HBMA Innovation Conference: Should You Go?

The Healthcare Billing Management Association (HBMA) is hosting its annual HBMA Innovation Conference next month in March. This appears to be the second or third year of the event, focused on revenue cycle management innovation and technology. As someone who recently served on both the Innovation Committee and Data Sciences Committee, I want to share my observations about this conference and help you decide if it’s worth your time.

What’s on the Agenda?

Looking at the current HBMA Innovation Conference program, a few things immediately stand out:

1. Heavy focus on cybersecurity – Four sessions out of just eleven total are dedicated to cybersecurity. While security is certainly important, it’s questionable whether it should dominate an innovation conference for RCM professionals. Like HIPAA compliance, cybersecurity is necessary but isn’t typically the primary driver of innovation in our industry.
2. Limited AI content – Four presentations mention generative AI in their synopses, but upon closer examination:
   • One session titled “Human Generated Data” briefly mentions exploring generative AI opportunities, but is presented by an EHR/PM vendor rather than an AI technology specialist
   • Another focuses primarily on cybersecurity
   • A third claims generative AI can draft emails, appeal letters, and conduct market research—hardly transformative applications for RCM
   • The fourth attempts to cover RPA, large language models, machine learning, and generative AI all together, with clear confusion between automation and AI concepts
3. Missing cutting-edge topics – Despite the current momentum in the field, the word “agentic” (referring to autonomous AI agents) doesn’t appear anywhere in the program. There’s minimal substantive discussion of machine learning applications specific to revenue cycle.

Why These Shortcomings?

Several factors appear to contribute to the conference’s limitations:

1. Disconnect in planning – Surprisingly, the HBMA Innovation Committee had no involvement in creating the conference, selecting speakers, or curating presentations. This means people without deep technology or innovation expertise set the agenda.
2. Speaker qualifications – There’s no requirement that presenters have technology expertise. None of the speakers appear to be engineers, data scientists, or technology product managers (though some may have relevant experience).
3. Lack of case studies – The program doesn’t feature case studies from RCM companies that have successfully implemented automation, AI, or technology innovations. There are no step-by-step implementation guides or practical roadmaps.

Should You Attend?

The value of the HBMA Innovation Conference depends entirely on your goals:

• If you’re seeking specific implementation plans, technology strategies, cost frameworks, or detailed how-to guidance, you may be disappointed.
• If your primary goal is networking with peers in the RCM industry, the conference could still provide value despite its content limitations.

For those interested in practical RCM technology implementation, consider these alternatives:

1. Access the recording of my HBMA webinar from last August (available for a small fee that supports the association), which provides granular, step-by-step guidance on building technology solutions within your organization.
2. Connect directly with experienced RCM leaders who have implemented technology solutions. Many medical billing automation veterans are willing to share their experiences outside of conference settings.
3. Explore dedicated technology resources focused on healthcare revenue cycle, like those from HIMSS or MGMA.
4. Consider investing in specialized RCM analytics education or consultations that focus specifically on implementation rather than high-level concept overviews.

The Bigger Picture

The HBMA Innovation Conference situation highlights a broader challenge in the RCM industry: a disconnect between technology innovation and industry leadership. While technology is rapidly transforming healthcare financial management, finding practical guidance on implementat