Ex-10.3 Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement

UNDER THE ATHENAHEALTH, INC.
2007 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN

Name of Optionee:                                        
No. of Option Shares:                                        
Option Exercise Price per Share: $                                                            

Grant Date:                                                            
Expiration Date:                                                                                 

     Pursuant to the athenahealth, Inc. 2007 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, as amended through the date hereof (the “Plan”), athenahealth, Inc. (the “Company”) hereby grants to the Optionee named above an option (the “Stock Option”) to purchase on or prior to the Expiration Date specified above all or part of the number of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Stock”) of the Company specified above at the Option Exercise Price per Share specified above subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan. This Stock Option is not intended to be an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

     1. Exercisability Schedule. No portion of this Stock Option may be exercised such portion shall have become exercisable. Except as set forth below, and subject to the discretion of the Administrator (as defined in Section 1 of the Plan) to accelerate the exercisability schedule hereunder, this Stock Option shall be exercisable with respect to the following number of Option Shares on the dates indicated:

Incremental Number of
Option Shares Exercisable				Exercisability Date
		(___%)
		(___%)
		(___%)
		(___%)
		(___%)

athenahealth — form of non-qualified stock option agreement for employees

     Once exercisable, this Stock Option shall continue to be exercisable at any time or times prior to the close of business on the Expiration Date, subject to the provisions hereof and of the Plan.

     2. Manner of Exercise.

          (a) The Optionee may exercise this Stock Option only in the following manner: from time to time on or prior to the Expiration Date of this Stock Option, the Optionee may give written notice to the Administrator of his or her election to purchase some or all of the Option Shares purchasable at the time of such notice. This notice shall specify the number of Option Shares to be purchased.

     Payment of the purchase price for the Option Shares may be made by one or more of the following methods: (i) in cash, by certified or bank check or other instrument acceptable to the Administrator; (ii) through the delivery (or attestation to the ownership) of shares of Stock that have been purchased by the Optionee on the open market or that are beneficially owned by the Optionee and are not then subject to any restrictions under any Company plan and that otherwise satisfy any holding periods as may be required by the Administrator; (iii) by the Optionee delivering to the Company a properly executed exercise notice together with irrevocable instructions to a broker to promptly deliver to the Company cash or a check payable and acceptable to the Company to pay the option purchase price, provided that in the event the Optionee chooses to pay the option purchase price as so provided, the Optionee and the broker shall comply with such procedures and enter into such agreements of indemnity and other agreements as the Administrator shall prescribe as a condition of such payment procedure; or (iv) a combination of (i), (ii) and (iii) above. Payment instruments will be received subject to collection.

     The transfer to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent of the Option Shares will be contingent upon the Company’s receipt from the Optionee of full payment for the Option Shares, as set forth above and any agreement, statement or other evidence that the Company may require to satisfy itself that the issuance of Stock to be purchased pursuant to the exercise of Stock Options under the Plan and any subsequent resale of the shares of Stock will be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In the event the Optionee chooses to pay the purchase price by previously-owned shares of Stock through the attestation method, the number of shares of Stock transferred to the Optionee upon the exercise of the Stock Option shall be net of the Shares attested to.

          (b) The shares of Stock purchased upon exercise of this Stock Option shall be transferred to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent upon compliance to the satisfaction of the Administrator with all requirements under applicable laws or regulations in connection with such issuance and with the requirements hereof and of the Plan. The determination of the Administrator as to such compliance shall be final and binding on the Optionee. The Optionee shall not be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any shares of Stock subject to this Stock Option unless and until this Stock Option shall have been exercised pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company or the transfer agent shall have transferred the shares to the Optionee, and the Optionee’s name shall have been

athenahealth — form of non-qualified stock option agreement for employees

entered as the stockholder of record on the books of the Company. Thereupon, the Optionee shall have full voting, dividend and other ownership rights with respect to such shares of Stock.

          (c) The minimum number of shares with respect to which this Stock Option may be exercised at any one time shall be 100 shares, unless the number of shares with respect to which this Stock Option is being exercised is the total number of shares subject to exercise under this Stock Option at the time.

          (d) Notwithstanding any other provision hereof or of the Plan, no portion of this Stock Option shall be exercisable after the Expiration Date hereof.

     3. Termination of Employment; Employment Status Change. If the Optionee’s employment by the Company or a Subsidiary (as defined in the Plan) is terminated, the period within which to exercise the Stock Option may be subject to earlier termination as set forth below.

          (a) Termination Due to Death. If the Optionee’s employment terminates by reason of the Optionee’s death, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date may thereafter be exercised, to the extent exercisable on such date, by the Optionee’s legal representative or legatee for a period of 180 days from the date of death or until the Expiration Date, if earlier.

          (b) Termination Due to Disability. If the Optionee’s employment terminates by reason of the Optionee’s disability (as determined by the Administrator), any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date may thereafter be exercised, to the extent exercisable on the date of termination, by the Optionee for a period of 180 days from the date of termination or until the Expiration Date, if earlier. The death of the Optionee during the 180-day period provided in this Section 3(b) shall extend such period for another 180 days from the date of death or until the Expiration Date, if earlier.

          (c) Termination for Cause. If the Optionee’s employment terminates for Cause, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date shall terminate immediately and be of no further force and effect. For purposes hereof, “Cause” means any of the following: (i) dishonesty, embezzlement, misappropriation of assets or property of the Company; (ii) gross negligence, misconduct, neglect of duties, theft, fraud, or breach of fiduciary duty to the Company; (iii) violation of federal or state securities laws; (iv) breach of an employment, consulting or other agreement with the Company; or (v) the conviction of a felony, or any crime involving moral turpitude, including a plea of guilty or nolo contendre.

          (d) Other Termination. If the Optionee’s employment terminates for any reason other than the Optionee’s death, the Optionee’s disability or Cause, and unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date may be exercised, to the extent exercisable on the date of termination, for a period of three months from the date of termination or until the Expiration Date, if earlier. Any portion of this Stock Option that is not exercisable on the date of termination shall terminate immediately and be of no further force or effect.

athenahealth — form of non-qualified stock option agreement for employees

          (e) Employment Status Change. The exercisability of this Stock Option reflects Athena’s policy that stock option awards accrue over time, and that such accruals are in consideration for providing continued service to the Company during substantially all of each work week. Therefore, this Stock Option will continue to vest under the above Exercisability Schedule only if the Optionee devotes at least eighty percent (80%) of the Optionee’s work schedule to service to the Company. If at any time the Optionee’s employment status is changed to less than 80% time, then any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date may be exercised, to the extent exercisable on the date of change in employment status, for a period of three months from the date of change in employment status or until the Expiration Date, if earlier. Any portion of this Stock Option that is not exercisable on the date of change in employment status shall terminate immediately and be of no further force or effect.

     The Administrator’s determination of the reason for termination of the Optionee’s employment shall be conclusive and binding on the Optionee and his or her representatives or legatees.

     4. Incorporation of Plan. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Stock Option shall be subject to and governed by all the terms and conditions of the Plan, including the powers of the Administrator set forth in Section 2(b) of the Plan. Capitalized terms in this Agreement shall have the meaning specified in the Plan, unless a different meaning is specified herein.

     5. Transferability. This Agreement is personal to the Optionee, is non-assignable and is not transferable in any manner, by operation of law or otherwise, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. This Stock Option is exercisable, during the Optionee’s lifetime, only by the Optionee, and thereafter, only by the Optionee’s legal representative or legatee.

     6. Tax Withholding. The Optionee shall, not later than the date as of which the exercise of this Stock Option becomes a taxable event for Federal income tax purposes, pay to the Company or make arrangements satisfactory to the Administrator for payment of any Federal, state, and local taxes required by law to be withheld on account of such taxable event. The Optionee may elect to have the minimum required tax withholding obligation satisfied, in whole or in part, by authorizing the Company to withhold from shares of Stock to be issued.

     7. No Obligation to Continue Employment. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is obligated by or as a result of the Plan or this Agreement to continue the Optionee in employment and neither the Plan nor this Agreement shall interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the employment of the Optionee at any time.

athenahealth — form of non-qualified stock option agreement for employees

     8. Notices. Notices hereunder shall be mailed or delivered to the Company at its principal place of business and shall be mailed or delivered to the Optionee at the address on file with the Company or, in either case, at such other address as one party may subsequently furnish to the other party in writing.

The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted and the terms and conditions thereof hereby agreed to by the undersigned.

Dated:
				Optionee’s Signature
				Optionee’s name and address:

athenahealth — form of non-qualified stock option agreement for employees