Wednesday, March 18th, 2026 - Day 2 Main Conference - EST/EDT (Eastern Daylight, GMT-4)
Join leading legal experts as they delve into the most pressing legal challenges and priorities facing patient assistance programs.
Focus on the evolving regulatory landscape, providing a deep dive into critical state and federal changes and updated to guidelines
Gain insights into legal watchouts, ensuring their programs are compliant with the latest regulations affecting patient assistance and free drug programs
Look into any recent court rulings impacting the operations for patient assistance and access
- Jennifer DiFruscio - Assistant General Counsel, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Understand the current changes in policy implementation, including updates and timelines surrounding the end of auto-renewal and state level updates
Explore the downstream impact on patient assistance programs and strategies for adapting support services to address emerging coverage gaps
Analyze state-by-state variations in Medicaid implementation and develop targeted approaches for high-impact regions
Learn practical frameworks for cross-sector collaboration between manufacturers, providers and community organizations to ensure continuity of care during transition periods
- Joanna Fawzy Doran, Esq. - CEO, Triage Cancer®
- Examine the multidimensional barriers to medication access across different demographic and income groups, revealing how factors like housing stability, transportation, health literacy and cultural context create distinct challenges requiring tailored solutions
- Explore creative funding mechanisms that extend beyond traditional models to address social determinants of health, including public-private partnerships, foundation collaborations and community-based initiatives that support the whole patient
- Learn sustainable financial approaches that integrate demographic insights and social needs assessments to create more equitable and effective medication access programs for vulnerable population
- Lyndsey Griffin, LCSW-C, OSW-C - Social Worker, UM Capital Region Health Breast Program
There’s no shortage of need for financial assistance. However, this session goes beyond the financial to convene nonprofit patient advocacy leaders to provide insights as to how advocacy, education and navigation services are emerging as powerful tools to support patients facing affordability challenges. Hear from experts on innovative strategies that are helping individuals better access the care they need.
- Alan Klein - Chief Growth and Strategy Officer, PAN Foundation
Discover innovative approaches to remote healthcare delivery that improve medication adherence, expand program reach and reduce qualification barriers through strategic partnerships
Gain actionable insights into optimizing hub services through technology-enabled coordination between manufacturers, providers and patients that measurably improve patient outcomes
Learn practical strategies for implementing and measuring the effectiveness of integrated care delivery models that balance technological innovation with personalized patient support
- Andy Burstein - Chief Executive Officer, Accessible Pharmacy Services
Gain comprehensive understanding of the current implementation status, upcoming negotiation timelines and comparative international models
Examine emerging evidence on how negotiated pricing affects patient access, affordability and utilization patterns
Develop actionable strategies for anticipating future negotiation criteria and adapting patient support programs to the evolving landscape
Examine bipartisan legislative efforts driving prior authorization reform, including implementation challenges, opportunities and successful models that have improved patient access while maintaining appropriate utilization controls
Understand emerging processes and regulations affecting prior authorization requirements and their direct implications for patients and support programs seeking to navigate these changing systems
Learn adaptive strategies practical approaches for modifying patient support initiatives in response to then changing landscape
- Melanie Lendnal - Senior Vice President, Policy and Advocacy, The ALS Association
Gain insight on recent data on patient knowledge of financial assistance programs and barriers to program discovery and enrollment
Examine the cascading effects when healthcare access fails, including delayed treatment outcomes and escalating financial burdens for patients and healthcare systems
Learn from real-world assistance program participant data to supplement broader financial assistance program discussions and identify systemic improvement opportunities
- Jonathan James - Chief Executive Officer, Hope Charities
Healthcare interactions often become adversarial when they don't need to be. This session explores how understanding fundamental principles of human tribal psychology can transform confrontational encounters into collaborative partnerships, ultimately improving patient care and medication access.
Deescalate tense situations before they spiral into conflict
Reorient conversations from adversarial to collaborative frameworks
Ground interactions in shared values and common goals
Steer discussions toward productive problem-solving rather than defensive positioning
- Joshua Pearson, PharmD, RPh - Director of Pharmacy Services and Clinical Pharmacist, Health Partners Free Clinic
Explore use cases for AI to identify patients needing assistance before crisis points
Automate eligibility verification and enrollment processes
Understand data privacy and legal considerations in AI-powered patient support
Discover practical implementation strategies for optimizing platforms specifically for assistance program management, including step-by-step approaches for transitioning from manual tracking to fully integrated digital solutions
Master advanced data management techniques for tracking patients across multiple assistance programs, documenting complex cases, and creating unified workflows that eliminate information silos and reduce administrative burden
Learn outcome measurement frameworks that transform program data into compelling narratives demonstrating ROI, patient impact, and organizational value—essential tools for securing continued support and resources
Unpack the far-reaching implications of HR1 legislation on foundation operations and patient support initiatives
Analyze key provisions affecting pharmaceutical assistance programs, discuss compliance strategies and share early adaptation approaches
Gain practical insights on policy interpretation, implementation challenges and opportunities to maintain robust patient support while adhering to new regulatory frameworks
Examine the federal and state regulatory environment surrounding copay accumulators, copay maximizers and alternative funding programs
Explore how the landscape may change and the prospects for eliminating accumulators, maximizers, and AFPs
Navigate state laws amid a changing copay ecosystem
- Kevin Herwig - Health Policy Manager, HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute
- Master legal challenge frameworks and pressure campaign strategies for influencing federal regulators, including decision points for determining when and how organizations should pursue different advocacy approaches
Develop multi-stakeholder coalition models that leverage cross-sector collaboration opportunities and engage policymakers through coordinated advocacy efforts that amplify impact and credibility
Learn data-driven advocacy techniques for collecting, analyzing and strategically deploying healthcare data to support policy change initiatives and demonstrate the real-world impact of proposed reforms
- Quardricos Driskell, MTS, MPP - Director of Government Relations, Lobbyit
Master adaptive strategies for responding to insurance policy changes, bridging coverage gaps during transitions and opportunities for coordination between commercial insurance and patient assistance programs to create seamless patient experiences
Gain valuable insights into current coverage policy trends, the impact of vertical integration and practical approaches for anticipating and addressing insurance volatility
Develop actionable frameworks for insurance navigation that empower your organization to proactively address coverage challenges, minimize disruption to patient care, and optimize assistance program effectiveness
Understand the appeals process
- Melanie Lendnal - Senior Vice President, Policy and Advocacy, The ALS Association
Master growth management strategies for seamlessly onboarding new clinics and facilities while maintaining consistent service quality and operational excellence across expanding geographic footprints
Gain practical frameworks for talent acquisition, staff development and resource allocation that enable your medication access program to scale effectively while continuing to meet patient needs and organizational objectives
- Adam Mathis - Patient Assistance Programs Co-Ordinator, Eskenazi Health
As the demand for faster, more accurate benefit verifications grows, hubs and manufacturers are turning to artificial intelligence to streamline the process. This session explores how voice AI is being applied to automate data gathering from insurance companies.
Gain insight into real-world use cases, implementation strategies, and the impact on access services teams.
Learn how AI is reshaping benefit verification workflows and setting new standards for speed and accuracy in patient support.
- Xavier de Gracia - Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Prosper AI
Demonstrate value to leaderships through ROI metrics for PAPs and impact analysis of successful assistance programs
Analyze increased reliance on patient assistance programs and explore strategies for maintaining program viability amid increasing patient demand
Gain insight on innovative approaches to charitable giving for a long-term program sustainability inline with program mission objectives
- Vanessa Daniel - Senior Director, Patient Services, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals