Five years ago, Abarca Forward began with a bold question: What if visionaries across healthcare and technology came together not just to discuss challenges, but to solve them?
What started as a small gathering has evolved into a thought-provoking movement—united by innovators and changemakers who believe PBM can and should be reimagined, making healthcare seamless and personalized for everyone. Each edition has built momentum, amplifying the conversations and strategies that matter most. Today, Abarca Forward stands as a premier healthcare event, where leaders move beyond incremental change and commit to designing a better future for payers, providers, and patients.
A Legacy of Bold Conversations in Healthcare
Over the past four editions, Abarca Forward has spotlighted the trends and forces reshaping the industry. What began as a bold experiment has evolved into one of the industry’s most anticipated, invite-only gatherings.
- 2022 – Sparked industry-defining conversations on drug pricing, risk management, and virtual pharmacies, closing with a bold vision for healthcare in 2030.
- 2023 – Explored the rise of virtual pharmacy, personalized medicine, biosimilars, and the impact of legislation and social determinants of health (SDoH).
- 2024 – Focused on AI’s role in creating seamless, personalized healthcare, redefining the PBM model, and the power of co-creation.
- 2025 – Elevated discussions on AI-powered PBM solutions, specialty drug affordability, and pharmacy as the front line of consumer engagement.
Past speakers and partners have included Amazon Pharmacy, Blue Shield of California, Microsoft, Milliman, PerformRx, Photon Health, PSG, and Xtillion, among other leading innovators shaping the future of healthcare.
Each year, these conversations transcended the stage—sparking collaborations, influencing PBM strategies, and inspiring organizations to pursue healthcare innovation with courage and purpose.
Why Abarca Forward Stands Apart
Abarca Forward isn’t a traditional conference; it’s a working space where leaders co-create solutions to healthcare’s toughest challenges. The format is designed for impact, featuring candid executive dialogues, hands-on innovation labs, and high-impact sessions on AI, transparency, specialty pharmacy, and the member experience. That’s why Abarca Forward has become a true catalyst for healthcare transformation—bridging the gap between vision and execution.
What’s Next in 2026
The fifth-anniversary edition of Abarca Forward will go deep, placing Prior Authorization (PA) and utilization management at the center of healthcare transformation. Across three days, attendees will:
- Explore “A Better PAth” — together, reframing PA as a clinical decision support tool that balances cost, experience, and AI-driven innovation.
- Design the PA of tomorrow — through interactive workshops where peers and innovators co-create guiding principles.
- See innovations shaping PA — discovering real-time benefit checks, RPA, NLP, and AI breakthroughs from leading digital health companies and EMRs.
- Share different perspectives — patients, providers, and payers expressing frustrations and visions for a better system.
- Turn ideas into action — with a closing synthesis and call to action, making PA the cornerstone of a better healthcare experience.
Reserve your spot among healthcare changemakers reimagining PA and co-creating a more transparent, member-focused future. Join the waitlist.
The Future of PBM Won’t Wait
Five years of Abarca Forward prove one thing: when bold ideas meet collaboration, healthcare moves forward.
If you’ve been part of Abarca Forward before, you already know the impact. If not, this is your chance to see why the industry is still talking about it—and why 2026 will be the most ambitious edition yet. Expect exclusive access to leaders shaping the future of healthcare, bold conversations that challenge the status quo, and collaborations that spark real-world change.
Discover more at AbarcaForward.com
About Abarca:
At Abarca, we believe in an Unstoppable Drive for a Better Way. Our commitment to making healthcare seamless and personalized for all drives us to innovate in AI, specialty pharmacy, and predictive analytics. By transforming challenges into opportunities, we deliver PBM like no one else: better patient outcomes and an overall revolutionary healthcare experience. Join us in shaping the future at the intersection of technology and care!