Keynote: Rebranding the Payer Industry as Advocates, not Adversaries

Session details:

A year ago to the day of this summit, the healthcare industry was shaken by the tragic and very public death of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthCare, in one of the world’s largest and busiest cities. The incident served as a grim reflection of the growing tension and dissatisfaction directed toward payers in the U.S. healthcare system. For many Americans—patients and providers alike—prior authorizations, denials, overbilling, and bureaucratic red tape feel like barriers rather than support structures. The result is a system that often seems more obstructive than helpful.

To open this year’s Fierce Health Payer Summit, we are honored to welcome Katherine Hempstead of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation—a leading voice in health policy and the author of groundbreaking work on the U.S. insurance landscape. Katherine will guide us through a deep exploration of the roots of insurance in the American economy, examine the policy decisions and market forces that have shaped today’s payer landscape, and, most importantly, offer a vision for transformation.

This keynote will address how the industry can shift from being perceived as a necessary burden to becoming a proactive and trusted advocate in the healthcare journey. It's time to rethink the payer role—not just as financiers of care, but as vital partners in delivering health and healing.