Tuesday, March 17th, 2026 - Day 1 Main Conference - EST/EDT (Eastern Daylight, GMT-4)
- Allie Spica - Portfolio Director, Access & Channel, Informa Connect
- Callie Mertel - Portfolio Manager, Informa Connect
Join Jimmy Choi, Parkinson’s advocate, American Ninja Warrior and global inspiration, as he shares his extraordinary journey of resilience and advocacy. Diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s at 27, Jimmy has defied expectations, completing marathons, breaking records and inspiring millions worldwide. In this keynote, explore the critical themes of patient affordability and access, offering a unique perspective on the challenges faced by patients navigating rare diseases and chronic conditions. Through his personal story, Jimmy highlights the importance of empowering patients, fostering community support and driving innovation in patient support programs.
Embrace possibility in the face of life-altering diagnoses
Champion access, affordability and systemic change
Build solutions through partnerships in healthcare
Redefine what’s possible for patients and caregivers
- Jimmy Choi - Endurance Athlete, 3-time World Record Holder, Parkinson’s Advocate
What are patients with chronic conditions experiencing when it comes to affordability and access? This session shares new national-level research capturing the perspectives of thousands of individuals with chronic illnesses. Explore the latest insights into how financial pressures and healthcare policy reforms are shaping the future of patient access and affordability.
- Kevin Hagan - CEO, PAN Foundation
- Amy Niles - Chief Mission Officer, PAN Foundation
In this exclusive roundtable, industry leaders will dive deep into how patient access needs are being assessed and the critical role affordability plays in shaping healthcare decisions. With a focus on real-world strategies and emerging trends, explore how data-driven insights are informing policy, operational changes, and innovative approaches to patient support.
- Geoff Fisher - Senior Director, Patient Access Programs Foundation, Patient Assistance Programs, GSK
- Wael Alkhalil - Head of Patient Access, Brand Strategy & Operations - Plasma Derived Therapies, Takeda
Understand how federal policy changes—both legislative and regulatory—will continue to shape the healthcare landscape, focusing on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Inflation Reduction Act, Most Favored Nation, PBM reform, and more
Gain insight into how these policy changes will affect patient access and your patient support programs
Review a roadmap for how your patient support program should plan for these major changes and incorporate these trends in your strategic planning
- Max Bronstein - President, MGB Consulting
- Kevin Hagan - CEO, PAN Foundation
Drug manufacturers and their Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) are under unprecedented pressure from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), aggressive PBM tactics (accumulators, maximizers, alternative funding), and gross-to-net challenges. Conversely, new AI tools offer hope for greater PAP efficiency and patient impact. This session will explore these dynamics and outline actionable strategies to negotiate them.
- Ticia Cawley - Vice President, Client Solutions, ConnectiveRx
- Ankit Jain - Founder & Company Lead, Infinitus
The 2025 Budget Reconciliation Law represents one of the most significant shifts in healthcare coverage in recent years, with projections indicating an increase of 10 million uninsured Americans by 2034. This critical session examines the state-by-state impact of these legislative changes and provides practical guidance for patient advocates, healthcare providers and assistance programs.
Gain a detailed breakdown of how the uninsured rate will vary across states, with 20 states projected to see increases of 3 percentage points or more
Identify which patient populations face the highest risk of coverage loss and how these demographics vary by region
Understand the transformation of new eligibility requirements, cost-sharing provisions and administrative changes affecting Medicaid enrollees
Explore strategies for hospitals and clinics facing increased uncompensated care, particularly in rural and underserved communities
Implement practical frameworks for developing and scaling assistance programs to bridge emerging coverage gaps
- Alice Burns - Associate Director, Program on Medicaid & Uninsured, Kaiser Family Foundation
Explore practices in healthcare administration are affecting alternative funding programs, including how recent legislative actions (ACA subsidy reductions, limited enrollment periods, reduced Medicaid expansion funding) are creating new access barriers and compliance challenges
Examine recent enforcement cases within the AFP landscape, key legal precedents, and current Congressional efforts addressing inappropriate practices, including ongoing DOL correspondence and taskforce solution development
Gain practical insights on developing robust compliance frameworks that protect organizations while maintaining effective alternative funding solutions, incorporating patient experience perspectives on access impacts
- Jonathan James - Chief Executive Officer, Hope Charities
In a constantly evolving landscape, hear about recent policy changes impacting corporate enforcement and compliance, the most recent and impactful cases impacting bio/pharmaceutical manufacturers on areas of focus related to patient assistance and free drug programs and where they are heading next.
- Matthew E. K. Howatt - Senior Director, Head of Legal Affairs, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc., Former Assistant United States Attorney, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
