5 Things We’ll Be Paying Attention to at HLTH 2025

This will be Jack Health’s third year at HLTH in Las Vegas, and one thing has been consistent: HLTH always promises to “rewrite healthcare’s story.” But the question I keep coming back to is whether it’s performance or progress. HLTH 2024 was full of celebrity faces and big themes (AI pilots, equity pledges, workforce fixes) that looked, and sounded, great on stage. The real measure is whether those sparks translate into sustained change.  

That’s why HLTH 2025 is worth paying attention to. Not for the spectacle, but to see which conversations stick, who shows up with proof versus promises, and what that tells us about where the industry is really headed. 

Here’s what we’ll be paying attention to: 

1. Obviously, AI. Workplace automation is old news. Now it’s about patient-facing agents and the tension between efficiency and empathy. In the world of AI, in-person experiences are one of the few things we can trust. Can AI truly improve care experiences or just cuts costs in the name of productivity? What was once hailed as healthcare’s savior now carries, dare we say it, a healthy dose of skepticism. 
2. Humans vs Machines. The bigger story at HLTH isn’t just about AI tools. It’s about the cultural fault line between people and technology. Where do we still trust humans, and where are we quietly conceding to machines? The test is whether HLTH clarifies the balance or just deepens the discomfort. 
3. The Impact of DTC Marketing Policy Changes. With the new executive order tightening direct to consumer advertising, HLTH will be one of the first big tests of how pharma, digital health startups, and platforms respond. Celebrity endorsements and splashy sponsorships were everywhere last year, but will they evolve under new scrutiny, or double down as a way to keep attention high? Will budgets shift, messaging soften, or will brands push back with new ways to reach patients? 
4. Who’s Bringing Proof? Every stage will be full of big ideas and PR-approved soundbites. The real question is who is showing receipts? Pay attention to the leaders and companies who go beyond promises to demonstrate how their innovations are improving patient outcomes, reducing burnout, and creating more human experiences in the real world. 
5. Who Shows Up Differently – and Where: HLTH is a stage for carefully crafted narratives, especially in the keynotes. But the smaller stages often reveal the real pulse of healthcare. Pay attention to who breaks script, takes a stand, or shows up more altruistically than expected. Those moments, often off the main stage, IMO, say the most about where the industry is actually headed. 

At the end of the day, HLTH is equal parts stagecraft and signal. The challenge for all of us is to separate the noise from the real momentum. If the ideas that matter most such as better outcomes, a stronger workforce, and a more human healthcare experience move from talk to action, then HLTH 2025 will have been more than a show. It will have been progress. 

See you in Las Vegas!