Obama's plan to implement EMR
Posted By: Stephanie on 2009-02-24
In Reply to:
What do my fellow MTs think about Obama's ambitious plan to implement EMR throughout the US? I had 1 person tell me that means there will not be a need anymore for transcriptionists as physicians/nurses will just input information and create a medical record themselves. Part of me disagrees with this as the work I do is an EMR.
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Obama plan
The company I was working for the past 10 years went digital. It just meant that all records were copied into the computer, including transcribed reports, it had no effect on the transcription department. It only affected those in Medical Records seeing as there was no need to have as many people there anymore to make copies of films, records, etc. I hope this is what he is talking about. There are still alot of companies that have not gone this road and use alot of paper records.
By the way, what is Obama's plan to ....sm
address offshoring? I hope he really does do something.
Obama's healthcare plan
Anudder MT, Obama's plan will cost 1 trillion dollars and will only give health care to 16 million people out of the 46 million he keeps talking about. Out of that 46 million, about 15 million aren't even Americans - they're here illegally - and I don't know about you, but I don't want to pay for their healthcare in addition to my own. YOU may be rich, but I'm not, and if that makes me selfish, so be it.
And FYI, in Massachusetts, their mandatory single payer plan was supposed to cost 125 million but 3 years after implementing it, the cost has risen to 800 million. How do you know when a politician is lying? His lips are moving. And I hate to break it to all the Obama fans, but he lied when he said he wanted to rise above politics as usual. He's a Chicago politician, the worst thug of all.
The new Obama Plan for Health Records
So, anyone out there --- What do u think this new proposed plan of National Health Records being computerized within 5 years? What would this mean for MTs. CNN says it would require thousands of highly skilled Medical Records experts to get it on board. Any comments? Is this a good sign for those of us in the Health Documentation career field. And could it mean tighter control of records going off shore?
You're confusing the new QA plan with the new pay plan. New pay plan is still completely under wr
Shhhhhhhhhhh....
Excellent idea, I like the 0.25 per resend. I will implement that the next time she does this. THA
NM
the hospital I work for already has started to implement this and lessen our work
I see it every single day... they are going to EMR... meaning the doctors simply use a template already in the computer and check boxes or something... The doctor's office i GO TO actually does this too. This is why it creates tech jobs to create those templates and takes AWAY MT jobs because the doctor is no longer dictating, they are just pushing little buttons or checking boxes straight into the computer.
Personally I still think that is more time than the doc wants to take but whatever, i dont see how generic charts are good, what happened to detailed information...
But this is definitely how i see it going along. Maybe not everywhere, but plenty of places are going to go to this, it's all about saving money now isn't it???
I am talking about the QA plan I dont know what the new pay plan is.
:
Obama
Has mentioned numerous times about getting all health records in computer system. I wonder if he is talking about the point and click type? I believe he has mentioned giving funds for getting things going.
Maybe we should write to him to explain it can be done now with our electronic files and that we certianly don't need to use our jobs.? Anyone know how to actually get through to him?
Barack Obama
//
im sorry, you think Obama cares about MTs?
yea, right. im sure all the politicians do, but newsflash Obama as a president is NOT healthy for small businesses
bottom l ine there needs to be a standardized MT industry, but nobody steps up to the plate to create it. The general public has no idea you think? You think they'd like it if their medical records were being done overseas? not so sure most would... they just dont KNOW it. who fights for us anyway?
Since Mr. Obama is so wonderful -
that's why Obama is the most logical choice
x
I've already decided on Obama ----- sm
His opponents and detractors keep saying he's "inexperienced". Yeah, and look what "experienced" politicians have brought to the table in the last few decades.
New ideas are good.
Youth is good.
I think it's time for a new way of doing things in this country, not the same ol'. It's a new world, with new problems (such as the plight of American MTs and other workers), and maybe he'll bring some relief (or at least some new ideas on how to get it) for the dwindling middle class, which has been carrying the weight and finances of this country on its shoulders for too many years.
Time to stop letting our country get s*****d by India, Mexico, Asia, and others. And I think he has the ability to say "no" to these countries without starting a war with them.
Sometimes "inexperience" is a refreshing change.
That's 1 reason why I voted for Obama -
stay in this business is if the tax breaks are ended and the loopholes closed for companies that outsource what used to be good American jobs. Ending offshoring entirely would be nice, but I doubt it'll happen. But it should cost less for companies to hire American workers at a decent, livable wage, than it does to send it offshore. Offshoring should be something they do in a pinch, not as a standard practice. Yeah, so what if they're making more money the way they're doing it now. Doesn't make it right. They're greedy and they're un-American when they put thousands of hard-working American MT's in the poorhouse, or out of a job.
Obama's new task force
Maybe if all of us posted something here about medical transcription jobs being sent overseas, it could help? I'm not exactly sure if this would be the right place, but I think I'm going to write something about it. Have a nice weekend! :)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/strongmiddleclass/
That is What I am asking Obama-here's my letter to him (long)
Dear President Obama:
How's the new job? Keeping busy? Financial security? I'll bet. Are the American people keeping the mortgage on the White House up to date? Great. Kids have everything they need? Wonderful. The American dream.
Me? I lost another job to offshoring - AGAIN! It's funny, I can't seem to find any concrete figures on just how many U.S. jobs are offshored. There are only estimations by different agencies and economists. The Population Reference Bureau stated in October 2008 that it was nearly impossible to get an accurate scale and scope on this, but they estimated about 30 million U.S. jobs are offshored and increasing as I write this. Nothing about the tax implications. Does the government know? See what you can find out. I imagine definite figures are a difficult task since the companies do not seem to want to fess up about just what percentage they are offshoring. You stated you were going to eliminate big tax cuts on these companies doing the offshoring. When did you say that was going to happen? Mr. President, I don't think they care. Just this last quarter they have increased the offshoring significantly due to that very fact. Is there a Plan B, because jobs are leaving the U.S. faster than you can create them. Did you take that into account in your stimulus package?
Now about we the people and that stimulus package. I read that these big banks who received stimulus payments of about $150 million actually requested 20,000 new visas for foreign workers (up one-third). That is not going to happen, is it? With our own money? See what you can find out. We the people have always stimulated the economy, worked hard, and paid taxes. You know, the American dream. Now our jobs are being given to foreign workers who do none of those things. What gives? What impact does the loss of tax dollars and funding toward social security have on this country? No one seems to know. See what you can find out about that too. These figures must be astonishing. If that is not a drain on the system, then the people in line for unemployment income certainly is. The stimulus money is not going to trickle down to us. You see what they are doing with it. The best stimulus package you could give we the people is to save our jobs NOW so we can return to stimulating the economy. We can not spend what we do not have, right? Wouldn't this go a long way toward economic recovery? See what you can find out.
While you are checking on these astonishing figures, let me give you mine. The pretty simple fact is that my unemployment income is only going to be 50% of what I was making and only for a period of about 6 months. Now you know companies are not hiring, right? That would mean that in approximately 3 months something in my budget is going to have to be cut; food, health insurance, heat, the mortgage. Which would you choose?
We the people look forward to hearing from you on how we can just simply get back to work. No bonuses thank you, just our jobs. You know, the American dream.
Jobless in the USA
P.S. Mr. President, I know this was way before your time but no one told me. Did bin Laden win back in 2001? See what you kind find out about that too.
Not just Obama, send to all your representatives
x
Obama GUTTING Our Profession!
BO's "stimulus" (StealFromUs is more like it!) will disseminate tons of taxpayer dollars so that doctors will go completely electronic in their recordkeeping (including transcription, not just billing), and the company of George Bush's first cousin, Jonathan Bush (CEO of Athenahealth), is cashing in. Of course, Bush is ecstatic about what Obama is doing (both parties answer to the same puppetmasters, after all, so at the end of the day Bush and Obama aren't too far apart when it comes to the big picture anyway).
So some of you who are so mesmerized with BO, please explain how gutting our profession will "create jobs." 
This simultaneously destroys our livelihood while ensuring another transfer of wealth from the taxpayers to the elites/their cronies. So what else is new?!
Don't forget that Obama is Cheney's cousin, so they are all more "connected" than you think.
VIDEO ("Obama Turning Doctors Digital):
Athenahealth's home page:
Details:
For your information, I voted for Obama already last week, but..
I don't know what politics has to do with my post. I only posted that I greatly increased my personal line rate per hour with sitting my butt down and actually doing my work and not finding other little things to do.
Yes, there are days when I want to pull my hair out with my ESLs and there are days when everything flows just fine. I am in the same boat as everyone else as an MT. And the things you are mentioning are beyond your control - I was increasing my line count with the one thing that is within my control - staying seated and typing.
Yes! Today the Obama head economist said...sm
no more tax loopholes for companies that outsource American jobs. Now Congress just has to pass the bill!
GOT A RESPONSE ON THE LETTER TO OBAMA FROM 1 NEWSPAPER - Not Sure What to Do
It is just a small town paper, asking some general questions about outsourcing/offshoring, pay, types of businesses, etc. I told him I could not tell him what I actually do for a living or name my company. Can he find that out?
I also sent the letter to the Washington Post, Fox News, NY Times, Associates Press, 60 Minutes, and USA Today. I inserted in the letter about uncertain figures that by my calculation, the number of jobs offshored would be more or less the equivalent to the total population in 3 states in the U.S.
What will I do if they find out who I am and who I worked for? Can I be sued?
Once President-Elect Obama is in office, we'll
in the last 15+ years to make our voices heard. He, too, wants to tax the crap out of companies that offshore American work, which is as it SHOULD BE! Why should America be ENCOURAGING companies to offshore?
India was one of the few (if any) countries in the world who was not happy to see Obama get elected, and precisely because of his views on offshoring , and taxing the companies that do it. He will be getting his ducks in a row and formulating his agenda in the first months of office, and that is the time to be sure that all members of our government who can be reached by phone, letter, or email, should be given specific feedback on how offshoring medical records is hurting US, as well as patients, and the rest of the country.
Please! This is called progress and it was in effect long before Obama came into office.
Try being a freethinker for once and stop following whatever someone else tells you based on supposed "facts."
I just sent Bill O'Reilly a copy of letter I sent to President Obama. Anyone who can, email him
while the topic is fresh from his recent show. I do think Bill O'Reilly can at least get this offshoring debate out there, and right now we need publicity and basic facts to reach the viewers.
I plan to..
I knew they did that at the hospital I worked for at home but never imagined it would be done through an internet based company...that is ridiculous!!!!
Don't plan to either
THAT IS CRAZY!!!!! Those people should not even be allowed to have such access.
How is everyone doing with MQ's new QA plan?
nm
What plan?
What QA? WTF?
So WHAT'S THE PLAN?
That's the question. Plain and simple.
WE KNOW!! What IS the new QA plan?!?! nm
..
MQ new pay plan
It is based on a combination of your line count and QA scores, maintaining 98% or better. I've heard "mention" of it since I'm trying to get on full time, at the moment I am an IC. What he told me is you will get raises every six months if you produce a certain amount and maintain a good QA score. For example, right now you are required to do 12,000 lines per pay period. If you maintain above average, lets say you're right around 14,000 average for six months while maintaining 98% QA, your higher pay is locked in for the next six months. So its a combo of the two. He was very vague, didnt say how much, if it were half cent, a quarter cent or whatever, but he seemed to be thrilled to death about it. Now I noticed on this board that someone keeps posting about the new MQ pay plan and have we heard of it. Just spill the beans if you have more accurate information please? Thanks.
Regarding the MQ new pay plan for SE that is to come out, does anyone know or at least think that
this pay plan will reduce the line rate of those that have been with MQ for many years and have worked up to a higher base line rate. I wonder if we will all be moved to a base rate at the same level and then have a tier. Does that mean it will be starting over for those of us with higher line rates now.
New SE/Pay Plan- LM
I want to offer my congratulations also & wish you the very best. I'm sorry you've received so many negative comments, but, maybe a little history should have been included to possibly offer some insight as to where some of the
"long-term" statutories are coming from & why they now possibly feel insecure because of the new plan that has been offered to you.
Around 1999, at "my" office, at-home employees had a minimum production of 12,000 lines/pay period 65- character line that they had to meet. At home statutory employees had a minimum of 4,000 65-character lines each pay period; 10,000 lines or more a bonus of $50; $10 for each 1,000 lines over 10,000; 11,000, $60; 15,000, $100.
The new incentive pay plan for a statutory employee has obviously raised the standards beyond what was at one time expected of their
"employees." Medquist is obviously raising the ante quite higher & those that only wanted a "part-time" job with flexibility with fewer hours & minimum lines are going to find this new minimum impossible to meet unless they work full-time. This, coupled with the fact that many are making 6-8 cents/hr & have been there for years, is going to cause tremendous resentment on their part.
I believe most statutory transcriptionists who have been with Medquist for years will feel this is their way to effectively "weed out" part-time statutories and, in fact, gain full-time "statutory employees" while still offering no benefits. Many, many transcriptionists chose Medquist because they had the flexibility to work a few hours a week, pick up maybe 4,000 lines/pay period - just enough to help them through their rough times while caring for their elderly parents, etc. I now see this as impossible for many & part-time work for them nonexistent! Their income, no matter the amount, probably helped fill a void that was absolutely neccessary due to their circumstances. Medquist, as far as my knowledge, was the only National to offer this flexibility in earnings for a statutory at-home employee.
Mind you, I may be wrong in my perception, but I feel this is why you've gotten the negative responses that should be directed to Medquist & not to you!!
Just thought a little background from my perspective might help you understand why you've been bombarded, albeit unjustly.
Again, wishing you the best!
new pay plan
You will be offered squat diddly. I have 20 years exp, am a CMT for many years, also asked for a pay raise and told I'm already above the highest level for an MT, (.875)so raise declined. Instead, they reduced by base rate to .0700 or ASR reports, so that is your answer. Don't get too excited
new pmt plan
I'm confused. I will have been with MQ 6 years this Nov, and I do Nuc Med, Uro, Cardio, Pulmo, Neuro, Psych, Ortho, Specs Rad, Onco, you name it. Does that mean I'll get a 100% rate increase from my base? Yea, right. PA'LEEZE.
I'll be sure to mention all my specialities and the fact that I have been a MT for 18 years now. Sure that'll make a big difference.
new pay plan
This letter of 9/2/05 states nothing really! I thought our pay rates were already supposed to be based on skill and experience. Daily incentive pay? I'd like to see the bookkeeping program they wrote for that one! Evening and night premium pay - nothing new (they just didn't want us to know about it). What is the difference in an MT/ME, an ME who does QA and QA? Already looking for another job in a totally different field!
new pay plan
How do you know you are a level 3? I did not know that MQ even had "levels." Is there a way I can tell on the F9 statistics page? Also, what is the difference in an MT, ME, QA/ME, and QA? How does one become an ME. I am still a lowly MT.
what do you mean, new plan, they don't pay
for that stuff NOW
Yes, I know of plan sm
1-1/2 years ago we did massive home improvements and racked up about $25,000 in debt. It is on 2 no interest credit cards and I have it paid down by about 1/2 by putting every extra penny towards it. When I seen something I might want to buy, I just remind myself how good it is going to feel when I get this debt paid off. I can't wait until the time that my money is mine again. I am working 2 MT/ED jobs, which is getting tough, but you do whatcha gotta do. Btw, we are putting out DD through commumity college and also have 15 yo son.
Yes, you need to plan for it - sm
If you are married, you can have you husband either take less exceptions (thereby having more taxes taken out), or have additional taken out on top of what he normally has taken for his taxes. My DH takes less exemptions and is taxed as "single but married" and instead of 4 exemptions we do 1 or 2 (forget which it is). Or if you are not married, then you need to do estimated SE tax payments, either quarterly via the mail with a little booklet they will send you ; or via this electronic system I mentioned above. Go to irs.gov to check it out. Someone else mentioned it here a while ago and that is what put me onto it. If you don't pay anything throughout the year and owe (which you probably will), it is said that they will assess penalities against you. I have never owed so I don't know about that. Remember to right off anything and everything pertaining to your job on your Sch. C, I usually have about $2K in write-offs a year, though I do not write off my home office, but everything else pertaining to it, electric, phone, internet, heat, office supplies, etc. Have fun.
Well, here is my plan
if India takes over the MT world to the degree that I cannot make a good living MTing in America then I will become a legal Transcriptionist specializing in medical malpractice lawsuits. BECAUSE when all of the crappy work these Indians are putting out become major medical errors (unfortunate for the patient, I know) then I will be ready to be a part of the action plan that does something about it!!!!!!!!
They let you set up a plan?
The rep I got said that I owed too much to do that (roughly $4000.) I got on their website and found that unless you owe over $10,000, they have to work out a plan if you can get it paid within 3 years. I guess I'll have to keep trying to get a person with halfway decent manners....if that's possible with the IRS!!!
Which plan?
I am told that DSL is coming very soon to my neighborhood and I am wondering which plan I should go with. Verizon has 2 DSL plans. One is the "Starter Plan" and it is 768Kbps/128Kbps and the other plan is "Power Plan" it is 3 Mbps/768Kbps. OK this might as well be in another language because I really do not know what these numbers mean. I am going to be doing VR/SR MT work so would the "starter plan" be good enough for VR/SR work?
Thanks
Your plan is my plan
I explained to my doctor everything that you said in your post. That I could do a better service for THEM if the dictation was digital. Then a tape broke and he had to redictate 4 patients. Then I got a little behind and I told them I'd be typing right behind his dictation if it was digital. A day or 2 later, I brought it up again and not only was he in agreement but he bought the 2 recorders they need and some software, all told more than $700. Take a typed tape in there, pull its guts out and tell them that this could happen tomorrow! but would never happen with digital. If you have to, go buy one, put it in his hand with some very simple instructions and let him play with it. Then gently remind him/her that tapes are an old, unreliable technology. :-) I want about 25 accounts this way. My wrists hurt and I probably need to stop typing in the next 2-3 years so its my plan to build a small company that I can run/edit/shmooze the doc's offices....
OUTSOURCING PLAN...
Okay, here is the plan. For all of these hospitals with heavy ESL dictation loads, outsource these yourselves to India, Pakistan, Trinidad or where ever they speak that English as an unknown language. It won't matter if it is correct as typing those documents is just a best guess scenario anyway. Leave all of the English as a First Language (EFL) here in the US for those of us to type as we have been working long and hard to gain our experience and deserve to have decent work. If a hospital has a lot of ESLs that they have brought stateside to staff their hospitals as hospitalists as they work cheaper then it should be their responsibility to give them English classes and monitor their progress until they can speak English clearly, concisely, and accurately. The solution to this problem with ESLs is in our HANDS and we know it. The large companies and hospital clients need to take note before it is too late and we are all retired. You need us more than we need you.
OUTSOURCING PLAN...
And it is you and your "oh so thankful to have a job" kind that have gotten those of us that are MTs and will never be MLSs into this ESL cesspool by allowing it to happen. Anything for money, right??
OUTSOURCING PLAN...
Sure, my world is called Affirmative Reaction, taking back what was ours by right of being an MT before the almighty dollar spoke and we allowed our hospitals to actively solicit these ESLs, bring them stateside, pay for their malpractice coverage, and employ them as hospitalists, and now we are stuck with a language barrier that, in all other fields, requires a certified translator but now that we have been awarded the title of MLS we are supposed to type an accurate medical document while listening to an ESL's attempt to speak English?? This is your world now, I have done my time, and you are welcomed to all the ESLs you can handle or rather fool yourself into believing that you can do so very accurately.
OUTSOURCING PLAN...
Okay, this string is not a question of what our ancestors did, it is to get those of you that are new to the MT business to realize that if we don't do something about this outsourcing of medical transcription, your "oh so wonderful jobs" may be forfeit. Look at IBM, laying off over 13K stateside and hiring 14K in India. Any Capitol One sending all of its customer service to Manila--that's right, your credit information. Think money has anything to do with that?? Open your eyes, your job is slipping through your fingers...
OUTSOURCING PLAN...
If these ESL doctors are such wonderful humans, why don't they stay in their homelands and help their own people? There would be no third-world problems if the privileged and educated people stayed in their homeland and actively helped their own, rather than fleeing to the US to live the good life that their own countrymen will never see. Charity starts at home, remember.
OUTSOURCING PLAN...
How could it happen? Very easily. Many of the national companies actually have policies in which they state that, should an MT notify them of a difficult/hard to understand dictator, they will alert that dictator and work with him/her to enhance their dictating skills, along with notifying the client that a particular dictator presents an accuracy problem in that their English is not clearly understandable in order to be transcribed accurately. Unfortunately, most of these companies do not enforce their policies and allow the client to send these dictators as overload work since their own in-house staff doesn't want to type them either. These national companies could address these issues, the dictator would benefit from the help provided, and the MT would be able to produce an accurate product. There are even self-help tools for these ESLs to better their dictating skills. If these clients/hospitals do not choose to help their ESL dictators, then they should either type their dictated product in-house or pay more for the handling of such a poor dictation product. MTs are not the garbage men or clean-up crew. If one wants an accurate medical document, one must provide an accurate and understandable dictated product. We are not magicians, we are MTs.
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