HLTH USA 2026: Complete Guide to Dates, Tickets, Agenda and Speakers

Healthcare does not slow down. Artificial intelligence rewrites clinical workflows. Payer strategies shift overnight. New diagnostics emerge before regulators catch up. In an industry this fast-moving, staying ahead requires more than reading reports. It requires being in the room where the decisions get made. One event in November puts the right people in that room all at once.

HLTH USA 2026 runs from November 15 to 18 at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. Healthcare’s largest innovation gathering brings together more than 12,250 attendees, 4,400 C-suite executives, and 950 sponsors and exhibitors for four days of main-stage keynotes, curated meetings, startup pitches, and industry conversations that shape the year ahead.

Event Overview at a Glance

Why the 2026 Edition Matters More Than Ever

Artificial intelligence is the central theme. Every major healthcare sector is wrestling with the same set of questions right now. What does AI mean for diagnostics? How do health systems deploy it responsibly? What does a payer’s AI strategy actually look like in practice?

The 2026 event puts those questions directly to the people answering them. Leaders from health systems, insurance companies, pharma, federal agencies, and technology firms all share the same building for four days. Additionally, the compressed format means that conversations that would otherwise require a year of separate travel now happen in a single week.

For healthcare investors, the event also provides something rare. Direct access to early-stage companies through the Startup Zone, curated meetings through Investor Connect, and real-time intelligence on where capital is flowing in digital health make this one of the most commercially productive weeks of the year.

Ticket Types and Pricing

HLTH USA uses a tiered pricing model based on your role and organization type. Early registration offers significant savings. All non-vendor registrations are subject to eligibility verification.

Passes include access to hundreds of speakers across all focus areas, curated 1:1 matchmaking through Market Connect and Investor Connect, daily breakfast and lunch, all evening receptions, wellness activities, the full show floor, and on-demand recordings of all sessions after the event.

Registration is managed through the official website at hlth.com. The deadline for registration updates or transfers is November 6, 2026. HLTH does not offer show floor-only or partial attendance rates, and discounts are not applied retroactively. If a registration type does not match your actual role or organization, HLTH will contact you within three business days with options to adjust.

The Four-Day Agenda Structure

The event packs four full days of programming across main stage keynotes, parallel insights sessions, specialized summits, networking programs, pitch competitions, and evening receptions.

The agenda is organized into clear focus areas and persona tracks. The event app launches two weeks before the show and includes AI-powered networking recommendations to help attendees plan their schedules before arriving.

Conference Programs and Special Series

Insights Programs

The Insights Programs run as a set of parallel sessions alongside the main stage. These tracks go deeper on specific topics than keynotes allow. They are where practitioners share implementation stories, compare tools, and debate what actually works in the field. Sessions cover care delivery, policy, pharma strategy, digital health adoption, and workforce health.

The Shift Women’s Health Series

The Shift is a dedicated series exploring the full landscape of women’s health innovation. Topics range from reproductive health technology and menopause care to maternal mortality, equity in clinical trials, and women-focused diagnostics. The series convenes founders, clinicians, investors, and policy voices together in one track.

AgeTech Collaborative from AARP Programs

AgeTech Central is a dedicated zone and programming track focused on technology built for older adults. Sessions examine loneliness, caregiving, cognitive health, and the design of technology that older users will actually adopt. AARP’s AgeTech Collaborative connects startups in this space with investors and strategic partners during the event.

Physicians at HLTH

Physicians at HLTH provides a dedicated track for practicing clinicians. It moves away from the standard conference format and focuses on practical conversations about AI at the point of care, clinical decision support tools, the evolving doctor-patient relationship, and the changing economics of medical practice.

Highway to HLTH

Highway to HLTH is a pre-event program that runs in the days leading up to the main show. It creates an on-ramp for attendees who want to arrive prepared, with smaller workshops and focused discussions before the full event energy arrives.

Techquity for Health Awards

The Techquity for Health Awards recognize organizations and individuals advancing health equity through technology. Winners are announced during the main event and recognized on the main stage, putting health equity at the center of the broader industry conversation rather than treating it as a side topic.

Digital Health Hub Awards

The Digital Health Hub Awards celebrate innovation across the digital health ecosystem. Categories cover tools and platforms that have demonstrated measurable impact in clinical, operational, and consumer health settings.

The Show Floor: Exhibitor Zones and Featured Areas

The show floor at the Venetian Expo spans more than 950 exhibiting organizations. The floor is organized into distinct zones, each with a focused identity.

Routing through the zones deliberately before the event begins is one of the most effective ways to make the most of limited time on the floor.

Speakers: Who Takes the Stage

The 2026 speaker lineup positions the event around the theme “The Age of Intelligent Health.” Healthcare leaders, founders, policymakers, investors, and technology innovators examine how AI and rapid innovation are reshaping care delivery, access, equity, and trust.

The main program is not pay-to-play. Speakers are selected for editorial value, not commercial relationships. Vendor organizations are encouraged to participate through sponsored specialty programs rather than through the main agenda.

Sessions take a range of formats, including traditional panels, fireside chats, and more experimental formats such as topic bingo, AI versus the experts face-offs, and a healthcare-themed version of Jeopardy. These gameshow-style sessions are designed to generate spontaneous, unscripted conversations that reveal how practitioners actually think about the problems in front of them.

Past main-stage speakers have included Mark Cuban from Cost Plus Drugs, Sarah London, CEO of Centene, and senior leaders from Kaiser Permanente, Cleveland Clinic, Microsoft, and Google Cloud. The 2026 roster is announced in waves through the summer and fall at hlth.com/events/usa/speakers.

The Startup Zone and Pitch Tournament

The Startup Zone is one of the most energetic parts of the entire event. It brings together founders at every stage alongside investors, health system operators, and corporate development leaders who are actively sourcing their next deal or partner.

The Startup Pitch Tournament runs across multiple days and culminates in a finale on Wednesday, November 18. Startups compete head-to-head across eight categories:

• AI Innovations
• Employer Solutions
• Consumer Wellness
• Health Equity
• Healthy Aging
• Precision Health Solutions
• Provider Solutions
• Women’s Health

Past pitch tournaments have been sponsored by HPE and NVIDIA, placing early-stage companies in front of enterprise buyers and investors in one of healthcare’s most visible startup showcases. Founders from companies including Ambience Healthcare, Nabla, and Suki AI have previously presented at HLTH. Additionally, the Investor Connect program pairs startup executives with leading investors in structured 15-minute one-on-one meetings.

Market Connect: The Premier 1:1 Meetings Program

Market Connect is the formal matchmaking engine at the heart of the event. More than 8,500 pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings take place across the four days. Attendees are matched based on their stated objectives, organizational profile, and focus areas.

The program removes the cold-outreach burden that typically slows down relationship-building at large events. Instead of hunting for the right people on a crowded show floor, attendees arrive with a structured meeting schedule already in place. This is one of the most-cited reasons that senior executives return year after year.

Healthcare Innovations Shaping the 2026 Agenda

Several technology and clinical themes dominate the 2026 programming.

Artificial intelligence in clinical settings is the most discussed. Applications span diagnostic imaging, ambient clinical documentation, drug discovery, clinical trial design, and patient triage. The AI Zone on the show floor gives visitors a chance to see these tools in action rather than simply hearing about them.

Women’s health technology is experiencing rapid growth and receives dedicated programming across both The Shift series and the Women’s Health Area on the floor. Topics include femtech platforms, maternal health monitoring, menopause care, and the closing of the historical data gap in women’s clinical research.

Aging and loneliness represent a growing area of commercial and clinical attention. The AgeTech Collaborative from AARP provides a structured platform for companies working on cognitive health, caregiving technology, and social connection tools for older adults.

Oral and systemic health is a newer focus area that reflects growing evidence that oral health outcomes predict a range of systemic conditions. The dedicated pavilion creates space for companies building at this intersection.

Health equity and technology access remain threads running through every program area. The Techquity for Health Awards formalize recognition of organizations making progress in this space.

Practical Visitor Tips

Getting the most from four days in Las Vegas requires planning before you land.

• Register early. Early rates save between $895 and $1,200 per person depending on your ticket type.
• Book your hotel through HLTH’s official room block. The Venetian fills quickly and affiliated hotels offer negotiated rates for registered attendees.
• Download the event app two weeks before the show. AI-powered networking recommendations are published early and allow you to start booking Market Connect meetings before you arrive.
• Map the show floor zones that match your focus area before day one. The floor is large and walking it without a plan wastes time.
• Plan around the Startup Pitch Tournament finale on Wednesday if startup investment or sourcing is your goal.
• Attend at least one Insights Program session per day. The parallel tracks carry more operational depth than the main stage and are often where the most candid conversations happen.

Conclusion

HLTH USA 2026 runs from November 15 to 18 at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, bringing together more than 12,250 healthcare leaders under the theme “The Age of Intelligent Health.” The event covers AI in care delivery, diagnostics, pharma and life sciences, women’s health, employer solutions, aging technology, oral health, startups, health equity, and policy across four days of main-stage programming and parallel tracks. Ticket prices start at $1,500 for clinicians and startups during the early registration period. The show floor spans nine dedicated zones with 950 exhibiting organizations. More than 8,500 curated one-on-one meetings take place through Market Connect. The Startup Pitch Tournament finale on November 18 puts the boldest early-stage health AI companies in front of enterprise buyers and investors. Additionally, the Techquity for Health Awards and Digital Health Hub Awards recognize innovation and equity impact across the ecosystem. For anyone working in healthcare, digital health, pharma, health investment, or health technology, this is the event that sets the direction for the year ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is HLTH USA 2026?

HLTH USA 2026 takes place November 15 to 18, 2026, at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. Some third-party sources list November 14 as a start date, but the official confirmed dates on hlth.com are November 15 to 18.

How much do tickets cost and what do they include?

Early-rate tickets start at $1,500 for clinicians, startups, government employees, and nonprofits. Provider, payer, employer executives, and investors pay $2,295 at the early rate. Solution providers and vendors pay $2,795 at the early rate. Standard rates apply once the early window closes. All passes include main-stage access, insights sessions, the show floor, Market Connect matchmaking, daily meals, evening receptions, and on-demand session recordings.

Who should attend HLTH USA 2026?

The event is built for healthcare leaders, digital health executives, health system operators, payers, pharma and life sciences teams, healthcare investors, startup founders, policymakers, clinicians in innovation roles, and health technology solution providers. It is not designed for clinicians seeking standard CME education but rather for those driving strategy and innovation in the healthcare industry.

What is Market Connect and how does it work?

Market Connect is HLTH’s premier one-on-one meetings program. It uses a curated matchmaking system to pre-schedule targeted meetings between attendees based on their objectives, sector, and focus areas. More than 8,500 meetings take place across the four days. Attendees can begin requesting meetings through the event app once it launches two weeks before the event.

How can startups participate in the Startup Pitch Tournament?

The Startup Pitch Tournament is open to healthcare startups from pre-seed through Series C. Companies compete across eight categories including AI Innovations, Women’s Health, Health Equity, and Provider Solutions. The tournament runs across multiple days and concludes with a finale on November 18. Startups interested in competing can apply through the Startup Zone section of the official HLTH website at hlth.com.

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