HLTH 2025: Key takeaways
If you've ever wondered what happens when 12,000+ healthcare professionals, 2,750+ CEOs, and 400+ speakers walk into the same convention center, the answer is: good chaos, caffeine, and a lot of conversations. This is what HLTH is really about, and more. If you couldn't attend or want to relive the thrill, we've got your back. We will go over key insights, trends, and learnings from the HLTH USA 2025 conference.
This year's HLTH 2025 conference in Las Vegas brought together the brightest minds in digital health, biotech, and health systems under a fitting theme: "Heroes and Legends." And while there were no actual capes (that we know of), the energy was unmistakable: a room full of people who show up every day to fix what's broken in healthcare.
900+ sessions, speakers tackled everything from AI in healthcare to GLP-1 access, longevity, interoperability, and the never-ending saga of U.S. drug pricing transparency.
But between the sharp insights, real talk, and spontaneous standing ovations, one thing was clear: the heroes of healthcare aren't waiting for a system fix. They're building one, connection by connection, idea by idea, day by day.
Table of Contents
- HLTH Day 1
- Unity and Transparency Take Center Stage
- Data Quality and the "Pufferfish Principle"
- Ambient AI: Giving Time Back to Care
- Cancer Care: Early Detection and Real Stories
- Personalized Medicine: Beyond the Genetic Code
- GLP-1
- HLTH Day 2
- The Technology Highlights: AI Solving Real Problems
- Calls for Accountability: Evidence and ROI
- The Unstoppable Movement: Women's Health
- Around the Floor and Final Thoughts
- HLTH Day 3
- AI, AI everywhere
- Tackling Cost and Adherence Head-On
- The Future of Delivery: Home, Women's Health, and Digital Trust
- Innovation on Display: The Startup Pitch Tournament
- Final Thoughts
Let's break down what happened, starting with Day 1
HLTH Day 1
Day 1 at HLTH USA 2025 was definitely not about tech demos. The conference started strong, emphasizing the need to bring humanity back to the industry. The message across stages was consistent: courage, transparency, and collaboration aren't optional as they're the foundation for the next chapter in healthcare.
From debates on drug pricing to conversations about trust in AI and breakthroughs in cancer care, every discussion pointed to a shared truth: progress starts with people.
Unity and Transparency Take Center Stage
The day opened on a note of urgency. With federal health leaders absent due to the government shutdown, HLTH founder chairman and CEOJonathan Weiner reminded everyone of what's at stake:
"Division hurts patients. Partisanship is the opposite of partnership. Unity is what we need to change healthcare."
Mark Cuban amplified that message:
"Healthcare is a right. We need transparency. Its current opacity is by design."
Cuban's challenge to PBMs, wholesalers, and payers landed hard: if pricing and contracts stay hidden, trust can't grow. And as we know, trust in healthcare is everything.
Data Quality and the "Pufferfish Principle"
AI was a headline theme, but this time it did not feel like a distant innovation but more like a coexisting technology. We are confident in saying that more than 90% of the booths and companies present mentioned or included AI in their products. As Gen AI moves closer to becoming a commodity in the industry, discussions are now taking a step further, highlighting the importance of data quality for this tech to add real value. In a panel led by Lauren Riplinger, a memorable analogy cut through the noise:
"Data is like eating a pufferfish. If it's clean and managed well, it will taste good. If not, don't eat it."
The message: more data isn't the goal, better data is. Without clean, contextual, and ethically managed data, AI risks amplifying the very gaps it promises to close.
Ambient AI: Giving Time Back to Care
One of the day's most hopeful conversations focused on Ambient AI, a technology that listens, captures, and reduces clinicians' documentation burden. As with anything else, one nurse leader shared, "Technology must subtract, not add". The reality is that AI is only a tool, and we should not lose focus on what's at stake and the objective of implementing it: better care.
At Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Vincent Liu described how AI scribes are restoring human connection:
"We can actually look patients in the eye. Listen fully. Be present."
The best examples weren't about algorithms. For instance, one example that really quantified the impact of real adoption. Cedars-Sinai cut pressure-injury documentation from 300 clicks to 15. Fewer clicks. More care. The crowd did not need further convincing.
As Dr. Lavonia Thomas put it: "Progress moves at the speed of trust."
Cancer Care: Early Detection and Real Stories
Actor Rob Lowe, trial participant Alicia Dellario, and Jacob Van Naarden (Lilly Oncology) brought heart to the stage, connecting innovation to lived experience. Lowe's grandmother's participation in a clinical trial helped shape cancer treatment today—a reminder that behind every clinical trial is someone's story.
Despite proven benefits, only about 7% of U.S. cancer patients participate in trials. The panel called for more awareness, better access, and earlier intervention.
Breakthroughs like Multi-cancer Early Detection (MCED) and Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) testing are shifting focus from late-stage care to prevention. As Gary Monk summarized:
"Early beats everything."
Personalized Medicine: Beyond the Genetic Code
Longevity is the new frontier. With more and more startups and companies entering this market, it was no surprise that sessions touched on the crucial role healthcare plays. Particularly, personalized medicine.
But what is personalized medicine? According to the National Human Genome Research Institute
But what is personalized medicine? According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, "Personalized medicine is an emerging practice of medicine that uses an individual's genetic profile to guide decisions made regarding the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of a disease. Knowledge of a patient's genetic profile can help doctors select the proper medication or therapy and administer it using the proper dose or regimen."
Genes do play an important part, but as stressed in the panel "The Bigger Picture: Scaling Personalized Medicine for All, "the zip code often matters more than the genetic code. In other words, it's about context.
Personalized medicine holds great potential, but a question remains: how can we amplify its impact?. Speakers highlighted that Better care depends on addressing one of healthcare's biggest babel towers: interoperability. To personalize is to use data, and for that, less fragmentation and better communication between hospitals, pharmacies, and telehealth systems that make care continuous are key.
Diversity is another key aspect of this: to provide specific treatments, we need to take a step back and demonstrate specific clinical results. To make research truly representative, biobanks need to diversify — fast. Most of today's genetic data still comes from a narrow portion of the population, leaving too many voices and variations out of the picture.
GLP-1
In one of the most practical discussions of the day, a panel on GLP-1's commitment issues examined why only 8% of GLP-1 users stay on treatment after three years. The reasons weren't biochemical; they were human: cost, coverage, side effects, and lack of ongoing support.
Behavioral scientist Amy Bucher argued that long-term success requires more than prescriptions. She shared that integrating digital technology and personalized support is crucial to helping users focus on their motivations rather than just their goals. For founders and builders in this space, we tapped into this topic in this post. Go check it out!
HLTH Day 2
Day 2 of HLTH 2025 in Las Vegas felt like healthcare's energy drink — equal parts caffeine, curiosity, and collaboration. Between packed sessions, a buzzing exhibit hall, and after-hours networking (yes, AI-chosen popsicles were a thing), one message came through clearly: innovation must prove its worth.
Below are the top highlights and conversations shaping healthcare's future from Day 2.
The Technology Highlights: AI Solving Real Problems
The exhibit floor traded hype for real-world impact, spotlighting solutions built to fix persistent healthcare challenges. Here are some common industry issues and some interesting solutions.
Robots vs. the Opioid Crisis
Amber Norbeck, CEO of Opio Connect, unveiled Zing Satellite: a robotic methadone dispensing system designed to expand access to addiction treatment in rural and underserved regions. With only one in five U.S. counties offering methadone, this system enables nurses to conduct telehealth visits, confirm patient identity biometrically, and dispense treatment safely. It's a direct response to both the opioid crisis and the nursing shortage.
AI Automating Prior Authorization
Mel van Londen of Develop Health demonstrated how AI can automate benefit verification and prior authorization, eliminating weeks of patient delays. Their platform auto-fills forms, attaches required documentation, and tracks approvals.
Empathy + AI for Seniors
James Edwards from Cairns Health shared updates on Luna. This radar-based system monitors vital signs and sleep, and pairs with a large language model to reduce loneliness among seniors. Luna merges clinical data with emotional support, a reminder that digital health can be both high-tech and deeply human. Senior care was very present, with many startups and companies offering solutions for folks who want to age in place. Longevity and aging are starting to gain traction, and it will be interesting to see in the future how much of the conference they take up.
Calls for Accountability: Evidence and ROI
For all the energy around innovation, speakers and attendees agreed that progress without proof won't stick. Investors had a clear message: show traction, outcomes, and ROI. The following funding cycle won't reward storytelling; it will reward measurable impact for patients, payors, and providers. In this sense, conversations around the classic "Build or Buy" dilemma were heard all around. (Pssst, check out our course on this topic!!)
The Unstoppable Movement: Women's Health
One of the most powerful main stage moments came from leaders redefining women's health as central to medicine, not a subcategory.
Speakers Cindy Eckert, Dr. Jessica Shepherd, Jodi Neuhauser, Shelley Zalis, and Elaine Welteroth called for representation, funding, and better research that reflect women's realities.
"Women's health shouldn't be women's health — it should be health," said Dr. Shepherd.
And although only 5% of global research and development funding goes towards women's health, as Jody Tropeano reminded us, we are confident that tables will soon turn. Innovative solutions are constantly arising, and in this market, the new and shiny niche is menopause. Big names like Hims & Hers are already in the space, with significant investment. Progyny has launched pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause programs for global employers, and Elektra Health and Oscar Health have launched HelloMeno, a menopause-focused health plan in the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Conversations around women's mental health and fertility were also a thing.
Women's Health is still being "very much at the center of a lot of the growth". This focus was amplified by Jessica Federer's announcement of an investment fund dedicated to investing in more funds, creating a marketplace for research, funding, and advocacy in Women's Health.
The message that resonated across the conference was strong: women's health is not a niche. It's a movement reshaping how care is designed, delivered, and discussed.
Around the Floor and Final Thoughts
The exhibit hall delivered a mix of inspiration and play from the classic Puppy Park to the Pickleball Court, plus a Zen Den and a buzzing AI Startup Zone. The day closed with the Pride@HLTH Happy Hour, filled with community, laughter, and what many called "chosen-family energy."
Day 2, though technology was at full display, AI, data, and design can only go so far without usability, empathy, and collaboration.
As one attendee put it, "We don't need more apps; we need alignment."
HLTH Day 3
If Day 2 was about proof, Day 3 at HLTH 2025 was about presence, specifically, the omnipresence of AI. Nearly every conversation, booth, and brainstorming session circled back to Artificial Intelligence and how it's rapidly becoming the new baseline for healthcare innovation, as we said before.
AI, AI everywhere
Artificial Intelligence dominated the exhibit hall, not as a buzzword, but as a working tool driving measurable change. Conversations moved from concept to capability, highlighting how AI is now embedded across care coordination, patient engagement, early detection, and prediction.
Agent Teams and ROI
Executives are betting big on AI agents. Nearly half (46%) said they plan to dedicate over 50% of future AI budgets to agent-driven systems, and many are already seeing tangible ROI, particularly in improving patient experience and reducing administrative load. Find more stats here!
New Systems in Action
Companies like League unveiled League AI and its League Agent Teams: multi-agent systems designed to make healthcare navigation more personal, coordinated, and consumer-focused. These teams are tackling some of healthcare's most complex challenges: closing care gaps, managing chronic conditions, and guiding complex patient journeys such as pregnancy or diabetes.
The Real Edge
While generative AI may be mainstream, the real competitive advantage lies elsewhere: in understanding users, harnessing unique quality data, integrating smoothly into existing workflows, and earning trust from clinicians and patients alike.
Caution From the Frontlines
Not everyone is fully sold yet. Clinicians testing ambient AI scribes report mixed results: helpful for documenting the patient's story, but less reliable for assessments and plans. The message? AI's promise is real, but adoption must follow clinical reality, not marketing timelines.
Tackling Cost and Adherence Head-On
Pharmaceutical innovation took center stage again. The conversation shifted from hype to cost, adherence, and accessibility: the real-world hurdles that shape population health.
The Cost Challenge
Employers and payors are doubling down on cost control, exploring disruptive strategies to manage medication spending while maintaining quality of care.
Fighting First Fill Abandonment
One standout announcement came from Surescripts, partnering with Arcadia to address a silent yet costly issue: patients not filling new prescriptions. Their latest solution monitors prescriptions and sends alerts to care teams within days if a medication isn't picked up, helping identify barriers like affordability, transportation, or misinformation.
With 20–30% of new prescriptions going unfilled, this kind of real-time feedback could prevent avoidable complications for conditions like diabetes and hypertension and potentially save lives.
The Future of Delivery: Homecare and Digital Trust
Healthcare's future is no longer confined to hospitals and clinics. Day 3 spotlighted three major shifts redefining where (and how) care happens.
Healthcare at Home
Former CDC Deputy Director Susan Monarez described the north star for the next decade: achieving 90% of healthcare at home. She called it "the only way we're ever going to fix healthcare." The growth of tech-enabled services is already proving that home-based models are not just convenient, they're cost-effective, scalable, and preferred by patients.
Digital Trust and Community
Platforms like TikTok are reshaping how people consume health information. The conversation moved beyond content to community and credibility: where real stories meet expert insight. For many, this digital ecosystem now drives health literacy, patient engagement, and behavior change at unprecedented scale.
Pharma's Digital Shift
The pharmaceutical industry continues edging closer to direct-to-consumer (DTC) engagement, creating new opportunities for digital health partners focused on personalization, education, and compliance.
Innovation on Display: The Startup Pitch Tournament
Day 3 wrapped up on a high note with the Startup Pitch Tournament, celebrating innovation across AI, women's health, health equity, and consumer wellness. From early detection tools to digital therapeutics, the finalists embodied the spirit of HLTH: big ideas that blend technology, empathy, and evidence.
The winners were:
- AI Innovations: PONS
- Consumer Wellness: Baseline
- Making Aging Easier: Sleep Reset
- Health Equity: Lexi
- Diagnostic & Life Science Innovation: Phase Advance
- Women's Health: Veera
- Employer Health: Joya
- Nurse & Clinician Workforce Solutions: Oma
- Specialty Care: Switchboard Health
Final Thoughts
From Heroes to Builders — The Real Legacy of HLTH 2025
Another great year has gone by. We all had a great time at HLTH. Three days, thousands of conversations, and one undeniable truth: the heroes of healthcare aren't waiting for change, they're building it.
From the calls for courage and transparency on Day 1, to the proof points and accountability on Day 2, to the AI-fueled reinvention of care on Day 3, HLTH 2025 captured the industry's collective pivot from promise to practice.
A big word that sums this year up is Ownership, a word we take very seriously at Light-it. Everyone (from clinicians to founders to policymakers) agreed that the next version of healthcare must be open, evidence-based, and human-centered, and we could not agree more. At its core, healthcare is about people. People who build trust as intentionally as they build products.
People who turn data into action, and systems into stories worth believing in.
We left Las Vegas energized with a sharper focus on improving lives through digital health innovation. It was an honor to share how, together with our partners and clients, we're shaping a more connected, efficient, and human healthcare system.
See you next year!