H&R Block and Think Big Partners' Hackovate Health Global Innovation Competition Fosters Growth in Healthcare Tech Landscape

Hackovate Health announces the top 10 finalists, six alternates, finale judges and sponsors of the health-focused global innovation competition. End Quote

Kansas City, MO-KS (1888PressRelease) February 19, 2013 - With over 130 people registered for Hackovate Health (www.hackovate.com), H&R Block and Think Big Partners' global innovation competition will conclude on February 26, 2013 in Kansas City at a finale event with presentations from the top 10 finalists. The competition yielded submissions from across the world and has contributed to the growth of technology and innovation in the US healthcare industry.

With a new era of healthcare on the door step and more than three out of four consumers unaware of the role of the 2012 tax return on their health care coverage next fall, Hackovate Health will identify innovative mobile, online, social and other applications that help consumers navigate the new healthcare landscape.

"There are significant financial considerations for millions of consumers under the new healthcare rules, including who qualifies for subsidies," said Bill Cobb, President and Chief Executive Officer of H&R Block. "Technology-based innovation has the potential to address many of the consumer-based financial implications that stem from the rollout of the new healthcare law."

The Hackovate Health innovation competition yielded submissions from 11 different countries and 22 different states. Only 10 finalists will present at the Hackovate Health Finale on February 26. The top 10 finalists are:

1. Anant Vinjamorri, Aavya Health (Boston, MA, USA)
2. Tami Hutchison, eLuminate Health (Kansas City, MO, USA)
3. Liam Ryan, GetHealth (Dublin, Ireland)
4. Scott Speranza, inAssist Health Management Solution (Torrance, CA, USA)
5. Asher Hasan, NAYA JEEVAN REJUVENATE: Transformation Healthcare for the Uninsured (New Life) (Karachi, Sind, PAK)
6. John McCluskey, OkCopay, Inc. (Seattle, WA, USA)
7. Matthew Kafka, ReMARK Health (Kansas City, MO, USA)
8. Karan Srivastava, SHHADE (Miami, FL, USA)
9. Jug Stanovcic, HealthPlan Select by Strenuus (Overland Park, KS, USA)
10. Chrys Sullivan, My Healthcare Reform Guide by eXperient Interactive & Useagility (Kansas City, MO, USA)

In addition to the 10 Hackovate finalists, the competition also determined six Hackovate Health alternates. The alternates submitted business plans that stood out among all other submissions and were determined in the event that one of the top 10 finalists would be unable to attend the finale. The six alternates are:

1. Shilpa Tiwari, CareDock (Malvern, PA, USA)
2. Shantanu Pathak, CareMother (Mumbai, Maharashtra, IND)
3. Melody Wilding, eCaring (New York, NY, USA)
4. Narcisse Mbunzama Lokwa, e-InsuranceConnection.com (Kinshasa, Kinshasa 11, COD)
5. Ryan Beckland, Healthspire by Motivation Science (Durham, NC, USA)
6. Vishal Arora, textMEd (Cambridge, MA, USA)

The Hackovate Health Finale will take place on Tuesday, February 26, 2013, in the Union Station Extreme Screen in Kansas City, Missouri. At the Hackovate Finale, the top 10 finalists will present to a panel of judges including Kush Saxena (H&R Block), Anna Haghgooie (Sandbox), Rachel Hack (Google), David Edwards (Cerner) and more. The event is free and open to the public. To register to attend the finale, please visit http://hackovate.eventbrite.com.

Hackovate Health would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of technology and innovation in the healthcare landscape: H&R Block, LaunchKC, DEG, Hovey Williams LLP, Gazelle by Quest Diagnostics, Google Fiber, The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Inboun, Boulevard Brewing Company, The Inventors Center of Kansas City, The City of Kansas City and The Roasterie.

About Hackovate Health:
Hackovate Health is a health-focused innovation competition hosted by H&R Block and Think Big Partners. The competition is designed to identify innovative mobile, online, social and other applications that help consumers navigate the new healthcare landscape and the Affordable Care Act. Tech entrepreneurs, startups, innovators, healthcare professionals and other teams from around the world were encouraged to compete in the three-month long competition, which has culminated in H&R Block and screening judges identifying 10 teams to convene in Kansas City in February to turn their promising ideas into new companies. The Hackovate process involves coaching and mentoring from business, policy and investor community leaders in the entrepreneurship and healthcare arenas. To learn more about Hackovate Health, please visit www.hackovate.com.

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