In 2020, healthcare seems more expensive and harder to get than ever, despite the industry representing a third of the U.S. economy. Legacy business and heavy regulations means change comes slowly. This year’s Most Innovative Health Companies are trying to bring care up to 21st-century standards faster by bringing it online and finding clever ways to bring down cost. While major shifts are happening inside big companies like Amazon and CVS, Fast Company chose to highlight some lesser known movers and shakers like Lyra Health, which is combining offline and online mental healthcare for maximum success, or Suki AI, which is transcribing doctors’ speech so they don’t have to take notes during an exam.
1. Maven Clinic
For offering pregnancy, childbirth, and fertility care as a benefit
Maven Clinic connects employers with benefits for moms and women seeking motherhood. It offers fertility treatments, prenatal care, postnatal care, lactation experts, and even coaches for helping women return to work after maternity leave, via video conference or text, at lower costs than typical in-person visits.
Read more on why Maven Clinic is one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2020.
2. Prime Therapeutics
For detecting medical fraud via data analytics
Prime Therapeutics, a pharmacy benefit manager, uses SAS data analytics to be able to detect medical fraud with impressive accuracy. In 2019, it saved Blue Cross Blue Shield clients $279 million.
3. Suki
For building an AI transcription assistant for doctors
Suki is a voice transcription service for doctors that lets them speak their notes as they go through an exam, so they don’t have stop to write them down.
4. Lyra Health
For blending in-person and remote mental health counseling
Lyra Health provides an array of in-person and remote behavioral therapy for more than 1 million employees and their families. Its secret sauce is evidence-based therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which research shows is effective at combating anxiety and depression, paired with remote meeting services for in between face-to-face visits.
5. Paragon Biosciences
For helping radiologists detect breast cancer with 20% more accuracy
Paragon Biosciences, an incubator for bioscience companies, made impressive gains in artificially intelligent diagnosis in 2019. The company bought a breast cancer detection technology called QuantX, proved it could reduce the number of overlooked masses, and got FDA approval.
6. Xealth
For creating a platform that makes it easy to order products and services for patients
Xealth is a platform that lets doctors order everything from insulin to blood glucose tracking devices to wheel chairs. The company works with Duke Health, UPMC, Cleveland Clinic, Atrium Health, and The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network to manage patient health beyond drugs. In one case study with the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, it got 69% of patients to control their blood sugar control level using an app called Glooko, combined with a comprehensive telephonic coaching program.
7. RxSense
For securing patients the lowest prices on their prescriptions
RxSense’s pharmacy discount business SingleCare connects some 20 million members with low prices on their prescriptions. The business has grown 94% in the last year.
8. Alma
For giving therapists an affordable way to run a private practice
Alma created a shared workspace, so more therapists can afford to have private practices. It also uses the power of its community to share knowledge and bargain with health insurers for better reimbursement rates, giving patients more opportunity to have their sessions covered.
9. Northwell Health
For integrating technological solutions to make care seamless between hospitals, labs, and specialists
Northwell Health is building the hospital of the future with investments in community health education, efficient surgical equipment sterilization, and a new lab facility capable of processing 55 million test tubes annually. In 2019, Northwell was recognized as one of the top three health care facilities for people who identify within LGBTQ by the Human Rights Campaign.
10. Zebra Medical Vision
For using AI to spot brain hemorrhages before they become serious
Zebra Medical develops artificial intelligence to help doctors carry their heavy workload and make the best diagnoses possible for patients. Zebra’s Multi-Modality AI Triage Solution, which identifies suspected internal bleeding faster than previously possible for both head CT scans and chest x-rays. The company has received 4 FDA clearances to date.
Read more about Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies: