DEMO: Health in Reach’s site cures a sick healthcare system

Health in Reach is one of 70 companies chosen by VentureBeat to launch at the DEMO Fall 2010 event taking place this week in Silicon Valley. After our selection, the companies pay a fee to present. Our coverage of them remains objective.

Healthcare has been a hot topic over the last year. Millions of Americans pay out of pocket for medical care, lack insurance, or face unexpected medical bills. It’s a system riddled with inefficiencies – the wait to hear back on test results, or getting hit with surprise charges after visiting the doctor’s offices. With a new website launching today at the DEMO conference, Health in Reach aims to streamline the patient’s healthcare experience through technology.

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On the site, users can search a database of doctors to find one that matches a certain set of criteria, rather than going through friends for references. Patients can schedule appointments online, and the system even sends you handy reminders when your appointment draws nears.

The company also negotiates discounts on some fees, allowing patients to easily incorporate price into their decisionmaking. Another feature tracks out-of-pocket spending. And once, say, your blood test results for your physical come in, your doctor can post the results securely on the Health in Reach site, which will also allow you to communicate with the doctor’s office via secure messaging.

The company was founded last year, has eight employees and is led by Scott Sangster, who has 20 years of tech and startup experience. Health In Reach was incubated by OrganicStartup, which provided its initial funding. It also raised some seed financing earlier this year.

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