I recently attended the Access USA conference in Philadelphia, PA alongside several colleagues. Here’s what I learned, what inspired the team, and how we’re channeling momentum into our work.
The program addressed medication access and affordability with a strong emphasis on improving patient outcomes. A consistent theme throughout was the growing role of artificial intelligence alongside the enduring importance of live, empathetic support. Across sessions, speakers stressed that technology can streamline processes, but it cannot replace human connection.
The conference covered a broad range of topics, extending beyond medication access to include the evolution of affordability resources and patient support services. Attendees shared a clear, unified commitment to improving patient outcomes. Looking ahead, the 2026 agenda is expected to realign initiatives to give patients clearer guidance and renewed optimism. Every session included substantive discussion of AI’s expanding influence, and repeated references to live program agents as “humans” reinforced the irreplaceable value of direct interpersonal interaction throughout the patient journey.
Conference Highlights
Two phrases surfaced repeatedly: “calm the chaos” and “can’t eliminate the human touch.” Patients are shouldering increasing complexity, and expectations for support continue to rise. Notably, 52% of patients still prefer interacting with live agents, reinforcing the importance of maintaining human involvement.
AI and Its Role in Patient Support
Speakers emphasized that AI is becoming integral to patient services, but program design must stay anchored in patient experience and outcomes. That requires meaningful metrics and intentional orchestration of hybrid interactions, using AI for efficiency (including at intake) while ensuring smooth transitions to human touchpoints for empathy, nuance, and support.
While AI enables always-on assistance and can help identify patterns, it often falls short on its own in areas such as accuracy, patient trust, clinical outcomes, and ethical considerations. The consensus was that the most effective model is collaborative: the more complex the patient journey, the greater the need for personalized, proactive human intervention.
The Next Evolution of Patient Support Programs
Effective program design is grounded in strong stakeholder relationships. Based on direct experience supporting the launch of more than 65 patient support programs, early engagement and cross-functional collaboration correlate strongly with success. A clear understanding of the market landscape, whether highly competitive or shaped by emerging technologies, is also critical.
Smaller pharmaceutical companies may rely on consultants rather than dedicated internal teams, which can make it harder to sustain stakeholder relationships over time. Alignment across the organization, particularly around both patient and prescriber experiences, is paramount. Successful programs build on proven foundations while remaining open to calculated risks. Collaboration between Case Managers and Field Reimbursement Managers can also create high-performing, complementary teams.
Partner selection matters: patients can perceive quality differences, and a misaligned Hub vendor can reduce control and consistency. Effective Hub partnerships are supported by strong operational leadership, deep subject matter expertise, and the ability to scale.
Medicare Smoothing
To meet eligibility requirements for the cost cap, products must be included on formulary, prompting PBMs to make corresponding adjustments. Because patient awareness of the smoothing initiative remains limited, pharmacies have increasingly taken on education responsibilities despite constrained resources. Several key challenges were identified across this area: many patients forgo doses due to financial barriers; pharmacies are offering delivery services to support patients with transportation limitations; patients frequently lack information about available financial aid; demand for assistance continues to increase; and ongoing education is vital for informing both patients and caregivers about available support mechanisms.
Key Takeaways
Patient support programs should be designed around outcomes and experience first, with AI used to enhance rather than define the journey. Intentional handoffs between digital tools and live support are essential to preserving trust, accuracy, and empathy. Early investment in stakeholder alignment across both patient and prescriber audiences, combined with Hub partners who bring strong leadership, expertise, and scalability, remains a reliable foundation for success. Increasing awareness around Medicare smoothing and financial resources is also critical to reducing abandonment and missed doses.
Final Thoughts
This conference reinforced that the future of patient support is hybrid. AI can reduce friction and improve efficiency, but meaningful outcomes still depend on intentional human engagement at key moments. Successful programs will be defined by clear metrics, strong stakeholder alignment, and the right operating partners. Near-term changes like Medicare smoothing make proactive affordability guidance and education more critical than ever.
Manufacturers, service providers, and advocacy organizations each have an opportunity and a responsibility to use their influence to improve patients’ lives through clearer guidance, stronger support, and better-coordinated resources.
Want to talk more? The themes from Access USA reflect challenges UBC works to solve every day. UBC’s patient access solutions are purpose-built to meet patients where they are, combining the efficiency of technology with the empathy of live human support. From affordability programs and copay assistance to benefits verification, prior authorization, and personalized case management, UBC’s high-touch, high-tech approach is designed around a simple principle: no patient left behind.
Whether you are designing a new support program, optimizing an existing one, or navigating the complexities of Medicare smoothing and financial assistance, UBC brings the expertise, technology, and operational leadership to make it work.
Learn more about UBC’s patient access solutions at https://ubc.com/solution/patient-access/ or reach out directly to start the conversation.
About UBC
United BioSource LLC (UBC) is the leading provider of evidence development solutions with expertise in uniting evidence and access. UBC helps biopharma mitigate risk, address product hurdles, and demonstrate safety, efficacy, and value under real-world conditions. UBC leads the market in providing integrated, comprehensive clinical, safety, and commercialization services and is uniquely positioned to seamlessly integrate best-in-class services throughout the lifecycle of a product.
About the Author
Diana Hampton, Senior Director, Strategic Relations
Diana Hampton brings over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including more than 20 years at UBC. In her role as Senior Director of Strategic Relations, she has been a part of the launch of more than 50 patient support programs spanning a wide range of products, disease states, and therapeutic areas. Diana specializes in reimbursement hub services and program design, with deep expertise in specialty therapies, rare disease, and gene and cell therapies. She serves as a key connector across business development, implementation, and operations, helping clients build patient access strategies that work.
