>>> Would they charge this if 5.0 was upgraded to 5.0.09 or 5.1.17 or 5.3, etc?

Yup, yup, yup on all 3 upgrades. Isn't that another ripoff? The better thing that Jon could do is to make AC "CCHIT certifiable" and have each person interested in certifying pay the new $150 fee. That'll probably be the way to go if they do the $150 idea (per office) right. Probably very few would pay it, but most would get the satisfaction that the option was there.

>>> unionizing, striking

Check out Sermo- they are starting with a revolution against the AMA. They want to form a new PAC! Sermo does have 100000 physicians now, so they are a power to contend with and can really make a difference politically. Interestingly enough, Sermo recently broke with the AMA after a few posts had numerous docs lambasting it, partly for supporting CCHIT and Obama's vision of a computerized healthcare where docs work for nearly free, seeing 100 patients a day...

URLS:

-- https://md.sermo.com/medical/ticket/details?id=37791&nav=on
-- https://md.sermo.com/medical/ticket/details?id=37849&nav=on

Heck, I'll join any movement, if it's against CCHIT/HIMSS! BTW, all my MDNG political articles are listed here- http://msofficeemrproject.com/Page3.htm They so far have had good and bad effects:

1) (GOOD)
--- My MDNG blog 5/13/2009- http://www.hcplive.com/mdnglive/The_HIT_Realist/GE_healthymagination <http://www.hcplive.com/mdnglive/The_HIT_Realist/GE_healthymagination>
--- Bill O'Reilly 5/15/2009- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juTewVyHPzg&feature=related
2) (BAD)Shortly after my "Congress Passed the Stimulus Bill; What Should You Do Now?", the state of Maryland now has a bill ready to be voted on forcing all insurance companies to levy the same penalties as does Medicare, so docs can't switch over to PPOs and HMOs as easily as I advocated.
3) (GOOD) One politician made my article the highlight of his healthcare agenda! http://bertroche4congress.com/What_docs_are_thinking.html

So political folks do read what we docs post! That's good overall. All I know that not only on the AC site, but at emrupdate and at sermo you mention "CCHIT" or "vendor" and you get pounced on big time (all except for Jon that is). That's a big change over the past 3 years and is good too!

Oh- on 7/14/2009 I'll be doing an MDNG HIT Debate live webinar as the "HIT Realist" against Joseph Kvedar from the Harvard Center for Connected Health. Details to come out later this week...

Cheers,
Al

Last edited by alborg; 07/05/2009 1:51 PM.