AGENDA

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33rd Tri-Annual

DIAGNOSTIC COVERAGE & REIMBURSMENT CONFERENCE

May 13-14, 2026 | Chicago, IL

The Westin Michigan Avenue

Uniting Labs, Payers, and Innovation to Navigate Payment Barriers and Build Sustainable Pathways for Next-Generation Testing

Distinguished Presenters Include:

Christine Bump

Principal
PENN AVENUE LAW & POLICY

Dr. Steven Goldberg

Chief Medical Officer
HEALTHTRACKRX

Dr. Lee Hilborne

Corporate Medical Director
QUEST DIAGNOSTICS

Eugean Jiwanmall

Lead Research Analyst, Medical Policy & Health Technology Evaluation
INDEPENDENCE BLUE CROSS FAMILY OF COMPANIES & INDEPENDENCE HEALTH GROUP

Darla Wanitschke

Vice President, Customer Success
TELCOR

Colleen Watson

Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs
THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC

Jerry Conway

Senior Vice President, Market Access
BELAY DIAGNOSTICS

Mark Hiatt, MD, MS, MBA

Principal
HIATT ADVISORY SERVICES

Barb Liwosz

Director, Lab & Precision Medicine
BCBSA

Briana Meade 

Manager, Scientific Affairs
AVALON HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS

Ariella Hoffman-Peterson

Consultant
TEMPUS AI

Brittany Rambino

Vice President, Revenue Cycle Management
AMBRY GENETICS

Richard Connell

Senior Director, Market Access
ARTERA AI

Dr. Gabriel Bien-Willner

Medical Director, MolDX & CMO
PALMETTO GBA

Danielle Tangorre

Partner
ROBINSON & COLE, LLP

Ann Lambrix

Executive Director, RCM Consulting
LIGHTHOUSE LAB SERVICES

Tom Cronin

Senior Vice President
QUADAX

Dr. Joseph Imperato, MD FACR

Manager, Clinical Operations
CARELON HEALTHCARE SERVICES

Erik Schulwolf

Counsel
HOGAN LOVELLS US LLP

Andrew Leibfried

Senior Director, Regulatory & Market Strategy
EXACT SCIENCES

Jonathan Bugart

Director, US Marketing
ABBOTT

Rebecca Hulinsky

Director of Genome Strategy & Solutions
QUEST DIAGNOSTICS

Bruce Yeager

Director, Health Economic Outcomes Research
ILLUMINA

Shivang Doshi

Senior Director, Value & Access Strategy
CEPHEID

Paige Nardi

Executive Vice President of Market Access, Reimbursement & Billing
HEPQUANT

Julie Wiedower

Senior Director of Medical Affairs, Managed Care
GUARDANT HEALTH

Erik Duffy

Vice President of Market Access
NAVERIS

CONFERENCE VENUE

WESTIN MICHIGAN AVE

909 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

  Book Your Room Today
312-943-7200


A 4-Star Hotel

A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

Hull Associates LLC Market Access
Hull Associates LLC Market Access
Hull Associates LLC Market Access
Hull Associates LLC Market Access

Agenda – Day One

Wednesday, May 13

7:30   REGISTRATION & WELCOME COFFEE
8:20   CHAIRPERSON’S OPENING REMARKS
Tom Cronin, Senior Vice President
QUADAX
8:30  PANEL DISCUSSION: THE MANY FACES OF MANAGED CARE: HOW PAYER STRUCTURE SHAPES COVERAGE OF NEW DIAGNOSTICS
• How different health plan structures (e.g., regional plans, Blues plans) influence incentives, operating models, and risk tolerance
• What those structural differences mean for evidence expectations, coverage timelines, and policy variability
• Practical implications for diagnostics companies seeking adoption across heterogeneous payer environments

Moderated by Ann Lambrix, LIGHTHOUSE LAB SERVICES
Mark Hiatt, HIATT ADVISORY SERVICES
Dr. Steven Goldberg, HEALTHTRACKRX
Eugean Jiwanmall, INDEPENDENCE BLUE CROSS FAMILY OF COMPANIES

9:20  FIRESIDE CHAT: COVERAGE DECISIONS AT A BLUES PLAN: WHAT REALLY DRIVES THE “YES” OR “NO”
• Evidence, utilization, and clinical value through a Blues plan lens
• Common misconceptions diagnostics companies have about payer decision-making
• Open discussion driven by attendee questions and real coverage scenarios

Moderated By:
Erik Duffy, Vice President of Market Access
NAVERIS
Barb Liwosz, Director, Lab & Precision Medicine
BCBSA

10:00   COFFEE & NETWORKING BREAK
10:20   DRIVING INNOVATION THROUGH PHARMA-DIAGNOSTICS COLLABORATION
• Shared models between Rx companies and diagnostics for biomarker advancement
• Lessons learned from cardiovascular and oncology biomarker development
• Opportunities for earlier integration of diagnostics into drug development pipelines
• Balancing risks and reward in Rx & Dx alliances to unlock sustainable revenue growth

Paige Nardi, Executive Vice President of Market Access, Reimbursement, & Billing
HEPQUANT

11:20  UNLOCKING DATA, HEOR, AND MARKET TRANSPARENCY IN FUTURE REIMBURSEMENT
• Using HEOR and RWE data in payer evidence discussions: Utilization and Outcomes
• HEOR hierarchy: High-impact strategies in study design for payer decision-making audiences
• Performance metrics for coverage scenarios with laboratory data
• Testing reimbursement strategies

Dr. Julie Wiedower, Senior Director of Medical Affairs & Managed Care
GUARDANT HEALTH

12:00   LUNCHEON
1:00   MOLDX MASTERY: DRIVING SUCCESSFUL SUBMISSIONS AND ACCELERATING MARKET ACCESS
• MolDX’s technical assessments process and what is covered
• Policy development and payer adoption (Medicare vs Commercial)
• Strategies for successfully navigating MolDX submissions
• Case study examples of successful vs stalled submissions

Dr. Gabriel Bien-Willner, MD, PhD, FCAP, Chief Medical Director, MolDX & CMO
PALMETTO GBA

1:50   THE IMPACT OF PAMA IMPLEMENTATION AND POTENTIAL REFORMS ON TODAY’S DIAGNOSTIC LANDSCAPE
• Current status of PAMA implementation and enforcement
• Ongoing reform efforts and their implications for labs
• Impacts of other regulatory and administrative changes for labs
• 2026 regulatory shifts and their impact on reimbursement

Christine Bump, Principal
PENN AVENUE LAW & POLICY

2:30   CASE STUDY: TURNING CLINICAL EVIDENCE IN BROADER MARKET ACCESS SUCCESS
• Building payer confidence through robust clinical data and coding strategy that withstands scrutiny
• Engaging payers and advocacy partners to navigate policy barriers and accelerate coverage
• Repeatable steps for optimizing reimbursement across diagnostic portfolios

Shivang Doshi, Senior Director, Value & Access Strategy
CEPHEID

3:15   COFFEE & NETWORKING BREAK
3:40   REDEFINING SCREENING & DIAGNOSTIC BOUNDARIES IN COVERAGE POLICY
• FDA and CMS distinctions shaping definitions of screening versus diagnostics
• Preventative versus diagnostic coding rules driving coverage determinations
• Implications for multi-cancer early detection and minimal residual disease tests
• Navigating the ‘valley of death’ between regulatory approval and CMS reimbursement

Dr. Joseph Imperato, Manager, Clinical Operations
CARELON HEALTHCARE SERVICES

4:30  ADVANCING COVERAGE PATHWAYS FOR NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING (NGS)
• Review of the 2025 Medicare update on CLIA-certified and physician-ordered testing
• Expanded documentation, coding, and compliance requirements for NGS claims
• Commercial payer responses and evolving criteria for NGS coverage decisions
• Future reimbursement outlook and long-term implications for NGS adoption

Rebecca Hulinsky, Director of Genome Strategy & Solutions
QUEST DIAGNOSTICS

5:15   CLOSING REMARKS AND END DAY ONE

Agenda – Day Two

Thursday, May 14

8:00   REGISTRATION & WELCOME COFFEE
8:20   CHAIRPERSON’S OPENING REMARKS

Ann Lambrix, Executive Director, RCM Consulting
LIGHTHOUSE LAB SERVICES

8:30  THE (TRUE) VALUE OF THE LAB
• Reframing the lab from cost center to profit driver through accurate valuation and strategic investment
• Strengthening hospital financial performance by targeting high-ROI lab initiatives
• Immediately actionable projects to enhance patient care, reduce financial leakage, and generate new revenue streams

Jonathan Burgart, Director, US Marketing
ABBOTT

9:15   PANEL DISCUSSION: THE 2026 STRATEGIC PLAYBOOK FOR CONTRACTING & NETWORK ACCESS WITH PAYERS
• Actionable solutions for laboratories struggling to secure payer contracts
• Case study examples navigating complex IPA and HMO contracting structures
• Influence of evidence generation and clinical utility on payer decision-making
• Long-term contracting strategies designed to strengthen payer partnerships

Moderated by Telcor
Darla Wanitschke, Vice President, Customer Success
Paige Nardi, HEPQUANT
Erik Duffy, NAVERIS
Andrew Leibfried, EXACT SCIENCES
Richard Connell, ARTERA AI
Colleen Watson, THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC

10:15   COFFEE & NETWORKING BREAK
10:30   FIRESIDE CHAT: WHAT PAYERS NEED TO SEE: CLINICAL AND ECONOMIC EVIDENCE THAT DRIVES COVERAGE FOR ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS

• Why strong analytical performance alone rarely secures coverage without evidence of clinical utility and economic impact
• How real-world utilization and cost-of-care evidence can strengthen the payer case for advanced diagnostics
• What recent pediatric genomic testing evidence teaches about designing studies that influence coverage decisions
• Practical strategies diagnostics companies can use to align evidence generation with payer expectations

Mark Hiatt, Principal
HIATT ADVISORY SERVICES
Bruce Yeager, Director, Health Economic Outcomes Research
ILLUMINA

11:15   PROACTIVE CLAIMS MANAGEMENT & REVENUE OPTIMIZATION

• Prior authorization, medical record requests, and expanded pre-payment reviews
• AI applications for streamlining and accelerating the revenue cycle
• Case study examples demonstrating improved claim pull-through rates
• Role of payer portals, advanced automation, and predictive analytics tools

Brittany Rambino, Vice President of Revenue Cycle Management
AMBRY GENETICS

12:00   LUNCHEON
1:00  REDEFINING AUDIT PREPAREDNESS & COMPLIANCE FOR FUTURE-PROOF PAYMENTS
• Discover the flags that trigger payer audits and how to avoid them
• Anti-kickback, Stark, and state-specific restrictions
• Documentation efficiencies and compliance to ensure reimbursement
• Aligning compliance practices with evolving payer reimbursement models

Danielle Tangorre, Partner
ROBINSON & COLE LLP

1:45   ADVANCED CODING STRATEGIES FOR PLA, CPT, AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
• Latest updates to PLA codes and expanded Medicare recognition processes
• Algorithmic and AI-driven test coding challenges following 2025 AMA changes
• Impact of coding developments on payer adoption and reimbursement strategies
• Key considerations for laboratories navigating complex new coding landscapes

Dr. Lee Hilborne, Corporate Medical Director
QUEST DIAGNOSTICS

2:30   COFFEE & NETWORKING BREAK
2:50   OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO AI-DRIVEN DIAGNOSTIC ADOPTION
• Payer skepticism and emerging acceptance of AI-driven diagnostics
• Clinical evidence thresholds required for coverage decisions
• Coding and reimbursement challenges for algorithm-only outputs
• Lessons from early AI diagnostic adoption and payer engagement

Dr. Ariella Hoffman-Peterson, Consultant
TEMPUS AI

3:30   CAPTURING REAL WORLD CLINICAL UTILITY DATA TO OPTIMIZE PAYER ENGAGEMENT
• Using AI to power accurate patient selection at the point of care
• Optimizing pull through and paid claims
• Collection of longitudinal patient data to prove real world clinical utility
• Leveraging real world data to drive value-based payment

Jerry Conway, Senior Vice President, Market Access
BELAY DIAGNOSTICS

4:00   THE CLINICAL LAB FEE SCHEDULE (CLFS) IN 2026 – RETURN OF REPORTING?
• Potential return to private payor rate reporting in 2026
• Review of CLFS’ tri-annual reporting standards
• Potential impact on labs that are unable to report
• Review of coding, crosswalking and gapfilling

Erik Schulwolf, Counsel
HOGAN LOVELLS US LLP

4:45   CLOSING REMARKS AND CONFERENCE CONCLUSION

Who Should Attend

Executives working within diagnostic testing and life sciences organizations who will find this program most relevant are those navigating compliance with evolving coverage and reimbursement policies, preparing for new state and federal regulations, adapting to payer requirements, and addressing provider and patient expectations for timely access to advanced testing.

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Market Access

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Reimbursement

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Payer Relations/Strategy

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Health Policy

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Government Affairs

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National Accounts

Attendees by Job Title

%

VP or Higher

%

Director

%

Manager

%

Associate

%

Other

Previous Attendees Include

Senior Payer Relations Specialist, ADAPTIVE BIOTECHNOLOGIES

Executive Director, Market Access, ARTERA

Executive Director, Market Access, ASPIRA WOMEN’S HEALTH

Chief Medical Officer, AVALON HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS

Client Manager,  BEACONONE HEALTHCARE PARTNERS

Senior Vice President, Market Access, BELAY DIAGNOSTICS

Vice President, Market Access, BILLIONTOONE INC.

National Account Director, BIODESIX

Vice President, Market Access, BIO-TECHNE/EXOSOME 

Director, Lab and Precision Medicine, BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD

Senior Consultant, BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD

Senior Director, Market Access, CAREDX

National Account Manager, Managed Care, CASTLE BIOSCIENCES

Vice President of Reimbursement, CASTLE BIOSCIENCES

Director, Billing & Reimbursement, CLEVELAND DIAGNOSTICS

Senior Global Director, ELI LILLY

Revenue Cycle Billing Manager, EUROFINS – TRANSPLANT GENOMICS

Corporate Account Director, Market Access, EXOSOME DX

Director of Market Access, GENEDX INC

Chief Executive Officer, GENOMIND

Chief Commercial Officer, GLX ANALYTICS

Vice President, Payer and Revenue Management, GOPATH DIAGNOSTICS

Senior Director, Reimbursement & Policy, GRAIL

Vice President, Managed Care, GUARDANT HEALTH

Vice President, Market Access, Reimbursement & Billing, HEPQUANT

Senior Director of Market Access, HOLOGIC

Precision Medicine Value & Access, J&J INNOVATIVE MEDICINE

Medical Affairs Director, MERCK

Medical Affairs Director, MERCK

Associate Director, Appeals & Denials, NATERA INC.

Vice President of Market Access, NAVERIS

Director, Traditional Medicare, QUEST DIAGNOSTICS

Vice President of Sales, SYNERGEN HEALTH

Vice President of Customer Success, TELCOR

….And Many Many More