAT Hospital-at-Home: Scaling the model, solving the logistics

Hospital-at-home has been a recurring and evolving topic as care continues to move out of traditional settings and into the home. This fireside chat will explore that shift through two complementary perspectives: Current Health’s experience developing and scaling care-at-home models, including its time embedded within Best Buy Health and subsequent separation, and Velocare’s role in enabling last-mile logistics that make those models operationally viable.

Together, the speakers will discuss how partnerships across providers, retailers and logistics organizations are shaping the next phase of care delivery. The discussion will focus on what these experiences reveal about scaling care-at-home models, integrating health care into non-traditional ecosystems, and why hospital-at-home continues to gain momentum despite operational and reimbursement complexity.

Key discussion themes:

• Why hospital-at-home is no longer experimental, but foundational to health care’s future
• Lessons learned from embedding within a major retailer – and what ultimately drove separation
• What health systems underestimate about delivering acute care in the home
• The critical role of logistics, fulfillment and in-home setup in enabling scalable care-at-home models
• Where home-based care intersects with HME, distribution networks, data and clinical workflows
• What still needs to change (policy, partnerships, infrastructure) for hospital-at-home to scale sustainably

Speakers:

• Alex Hoopes, PharmD, senior director, strategy and execution, Cardinal Health at-Home Solutions, and general manager, Velocare
• Christopher McGhee, CEO and co-founder, Current Health

FIRESIDE CHAT Private equity’s big bet on HME

With investments in both Drive Medical and Quipt Home Medical, Kingswood Capital Management is putting significant capital to work across the HME value chain. In this fireside chat, we’ll explore what’s driving that conviction, where it sees opportunity, and how B2B suppliers and providers should be thinking about the road ahead.

Topics covered:

• Why HME – and why now: The investment thesis and long-term outlook
• Where capital is flowing: Key growth areas, capabilities and deal activity
• What makes a company attractive: Scale, performance expectations and M&A drivers
• Where the market is going next: Big-picture trends—from reimbursement to care in the home – that are driving investment decisions
• What it means for the industry: How private equity is shaping competition and future direction

Moderator:

Kyle Berkman, director, Intrepid Investment Bankers

Speaker:

Brandon Sucaldito, vice president, Kingswood Capital Management

PANEL New models. New therapies. New rules. Where should HME play?

A new wave of companies is redefining how patients are diagnosed, treated and supported. This session explores how these models are taking shape, where they intersect with HME, and what it means for providers looking to grow beyond legacy categories.

The conversation will focus on what’s actually scalable, where partnerships are forming, and how HME businesses can identify real opportunities – before the market moves around them.

Topics covered:

• How care is shifting: Virtual-first, hybrid and tech-enabled models are reshaping access and delivery
• Emerging categories to watch – beyond CPAP
• Where HME fits (or doesn’t): Distribution, setup, adherence, clinical support – what roles are up for grabs
• Partnership playbooks: What innovative companies look for in HME partners (and why some bypass the channel)
• Operational realities: Workflow, reimbursement, patient acquisition and scaling new models
• Early signals vs. hype: How to evaluate which opportunities are viable for HME providers today
• Strategic takeaway: What providers should pilot, partner on or prepare for in the next 12–24 months

Moderator:

Miriam Lieber, president, Lieber consulting LLC

Speakers:

• Fatima Denney, COO & executive vice president, iSleep Physicians
• Wesley Lones, founder and CEO, Daybreak
• Kris Srinivasan, chief medical officer, VGM Group

PANEL From adoption to impact: How tech is rewiring HME operations

As HME providers move beyond initial adoption, the real work is integrating technology into day-to-day operations – and understanding what it actually delivers. This peer-led panel will explore how providers are embedding automation into intake, billing and clinical workflows, measuring ROI and managing the downstream impacts on staffing, patient care and scalability. Panelists will share practical lessons learned, including where technology has exceeded expectations, where it hasn’t, and how they’re recalibrating. For those still on the sidelines, the conversation will also touch on what’s driving adoption and what’s at stake in not evolving.

Topics covered:

• How providers are weaving AI and automation into workflows – and where friction still exists.
• What metrics matter, how to measure impact, and how to course-correct when results fall short.
• How to balance efficiency gains with clinical realities, staffing needs, and patient experience.
• Why providers are investing now – and how to evaluate readiness if you haven’t yet jumped in.

Moderator:

Kyle Neese, vice president of sales, ACU-Serve

Speakers:

• Brian Boulanger, vice president of information technology, Hart Medical Equipment
• Richard Mackey, chief technology officer, CCS
• Robert Minicucci, Jr., director of business development, Health System Services
• Jenna Hecht, vice president, new patient onboarding & retention, ADSG | Edgepark