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Why is my tax money subsidizing software that should have to fight in the free market like the software most other developers write?

tzs 15y ago
I think you might have misunderstood the article. Doctor's aren't being paid to use this particular software. Doctor's are being paid to convert to electronic records. To be eligible for that payment, they have to use systems that have been certified. Drchrono has been certified. Anyone else is free to write a competing application, get it certified, and compete in the same market.
- jemfinch 15y ago
  Ah, that makes more sense. I can see how the public good would be served by having doctors use electronic records; having them use this specific software (which is what I thought was being subsidized) seemed too specific to justify in terms of the public good.
  - absconditus 15y ago
    https://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/30_Meaningful_Use.asp https://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/30_Meaningful_Use.a...
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
- harold 15y ago
  Certification isn't cheap though. It's a definite barrier to entry at the outset. CCHIT seems to be structured to favor monolithic companies with deep pockets, and startups with lots of funding. The certification process also dictates to a degree the functionality of the app, which to my way of thinking may inhibit innovation.
  - famousactress 15y ago
    I believe it runs around 20k.. which is a pretty small number compared to cost of labor to build something that would pass the certification. That said, I'd certainly love it if it were cheaper :)
  - bbbwater 15y ago
    Certification costs have been going down as the Federal government has become the accreditor of new certifying bodies. Previously there was only 1 certifying body. Now there are 6 that all have to conform to the same standards. As a result, certifying costs have come down and will likely trend down for sometime.
mrkurt 15y ago
Medical service providers work in something that's only vaguely like a free market.
Alex3917 15y ago
Why should I have to pay for-profit pharmaceutical companies, hospital companies, and insurance companies for worse quality healthcare than I could be getting for pennies on the dollar from my taxes?
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
rdl 15y ago
Medical records being computerized imposes short term costs on the providers (who are small offices -- the big guys moved to EHR years ago), bur provides private and public goods. I'm basically a libertarian, but this is one of the least wasteful government programs. As a plus, it was built around open standards vs. trying to have a government standard ehr. I'd like to see insurers match the meaningful use payments.

tzs 15y ago

I think you might have misunderstood the article. Doctor's aren't being paid to use this particular software. Doctor's are being paid to convert to electronic records. To be eligible for that payment, they have to use systems that have been certified. Drchrono has been certified. Anyone else is free to write a competing application, get it certified, and compete in the same market.

jemfinch 15y ago
Ah, that makes more sense. I can see how the public good would be served by having doctors use electronic records; having them use this specific software (which is what I thought was being subsidized) seemed too specific to justify in terms of the public good.
- absconditus 15y ago
  https://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/30_Meaningful_Use.asp https://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/30_Meaningful_Use.a...
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
harold 15y ago
Certification isn't cheap though. It's a definite barrier to entry at the outset. CCHIT seems to be structured to favor monolithic companies with deep pockets, and startups with lots of funding. The certification process also dictates to a degree the functionality of the app, which to my way of thinking may inhibit innovation.
- famousactress 15y ago
  I believe it runs around 20k.. which is a pretty small number compared to cost of labor to build something that would pass the certification. That said, I'd certainly love it if it were cheaper :)
- bbbwater 15y ago
  Certification costs have been going down as the Federal government has become the accreditor of new certifying bodies. Previously there was only 1 certifying body. Now there are 6 that all have to conform to the same standards. As a result, certifying costs have come down and will likely trend down for sometime.

mrkurt 15y ago

Medical service providers work in something that's only vaguely like a free market.

Alex3917 15y ago

Why should I have to pay for-profit pharmaceutical companies, hospital companies, and insurance companies for worse quality healthcare than I could be getting for pennies on the dollar from my taxes?

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

rdl 15y ago

Medical records being computerized imposes short term costs on the providers (who are small offices -- the big guys moved to EHR years ago), bur provides private and public goods. I'm basically a libertarian, but this is one of the least wasteful government programs. As a plus, it was built around open standards vs. trying to have a government standard ehr. I'd like to see insurers match the meaningful use payments.