Three AI Takeaways from HFMA 2025
By Carol Romashko, Senior Vice President, Marketing, The SSI Group
July 17, 2025
Artificial intelligence wasn’t just a talking point at this year’s HFMA Annual Conference in Denver – it was the undercurrent running through nearly every keynote, conversation, and corridor. Whether exploring futuristic healthcare delivery or hands-on revenue cycle automation, attendees encountered a clear message: AI isn’t coming – it’s already here.
Here are the top three AI takeaways from HFMA 2025 that healthcare finance professionals can’t afford to ignore:
- The Revenue Cycle Is Ground Zero for AI Transformation
Dennis Dahlen, CFO of Mayo Clinic, offered one of the clearest glimpses into AI’s current impact. In his Day 3 remarks, Dahlen shared that Mayo is actively working to replace as much human effort in business processes as possible using artificial intelligence – and 80% of their business process automation is happening in the revenue cycle.
From claims processing to prior authorization, healthcare finance leaders are no longer asking if AI can help – they’re asking how much further it can go. For systems like Mayo, the promise lies not just in cost reduction, but in reliability, scalability, and resilience during an era of workforce shortages and economic pressures.
Dahlen also highlighted another pressing challenge: using technology to address the looming primary care crisis – which he dubbed a “Hail Mary pass” in the face of demographic shifts and aging populations. “It’s a crisis in waiting,” he warned. “We’ve got to figure this out … and maybe that’s the necessity that pushes us toward the future.”
- AI Will Give Us the Most Precious Resource: Time
In a forward-looking keynote, Zack Kass, futurist and former Head of Go-to-Market at OpenAI, expanded the conversation beyond healthcare. His assertion? The greatest gift AI may offer is time itself – longer lifespans, greater work flexibility, and more room to pursue creativity and purpose.
But this gain comes with a caveat: Kass warned of a world where we are increasingly addicted to our devices, unable to fully appreciate the freedom AI affords us. “Please think about a world where you are asked: What do you want to do today? … If we don’t free ourselves from device addiction, it could get worse before it gets better,” he said.
In the healthcare context, that means we have a choice – do we use AI to automate away the drudgery in billing and back-office workflows so that staff can re-engage with higher-value tasks? Or do we continue to bury talent under administrative burden?
- Our Relationship with AI Is Still Being Defined
Perhaps the most surprising insight came not from the podium but from the tradeshow floor, where an AI-powered humanoid was featured in real-time interactions. The reactions from attendees were binary – half were fascinated, the other half called it unnerving. But when invited to co-create something with the humanoid, like a personalized video message, people quickly became comfortable collaborating with AI.
This reflects a broader societal tension. AI isn’t just a tool – it’s a mirror. Are we building something to fear or to befriend? Are we resisting change or reshaping it? HFMA attendees gave us a glimpse into that evolving mindset – and it’s clear that engagement, not avoidance, is the path forward.
Final Thought
From revenue cycle leaders doubling down on automation to futurists forecasting paradigm shifts in productivity, HFMA 2025 confirmed that AI is now embedded in the DNA of healthcare. Whether it’s helping solve real workforce challenges or simply giving us back the gift of time, AI’s future in healthcare will be shaped by the bold leaders who are willing to innovate – not just observe.
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