Forbes | Nicole Fisher | March 3, 2014

Two of the most significant pieces of legislation in decades, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, are poised to transform the entire spectrum of health care. The ACA regulates everything from health insurance requirements to tax collection. The JOBS Act regulates businesses that fund their ventures online. In tandem, these two bills have created a new world for health care innovators and investors. Ironically though, it is the innovators and investors who are joining forces to do what the ACA is unable to do: reduce costs and increase access. At the 7th Annual OneMedForum recently in San Francisco more than 400 one-on-one investor meetings were conducted between venture capitalists and startup health care companies, all in the name of disruptive innovation.

The OneMedForum was held in unison with the JP Morgan Conference, aimed at bringing thought leaders, reformers and financiers together to change the delivery of health care. Change that is desperately needed based on Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that federal spending for the major health care programs and Social Security would increase to a total of 14% of GDP by 2038, twice the 7% average of the past 40 years.

The creators of the programming believe that disruptive innovation is the key component to reshaping the future of health care. They have faith that raising capital online post-JOBS Act will flourish, and that crowdfunding and secondary markets is the fastest way to create smarter clinical trials, personalized medicine and allow private companies to go public.

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According to conference organizer Brett Johnson’s opening remarks, “Health care is at a critical moment in the United States. Without dramatic changes, the costs of health care will bankrupt the US and consume the vast majority of our resources. Hope lies with innovation.”

OneMedPlace

At the helm of the OneMedForum is OneMedPlace, a company focused on partnering and facilitating meetings between investors and reformers, creating unique platforms for companies and producing OneMedTV live streaming shows and documentaries about health reform.

In-line with most conferences, there were post-event receptions for networking hosted by the likes of AdvaMed2014 and BDO, and panel discussion with experts discussing the ACA and specific topics related to health reform. However, unlike other conferences OneMedForum claims that their role is as a provider of platforms to showcase innovation, which directly rewards the entrepreneurs and investors as strategic discussions and introductions are begun.

“A characteristic unique to OneMedForum is the natural and scheduled opportunities for meaningful introductions and discussions,” says Chelli Miller, President and CEO of ChelliConnects. “OneMedPlace also has their thumb on regulatory and investment issues affecting startup companies, such as offering panels on the JOBS Act before anyone else.”

Another unique aspect of this year’s conference was the primary policy themes that were woven throughout the presentations and panels. Using the JOBS Act and the ACA as dual backbones of the 2.5 conference days, thought leaders such as William Hambrecht, Steve Burrill and Jason Hwang shared insight with the CEO’s of more than 85 biotechnology, life sciences, medical device and venture capitalism companies.

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