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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Yep, I make as much MTing now as I would on disability.

Posted By: VR tanked my wages. sm on 2009-04-03
In Reply to: Is anyone else ready to throw in the towel on transcription? - sm

Guess what I am going to take since I qualify?


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Disability
Check your status. If it was employer-paid, I can't see how you were ever terminated. You should be called back after submitting a release from your doctor.

If not, check up with a lawyer familiar with the ADA.
wrk-mans comp and disability ins q's.

can a MT employee get workmans comp for developing carpal tunnel synd? 


If one carries disability insurance, is that for any disability, ie, (not related to job)  from a car accident, recreational time injury, etc.?  thanks.


Returning to work after disability?

About 2-1/2 years ago I had to take employer-paid disability for an illness that was affecting my attendance at the hospital where I had been employed for several years as an MT.  I loved my job, but had no choice at the time and have spent the last two years trying to do my best to return to health and return to work at the same hospital.  During those two years, the hospital had a shortage of qualified MTs and was aggressively hiring; when I checked lately, however, there are no openings.  I called the department a month ago inquiring about the possibility of returning to work and the department head never returned my call.  Although I had exemplary reviews and years of extensive MT experience at this hospital, I know that my attendance the last year or so left a bad impression on my department head.  Also, during the time I was quite ill and still working, my production temporarily suffered, worsening the situation (yet my last review was still exemplary, noting only attendance issues and need to pull up production, otherwise just outstanding). I do believe she got the message the day I called, but chose not to return the call.  I made the call during a time they were actively recruiting and having some difficulty in finding qualified MTs.  Now I see no such ads anywhere.


There are other non-MT positions at the hospital, but I'm really not qualified for most of them and my pay as an MT was outstanding and I absolutely adored my job until I became too ill to work.  I'm afraid I ruined my reputation in my department when I became ill and she perhaps has decided not to re-hire me.  Although I could speak with people above her, she ultimately has the final say in determining whether she would take me back into the department.


If my MT department head is unwilling to hire me, what do you think my chances are applying at national companies with a 2-1/2 year lapse in working and transcribing?  I'm sure my doctors will gladly back me up that my attendance issues were solely due to my illness and I have copies of my superior reviews, even my last review the month before I left to take disability. 


Although I believe I haven't lost my MT skill, I have been out of the loop in terms of new drugs, etc. for over two years.  Yet, I do have many years transcribing for a prominent multi-specialty hospital.  What would YOU DO if you were me?  Would you more aggresively pursue the position with my current employer or try to move on?  I don't want to move on, but may have no choice.  Thanks for the advice!


They lost the huge TN disability sm

account to the Philippines.  Guess TN wanted cheap labor.  I won't be surprised if ALL of the accounts go there.


I am so glad I quit working there!!!


I think if you have short-term disability
as a benefit with a company, that covers maternity leave.  I
Wow . . . I probably should have said short term disability.
nm
For short-term disability to pay, you have
to be signed up for it, at least where I work.
WMX short term disability question (sm)
Sent a question to HR about this, but still haven't heard.  Don't have much PTO and will be needing a surgery in the not too distant future.   Does anyone know if our short term disability will help with this?
pregnancy is a disability when you have complications/C-section/ and even child birh is a procedure.
So just because you didnt get money for your pregnancy, then just get over it.

I had a horrible time with both of my pregnancies and could not work even though I wanted and needed to.

People can get off of work for 6 weeks for drug treatment, mental angious, etc. Those are not disabilities but are conditions that warrant time off.

I think someone is turning green with envy and doesnt handle life well.
MTing could not have said it any better!
Sorry everyone, I have been busy today. MTing could not have described the company any better. Also to add to that, to get a raise they do evaluations on your work and always tag you for stupid things such as missing a semicolon which enables your pay raise. A semicolon honestly does not interfere with patient care. Everyone is human and nobody is perfect!
MTing
The hospital I worked at outsourced our department and went with them. Quality was a nightmare and they are not renewing the contract.
mting
Hello, I am Karen, are ya'll working?  I need something to keep my busy, and it needs to be steady.  Where is the work?  Help....
MTing

Excellent, excellent post.  Your references to the psychological studies is right on target.  There is no reason why medical transcription should be any different than other professions as far as what ambitious, serious workers want in a job.  We have every right, and it only makes common sense, to seek the job where we have the most to gain and are the most satisfied.  Isn't that what everyone else does when interviewing with and/or deciding to stay/leave a company or profession? 


Unfortunately, due to the nature of transcription, it is not always apparent at the beginning how well a particular job will suit our needs or how truthful the service has been with us.  I've been stung twice in 3 years.  In such a situation, to not look for something better is not only stupid for the MT but does not pay off for the service either if they have an unhappy MT who, as this poster has said, will not perform at his/her best.  It has to be a good match both ways for it to work to each party's benefit.  That's the nature of this profession.


 


 


MTing
I'm in love with it too. I've only been with them for almost a year but they've been great for me. I do OP notes and really get good lines. TT is by far the best co. I've ever worked for. They are so employee oriented and have a great leadership team in place. Couldn't ask for better on anything. Looking for another great year.
MTing

Found this as their website.  Some Co info and you can take a test/apply on line.  read through it quick and sounded good.  You could always check with Dept of Labor, Texas Work Force, Better Business Bureau to start with.  I have never been a very trusting person and not getting any easier to trust people now-a-days. 


I've googled medquist v. (as in lawsuit) in the past and you get all kinds of stuff, so that's not a good sign.   


http://www.mtsoftexas.com/  Good luck. 


MTing
Not only is asking ICs to work set schedules not right, it is ILLEGAL. Whoever is asking for this needs to take a good look at the US Tax Code and labor laws as well. Call them on it if this ever happens in an actual situation.
Busy MTing
My sentiments exactly. One has to look out for themselves because God knows these companies donot look out for you Wouldn't you like to know how much the company actually gets per line plus they make all these promises to get an acccount on board and to get an MT to work there.
Busy MTing.
You are absolutely correct dear. It's no one business if you work for 10 companies. that is your perogative. More power to dear. I am on your side all athe way.
State of US MTing
...poop, or xxxx before the moderator gets hold of this... it has become all a game, a XXXXXXX game. NOBODY WANTS TO TELL THE TRUTH... Corporate poop heads are all sending what ever they can to India and playing games with US MTs. Just look at IT jobs in other web sites... this is all XXXXXXXt.
state of MTing
.. yes, I agree. BUT, there are other factors involved today. The time is RIPE for corporate greed. Under the current presidential administration, CORPORATIONS RULE. Their exploitation of workers is at an all time high. Mark my words, in the coming year or so, we will be seeing many demonstrations from all sectors of workers and industries. President Bush has not a clue as to what his directives has done to the average working American. Please, I am neither a Democrat or Republican. I truly believe that Bush is so far removed and protected from the average American, that he has no idea how many jobs are discarded to third world countries because of his polices. We are truly at a unique point in the American history. America is changing rapidly. Mting and outsourcing is not unique - there are so many other fields affected by the current administration's policies. Not until the damage is done, will our goverment ask, Duh, what happened?
The state of MTing
Your post is well received as both a former owner and a transcriptionist. But this is not the whole picture of the state of MTing today. What you are experiencing and what the transcriptionists are experiencing is something like a star that is burning out and sputtering.

Deep down inside we all know that medical transcription as we know it is changing dramatically, changing because of technology and other sources available at much cheaper labor costs. This profession has no job enrichment. There are few real opportunities that offer true advancement with better pay. There is no security, not that we feel we must be entitled to it, little benefit or perks, and the pay psychologically does not attract the personality who is motivated to advance, and is ambitious. This is not a value judgment about anyone who performs transcription. It is a stark fact in the industry, and your post reflects the true position and frustration felt in the industry. Any business behavioral professional will tell you when there is no job enrichment or motivation, or incentive, workers will perform below their level. The industry pay scale has been directly impacted by the healthcare corporations and globalization. Now, please, do not misunderstand what I am saying. Each and every one of us should have the ethics to perform a job well done, and give our best no matter what pay we get. But studies and analysis of job performance will show you time and time again that when there is low pay, no raises, lack of incentive, and no future in a job, one begins to see the problems you are describing exactly. The expectations to uphold the privacy, confidentiality, accurateness, have an extremely extensive knowledge of medical language, and continue education in the field, does not match the low pay any more. So you see, you get transcriptionists that are anxious, always looking for better pay, even if it's a quarter of a cent more, and the focus goes toward that penny. Businesses struggle to stay afloat with operational costs and payroll, and more and more trying to attract good transcriptionists.

The thing I hear and understand about comparsion to Transcriptionist in India is the disturbing message American transcriptionists get from those that control the pay scale. As Americans workers, we have standards and protection for the American worker - labor laws, a livable wage, ethics,and we have gotten used to that. When you hear a business owner flagrantly make statements about how the poor little Indian transcriptionist will be grateful to work long hours for very little pay, work weekends,holidays, make her job her life, something about that pitted against our standard becomes disturbing. Since we are not yet at the economic level of India, you will continue to see revolving door workers. You might say the etiquette is becoming that of workers who can get a job at Seven-Eleven or MacDonalds - sure you can get a job there, those jobs are plentiful, and pay almost as much as transcription does today. These are just the cold hard facts. Perhaps if industry owners would try something different - instead of going through 3000 resumes to get a good handful transcriptionists who possess both the work ethic and the quality, start off at an agreeable pay with guaranteed raises based on consistency and rotate weekends. More companies should learn that rotating weekends works better than consistently looking for permanent weekend schedules. Transcriptionists need to have a balance of work and life outside the computer.
Change and MTing

This is no longer the once respected career where one is paid for their knowledge and many years of experience.  I urge everyone to pay very close attention to who they are voting for in the presidential race and what they stand for.  Back the candidate who says no more tax breaks for businesses that are sending our jobs overseas.  It not only applies to our jobs but those throughout the country.  How many times do you call a customer service line and get someone on the line you cannot even understand??? This is an outrage!!! While people here in the US struggle to find jobs or see their $$$ go down and still have to work under sweatshop conditions.  Bottom line, back the person who is going to help us the most at risk for losing our job to some offshore company.  Companies will say they will never do it.  Believe me, if its going to increase their bottom line they will do it.  Most of all do vote, every single vote can make a difference.


She went back to MTing for OSi
nm.. RH
how long have you been MTing?

Sometimes it can take a while to work up your counts.  But as other posters below have said, if you've been at this for a while, I'd look into how the company is paying you - what constitutes a line, spaces included, expansions included, normals included, etc.  If you feel they're not paying you correctly, you may want to address that with them.  I would definitely suggest a change in employers before giving up the whole industry.  You might have just gone with a sneaky company.


There are companies out there that pay for ADT info, you just have to seek them out.


Believe like you want but my MTing money is
not all that I have, receive a trust fund each month plus retirement money. Sorry you seem so bent out of shape about the possibility of having to do VR.
Not a newbie, but I have been away from MTing for a year...sm
and I was never the fastest typer in the West to begin with. Plus I cant find a job doing anything outside my home either!!! It is really scary trying to get a job anywhere these days. I like Allegiant's flexibility and line count requirements. I think I can do them...
not to but in but MTing put herself out there stating she was perfect...
and had 100% quality. No one is going to just take your word for it with a comment like that. I am not even in QA and thought the exact same thing when I read the post - I could not help but notice the errors.
Yep.. they are both back to just MTing as well as one of the trainers
nm
Best platform ever used in 20 years of MTing. NM
xx
so glad to hear that MTing has been sm
brought down to a profession of chump change by the newbies.
so glad to hear that MTing has been sm
brought down to a profession of chump change! You do the profession proud. NOT!
VR is more difficult than straight MTing
because there are no expanders, no templates, no macros and that brings you down. You MTs who so desparately stick to the OLD methods, are impotent without your Expanders and your grammar and spelling is questionable when it comes to correcting the whole document!
VR is ok, but the payment is pitiful. Hopefully this will be corrected in the future. VR is here to stay, believe it or not!

YOU are the ignorant one, always were and always will be, the future will show you!
VR and straight need the same MTing knowledge...sm
the manual skills differ, but not necessarily always.

You can download to an MT who has never done VR a VR document for editing and she will be able to do it. NO SOPECIAL trainin g is necessary.

When I tested for companies, when VR was introduced, they tested me on editing VR, I had never done it before and I passed.

Basically every MT can do it, bringing up the speed that is the challenge.
good point, keep MTing
at least some, and you can still take those tax deductions as well as keep your skills up.
meant hourly rates for MTing, not QA.
Thanks
If money's an issue, you're better off MTing.
Most QAs do it because they MT'd until their hands gave out & can no longer MT.
I really get the idea you would love MTing go out of business
Lots of your postings go in the same vein. My work on VR is darn near perfect but it still will throw in some crazies ever so often that has not done before and continue on with that for awhile. My hospital allows for the patient's name in a report. Eight months ago the names were almost always right, now never so we have to change those. Eight months ago when doing preop diagnoses you had the first diagnosis under the preop and now it is out by the side so then you have to move that down and put #2 and #3 under those. It can do things today that you may not have had last year. The ones that were problems last year cleared up this year. I do not worry about a machine putting me out of business, hey if that happens I might be like others and just retire, right?
Typing is the LAST thing MTing is about, it's about KNOWLEDGE..nm
nm
Having the years in MTing is making no difference
with the pay. If that were the case I would be making the big $$$ as I have over 30 years. You are either going to have to learn or find another profession, that is unless you are perhaps working for a specialty group of physicians, not these companies. I was outsourced from a hospital position to a company. Do you really think that company takes into consideration the years I have in? Nah, doesn’t happen. Having said that, I am extremely happy I know VR and use it now, only work an 8 hour day and can make good money doing that.
Whoops! Meant agree with MTing - not MTer!
..
Bravo! Well, said Anna. TT is the BEST company in my 17 years of MTing.
Thank you for standing up for them!
Against. Dead/dying for MT now days for sure(30+ years MTing
.
what a nasty post! Her 40 years of MTing count for nothing? I cannot believe this...nm
nm
Are you kidding and hoping htagt MTing will go back to manual typewriters again?...nm
nm
I doubt you will make enough money in 5 hours a week to make
nm
I make 4 cents a line, work part and make
over $500 a week on part.
Great post! I make 0.085 at Keystrokes and make more than at any sm
other company in the last 5 years. Why? Because there is always work for me. I love starting work each day, knowing that the company I work for appreciates me and has plenty of work. Transtech and Keystrokes sound very similar; those of us that work for either can count our blessings that we are not part of the cesspool or huge corporate mess that makes up the biggest few companies. We do not have to worry about our jobs getting sent overseas and we see a future in this business!!!
Yeah, but we don't make what docs make. nm
nm
But we don't even make what in-house make.
It would be different if we made the same as the in-house MTs.  In a lot of cases, most of the people working in-house make much more including benefits than we do at home as full-time employees.  That's where I think the unfairness comes in.  The in-house employees don't all work every single weekend.  Most of them rotate at a much higher salary and much better benefits.  The MTs at home are expected to fill in for the in-house for less money, less benefits and give more and more back in the form of weekends and holidays.   Most remote MTs only receive benefits contingent on production, and even then they're not nearly as good as in-house benefits.  How is that equal in the healthcare team perspective?
you might want to make sure you don't make yourself look like an IDOT before you go any further.
/
I make $1.10 per report and make much more sm
than by the line. Day by day it varies and goes back and forth, but over a long period, it is better by the report. Make sure they pay links though; this is key.