This story is part of our Post Insight – Health Care Strategies 2013 package. Click here for more.

 
Robert Chamberlain travels the country more than most as he seeks to build the business of Applied Health Analytics. And the crux of just about every conversation he has had with hospital officials of late has been about the Affordable Care Act.

“We hear that same phrase over and over,” Chamberlain said. “‘Help us with the ACA.’”

Three-and-a-half-year-old Applied Health, which markets predictive software that can identify health risks, couldn’t be more in the middle of the reforms working their way through the health care sector these days. Chamberlain wouldn’t divulge revenues but it’s clear his concept of getting to potentially costly illness as early as possible is readymade for the ACA. For employers, it holds the promise that their workers will be more productive and that insurance costs could fall significantly if patients stick to the programs it outlines after a diagnosis is rendered.

And Chamberlain isn’t stopping there. He closes the loop by bringing in community-based partners — such as hospitals — to help reduce or eliminate the risks.

“The ACA is flipping the model from the past,” he said. “Hospitals are now being incented to both reduce costs and to improve care quality.”

Chamberlain launched Applied Health in July 2009 and has received backing from Vanderbilt, among others. He was returning from Cleveland when he spoke to us about the impact the ACA is having on his company. The renowned Cleveland Clinic had gotten word of Applied Health’s predictive software and wants to add an online coaching component to the mix. That will help the clinic, but just as importantly in Chamberlain’s mind, online coaching will give him another benefit to market to prospective customers.

“We’re putting together a national best-in-class network of providers,” he said. “In a couple of years, you’ll see a much more enhanced platform with many more capabilities.”