Independent May 2026 survey of self-identified HFMA-member respondents finds healthcare finance and revenue cycle leaders arriving at AC26 with defined buying priorities, scheduled vendor conversations, and shorter post-conference decision timelines
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD / ACCESS Newswire / June 5, 2026 / Black Book Research today released new findings from its May 2026 survey of self-identified HFMA-member respondents, showing that hospital and health system finance and revenue cycle leaders attending HFMA Annual Conference 2026 AC26 are arriving with stricter, more outcome-driven agendas.
HFMA AC26 is scheduled for June 7-10, 2026, in National Harbor, Maryland, bringing together healthcare finance executives, revenue cycle leaders, provider organizations, exhibitors and solution partners.
Black Book's independent survey module included 227 self-identified HFMA-member respondents with direct exposure to U.S. hospital and health system finance, revenue cycle management, patient access, claims, denials, analytics, technology, outsourcing and business office operations. Within the group, 151 respondents indicated AC26 attendance intent, and 74 were senior finance or revenue cycle leaders, including CFOs, controllers, vice presidents of finance, chief revenue cycle officers and VP-level RCM leaders.
The survey found that 81% of respondents placed payer friction response, denial prevention, prior authorization or cash acceleration among their top three 2026 RCM investment drivers. Among the respondents, 84% said they planned or expected to schedule RCM vendor conversations during the conference.
"The data show AC26 attendees are not walking into the exhibit hall with a general browsing agenda," said Doug Brown, Founder of Black Book Research. "They are coming with defined operating problems: payer friction, denied claims, authorization delays, cash predictability, cybersecurity readiness, patient affordability and governed AI. HFMA has created a timely setting for those provider-led conversations, and sponsors will need to bring evidence, not slogans."
The most frequently cited vendor discussion areas among AC26-intent respondents were denial prevention, prior authorization, patient access, analytics, AI governance, patient payments and managed services.
The survey also found that post-conference buying activity may move quickly. Forty-eight percent of AC26 attendance-intent respondents expected to create or revise an RCM vendor shortlist within 90 days after the conference, while 30% expected an RFP, pilot or budget request within six months.
Spending expectations also reflected a more disciplined buying environment. Sixty-four percent of qualified respondents expected RCM technology spending to increase over the next 12 months, while 24% expected spending to remain flat but become more tightly prioritized around measurable revenue, labor, denial or cash impact.
Black Book said the findings point to a more evidence-based AC26 marketplace. Provider respondents indicated they are most likely to challenge vendors on implementation reliability, workflow fit, cybersecurity, downtime readiness, measurable financial impact and proof of performance in comparable hospital and health system environments.
"This is a vendor-agnostic provider viewpoint, not a sponsor ranking or product endorsement," Brown added. "The survey reflects what qualified users and decision-makers say they need to validate while attending AC26. The strongest conversations will be practical, specific and tied to outcomes."
Survey Methodology
The Black Book HFMA-member survey module was conducted independently in May 2026 as part of Black Book's 2026 hospital and health system revenue cycle management technology and services research.
The module included 227 self-identified HFMA-member respondents. The AC26 attendance-intent subgroup included 151 respondents. The senior finance and RCM subgroup included 74 respondents. Question-specific bases varied because respondents were routed only to questions aligned with their role, organization type, technology exposure or buying responsibility.
The survey was conducted independently by Black Book Research and should not be interpreted as an HFMA-sponsored survey, HFMA endorsement, HFMA ranking or HFMA evaluation of any vendor, sponsor, exhibitor, product or service.
About Black Book Research
Black Book Research conducts independent healthcare technology and services research, user experience polling, vendor performance studies and market intelligence across hospitals, health systems, payers, physician organizations and healthcare technology markets. Industry stakeholders are encouraged to download multiple 2026 gratis research reports available at https://www.blackbookmarketresearch.com
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SOURCE: Black Book Research
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/black-book-survey-finds-hfma-ac26-attendees-arriving-with-narrower-rc-1173340
