2026 Agenda

The SUD market is at an inflection point as payers face growing pressure to expand coverage and improve outcomes amid rising addiction rates nationwide. At the same time, workforce challenges, shrinking margins and policy changes are creating persistent headwinds for operators. In this opening panel, C-suite provider executives and other leaders will set the stage for the SUD Business Summit while exploring the future of the industry.

As federal and state policymakers intensify focus on the addiction crisis, the SUD policy landscape is rapidly evolving. Key developments include strengthened parity enforcement, expanded Medicaid access to MAT, and ongoing debates around harm reduction, telehealth flexibilities, and criminal justice reform.

As demand for addiction treatment services grows, many expansion efforts face costly delays despite strong need and investment. This panel unpacks the operational, regulatory and workforce barriers slowing projects and dives into actionable strategies to align funding timelines, accreditation, and construction realities with community demand.

As the definition of addiction broadens beyond substance use, emerging behavioral addictions – including problematic social media use, gaming disorders, and the surge in gambling driven by sports betting legalization – are gaining urgent attention from clinicians, policymakers, and payers alike. This panel will explore how to adapt existing SUD frameworks, treatment models and coverage policies to address these new frontiers.

After years of aggressive consolidation, the SUD market is entering a new M&A era defined by caution and strategic precision. This discussion explores how shifting valuations, payer pressures and operational risks are reshaping deal flow, highlighting why investors are favoring quality over quantity and how providers can stay competitive in a slower, smarter rollup environment.

The intersection of SUD and the criminal justice system represents one of the most complex and underserved challenges in behavioral health, with a disproportionate share of individuals cycling through incarceration without access to evidence-based treatment. Momentum is growing around diversion programs, drug courts, and re-entry support models that prioritize treatment over punishment. This panel will explore this trend and what it means for the industry.

As payment models, workforce costs, and patient acuity evolve, not every SUD treatment approach is proving financially sustainable. This panel dives into which business models – and service lines – are truly driving margins from value-based care and outpatient hybrids to tech-enabled recovery supports.

Join us for an interactive Town Hall session where addiction care leaders take a candid look at the current state of the SUD treatment landscape. This is your chance to get any questions answered as we close the event.