Mark Hiatt to Address Medical Policy, Evidence Evaluation, and Patient Access at Q1 Medical Device Conferences
Mark Hiatt, MD, MBA, MS, Chief Executive Officer, Hiatt Advisory Services
Physician executive will participate in four sessions at upcoming conferences in Chicago and San Diego
Medical device companies may have compelling technologies and strong clinical data but limited visibility into how their evidence will be interpreted and acted upon within payer organizations.”
ANNAPOLIS, MD, UNITED STATES, July 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Schooner Strategies today announced that its Fractional Chief Medical Officer, Mark Hiatt, MD, MBA, MS, will participate in four sessions at two upcoming Q1 Productions Medical Device Coverage & Reimbursement Conferences.— Mark Hiatt, MD, MBA, MS
Dr. Hiatt will be a speaker and moderator at the 22nd Semi-Annual Medical Device Coverage & Reimbursement Conference, July 15–16, 2026, in Chicago, and the 23rd Semi-Annual Medical Device Coverage & Reimbursement Conference, July 28–29, 2026, in San Diego. The conferences bring together leaders in reimbursement, market access, health economics, health policy, and payer policy to discuss strategies for achieving coverage and patient access for innovative medical technologies.
In Chicago, Dr. Hiatt will join Adesubomi Agoro, MD, MBA, of HCSC, and Joseph Imperato, MD, formerly of Carelon, for the panel discussion "Navigating the Payer Matrix: How Blues Plans and Their Benefits Managers Actually Make Medical Device Decisions." He will also join Eugean Jiwanmall, MPH, MBA, Lead Research Analyst for Medical Policy and Technology Evaluation at Independence Blue Cross, for the fireside chat "Inside Commercial Payer Medical Policy for Medical Devices: How Evidence Is Evaluated in an Era of Tightening Coverage Criteria."
The Chicago sessions will examine how health plans evaluate new medical technologies, how medical policy, prior authorization, and appeals shape coverage decisions, and the clinical, real-world, and economic evidence that influences those decisions. They will also address common manufacturer misconceptions about payer decision-making and the challenges AI-enabled devices pose for traditional evidence standards.
In San Diego, Dr. Hiatt and Jiwanmall will reprise their fireside discussion on commercial payer medical policy and evidence evaluation. Dr. Hiatt will also moderate "Reducing Health Disparities and Expanding Access: What It Means for Device Manufacturers & Health Plans," featuring Lisa Porter, Director of Health Equity Strategy at Humana.
The discussion will examine how health plans use coverage policy, benefit design, and community initiatives to improve patient access. It will also explore how access gaps affect patient outcomes and how medical device companies can better align evidence generation with payer priorities.
"Medical device companies may have compelling technologies and strong clinical data but limited visibility into how their evidence will be interpreted and acted upon within payer organizations," said Dr. Hiatt. "These discussions are intended to make those processes more transparent and help innovators align their evidence and market-access strategies with the practical realities of medical policy, coverage, and patient access."
Dr. Hiatt is a physician executive and cardiovascular radiologist with leadership experience in health plans, diagnostic imaging, medical affairs, market access, and healthcare technology. In his fractional executive role, he helps healthcare organizations align clinical evidence, payer strategy, commercialization, and patient access.
About Schooner Strategies
Schooner Strategies is a national healthcare consulting firm specializing in healthcare policy, accreditation, government relations, strategic communications, research, and business development. The firm works with healthcare organizations, trade associations, nonprofit organizations, and industry partners to develop practical solutions that support innovation, improve quality, and advance strategic initiatives.
Andie Matthews
Schooner Strategies
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