Home     Contact Us    
Main Board Job Seeker's Board Job Wanted Board Resume Bank Company Board Word Help Medquist New MTs Classifieds Offshore Concerns VR/Speech Recognition Tech Help Coding/Medical Billing
Gab Board Politics Comedy Stop Health Issues
ADVERTISEMENT




Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

do NOT sign any such agreement

Posted By: nm on 2005-12-11
In Reply to: Legal issue - me

x


Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu


Other related messages found in our database

when you work for a national, you sign a confidentiality agreement...?
the same rules would apply, and you must have signed a confidentiality agreement with whomever you work for. you can be fired, if breached.

my opinion, as a professional, you transcribe it and mums the word...

when I worked in a hospital, someone was caught 'sharing' information about the CEO from a transcription report, and was fired on the spot.
Can you use a plus sign for hyper and minus sign for hypo?
x
That is true, when you sign up you sign up from the
day your former insurance terminated. Then it is on a month to month basis.
I am in agreement with you. sm
I haven't seen the word type ever, either.  I use the hyphen non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Am in 100% agreement with you...
this is what I have been talking about. This is a job and should be treated as such and not just a vehicle for you to be able to stay home. Thanks for the good post. Most of the MTs answering are really, really touchy about this because they are the ones trying to be supermom, wanting to put all else before their job and then wondering why falling short in pay, time to actually work, etc. I have never said not to love your family- you just really need to have a separation of work and family.
I am in agreement.
I doubt anyone is working for a national making that kind of money the OP asks about.  You need to cut out the middle man, take the initiative, and gain some accounts for yourself unless of course, you don't want to leave the house and don't want the responsibility of doing just that.  It does take more than just sitting at the computer to gain accounts.  JMO.  I have my own accounts, not large, and I'm not an MTSO, but I'm making $35,000.00 a year, and I don't work that hard, but I do have many, many years of experience.  The accounts I have were through the docs watching me transcribe on-site and being impressed and I'm not patting myself on the back, but I do believe being on-site for awhile can do wonders for your career. 
total agreement with you - sm
I myself am in favor of trying to find out which hospitals outsource the work to India and then writing letters to the local newspapers as "letter to the editor" kind of thing to let the residents of the area know that their medical records are being sent out to India. But that's just my opinion.
I'm in total agreement with you.....sm

Do not kill them....unless poisonous or unless they strike!  They can be caught and released or given to someone or some group who specializes in handling snakes.


Killing is the coward's way out...killing something that you are 10 to 100+ times bigger than......unless of course it's about to strike or is poisonous!


non-compete agreement
GA girl, where are you? Do you have experience with a n.c. agreement in GA?
non-compete agreement
I read the posts below about the n.c. agreement and wonder if you have any knowledge of them. Any info is appreciated. Thanks.
Exactly, a mutual agreement...sm
Where you find someone you can trust to do quality work and help each other out.

As I am preparing to go out on my own also, here's what I was thinking. (Now this is just a thought.)

You tell your prospect up front in the agreement stages of obtaining the account that on the rare occassion that you need to take time off - i.e., vacations, etc., that you will type the most important charts, up to a limited amount of charts, during that timeframe.

I thought I would take a laptop with me (yes, even on vacation) and type 1 hour or so.

Then, when you return, you will have the backlog typed in xxx amount of days at xxx discounted charge.

Just a thought. I'm also trying to network with local Independent Contractors to work out a mutually beneficial relationship with them.
You need to consider formalizing your agreement with them. sm

You don't sound like an IC to me but more like an employee. I would suggest that you clarify your status with this office by way of a contract that states the services you offer and what your charge is for your service. This should include the definition of a line and your per-line rate. Then, if they increase production, you increase your income, and it shouldn't really matter to you if it's thank-you letters or patient notes as long as you're getting paid. This also allows you to outline exactly what you are willing to do for this office. As a compromise, you may want to consider stating that you will supply a missing patient list at the end of each day. Then, stick to it.


This office sounds like it needs a REAL office manager and not  the doctor's wife who fills in or a manager who apparently doesn't know how to manage her own job.


Good luck!


I am in total agreement with
I also have many, many years of experience and find it hard to believe that the pay is only 7 cpl when in fact you must have a lot of experience and learn new platforms, accounts, etc.  Production suffers initially, and then all of a sudden these MTSOs want to switch you to another account, which makes it almost impossible to make a decent living at 7 cpl. 
another voice in agreement with yours...
I've been doing this 13 years, some of it as a QA Editor (the only time I've ever heard of being promoted to a "higher position" yet making significantly less money...)and I agree with all of the above. My favorite is when you put in for a raise and get ignored, time and again, even though you are called a high producer and put on difficult accounts because you "do so well on them". Also, voice recognition is going to destroy this profession entirely probably sooner than later. It's all changing completely. I finally decided I'd had enough and went back to college a couple years ago to change professions entirely. In a year and a half, I'll have my new degree and be done with MT forever and it will probably be the happiest day of my life.
Here's a wry smile of agreement instead. NM
NM
Confidentiality Agreement
Does anyone have a generic confidentiality agreement that they use for their clients.  I have new doc, and I don't have any agreement in my file.  I have signed theirs, but do not have one to offer the new doc.  Anybody have one or know where I can find one?  Thanks so much.
Confidentiality Agreement
There was an Agreement of Confidentialty that was posted on 05/20/09 by DeeAnn. that was really good. Hope this helps.
I just checked my employment agreement and...
it only says you have to return the equipment, it doesn't say who pays for it.  Should I just shut my mouth and pay for it so they don't hold my last check for ransom?
The scope of the agreement is much broader
It gives them the right to look at ANY document on your computer, any email you have sent.  They want to see who you communicate with, what you say to whom.  They want to manage what information about the company is sent out on message boards or anywhere on the internet.  They want to restrict any negative comment about the company from being posted anywhere on the internet or in private email.
I am in total agreement with what you have written
This job was quite enjoyable in my younger years and while it sounds like pay was low back in the 1980s, the cost of living was low as well.

Another 4-5 years of serious studying and I could have possibly obtained a degree in an area which had better job security, had a future I could count on and didn't require 50-60 hours of week of work to bring home 50G.

Plus, at 48, my hips, hands, hearing, have taken a beating that I am not really being compensated for, most jobs after 20 yrs, land a person into a supervisory position of some sort that allow the worker to teach what they know, and yes, to relax somehat and let the young and spunky ones keep up the grueling schedules.

So, in retrospect, I would have gotten student loans, applied for grants, did what I had to in order to acquire a higher education (I wanted to be a doctor).

You should have signed a confidentiality agreement which allows you to type this unless-
you do not feel comfortable typing it, in which case I would ask my supe to reassign it.
part of the agreement is to not portray the company in a
.
I'm in TOTAL agreement with you, I just hope they don't retaliate.
x
This is not illegal in most states. Sometimes it's in the divorce agreement.
nm
Try calling back about a payment agreement.

deal with compared to my state department of revenue!  I owed taxes over $10,000 in taxes two years in a row to the IRS, so over $20,000, and they let me make payments on it and I got it paid off.  I also got the INTENT TO LEVY notices, but when I called and set up a payment agreement they stopped with the threats.


Right now I owe the IRS about $5000 and when I called to set up payments I asked them if I could make payments of $150 a month and they accepted that without question.  I was a little afraid to suggest such a small amount, but they took it.


Now my state department of revenue is much meaner than the IRS.  They told me to pay what I owe them in six months or else.  They put a lien on my house.  They will only accept payments if I take the total and divide by 6 and pay that amount each month (impossible for me to pay that much) so I am just in a holding pattern seeing if they are bluffing or if they really are going to do something.


I'd say if you really have nothing of value the IRS can get, then it is to their advantage to work with you.  I think you just got a bad agent.  Call back and try to get another one that will work with you. 


Despite having just read the Subscriber Agreement, Section #10...
Re: Limited warranty on Equipment (stars); their legal people pretty much covered their ass. However, based on my experience with IPs, if you keep plugging away (it may takes months), eventually they will tire, thus removing said charges. Again, be prepared for a long battle and make sure to document everything, and I do mean everything. Please keep me posted.
Our agreement with our clients regarding referring physician names
When we accept a new client, we request a listing of all referring physicians and their addresses. We enter those names and addresses into our address database which can be accessed by the MT at any time while transcribing the report. They can search by first name, last name, partial name, city or state. We also instruct the physicians/dictators (and their staff) to SPELL physician names if they have not been provided on the initial list. If the dictator dictates a name not found in the database or does not spell a name, the MT has permission to leave a blank (or spell phonetically with a flag for the dictators staff). Our clients print their own work and can make changes/corrections to documents at their end. Therefore, it is THEIR responsibility to fill in the blanks if the dictator uses a name not provided or if he/she does not spell the name. QA staff does not have TIME to look up addresses, and in my opinion, doing so would be a huge waste of our skill. We edit hundreds of reports daily and if we had to research names and addresses in each report, we would never meet our turn-around time agreement. Additionally, we have a customer service department at our home office who can assist MTs with issues such as this. Check with your supervisor/QA staff to confirm what your company policy is regarding names and addresses. Perhaps blanks are acceptable for physician names. As we all know, even if the dictator dictates John Smith, it's possible the name is spelled Jon Smythe. There is no possible way for you to know that; therefore, it should be the CLIENT'S responsibility to confirm the spelling and add the address.
It's a written rule in some companies confidentiality agreement.
I know my company has it as a written rule so it just is not good business. I would think an MT would know this
In total agreement, Chris and ManDIVA rule, Taylor

Does this mean you don't have a business associate contract/agreement in place with your doctors
nm
STAPLES is now carrying Dell PCs, laptops, exclusive retail agreement. nm
Paradox
With a $ sign, yes it is...without, it...
is only 7-1/4 100ths.  Decimals.  Get it?????  The whole number without the decimal isn't dollars and cents.  It's just a number.
She has no sign that says that but obviously you do.
She has worked in nothing but the best behavior. She kept her chin up and kept morale up while she was working way too many hours with way too little time off.

I dont know where you come off saying that other than thinking that you must have that sign on YOUR back. Don't transfer your stuff to someone else. Have a nice night.
Well it's just the way I am. I sign my name to almost SM

everything I post. I'll admit I've gone anonymous a few times, but it is rare. I'm just not going to do it. I stand behind anything I say - if it's wrong, then I made a mistake, I wasn't trying to hornswoggle anybody.


It is easy to see the culprit behind these MTs who can't make any money. You hear people talking about "platforms" and searching for demographics, etc. That's the problem.


I work for somebody for whom I am a source of income, not a cost center. The faster I am, the more we both make.


I do use my Expanders - a lot - and I've used the same shortcuts for years. But the main thing is that I work in Word without worrying about how some unit secretary is going to pull up the report I just typed. The company I work for isn't there to make sure the consultant on 4E can see the work quickly without shuffling papers. They're there to produce a fast and accurate medical record - period.


That other stuff is for the hospital to worry with, and the hospital I work for has some kind of system where my Word documents go in their system in batches. I wouldn't pretend to know what that is, LOL, but I'm not crippling along on a program that was designed for everybody but ME, and that's what happens at these big companies. They have to have a selling point, and that seems to be it.


"Here, let us do your transcription. Here's how it works. The MT types your report, it goes into the chart electronically. And the stuff is all there for the data miners, too, so everybody can like us!" This was true for Dictaphone, Lanier, everybody. They all had to have an angle for everybody in the hospital and the MT was left sucking hind teat, as we say out in the country.


Been there and done that and would only go back if I had absolutely no other choice. As much as I love this profession, I couldn't figure out why people gripe about not making money so much - and then I went to work for a national and found out real quick.  


My sign is Leo...nm

Before you sign

I don't know what they are charging you but I talked to several before I went with Trinity Debt Management whose name was given to me by my church and they were the cheapest.  But I still ended up filing a Chapter 13 because of a divorce that cost me so much I could not pay the bills.  But I did start with them and they were very nice.  It cost $50 to start the program but their monthly maintenace fees were way cheaper than the other major ones I talked with.  Some wanted as much as $100 to $150 per month to manage my account that was a payment to a bill.  But I chose the Chapter 13 repayment program and pay $300 a month for three years to the courts and they pay it out and the balances are then wiped clear.  I only had to pay partial attorney fees, mainly filing fees, the rest was put into the monthly fee.  I still feel bad but at least am paying something.  But there is nothing you can do when you go from two paychecks to one and doesn't feel the bills are his responsibility.  Good luck.  Just thought I would mention them.


Patti


she did sign for 3 yrs but if we all....nm

No, and don't ever sign...
Any type of contract or agreement that has that clause in it! Be aware!
They probably won't sign

They will probably hee and haw and not sign a contract or they put in whereas for "cause they can terminate the service immediately" or with 15 to 30 days notice they can terminate the service without cause.  So with or without a contract they will terminate her services when they find someone else if that is what they are doing.   Who knows I could be wrong and will probably get my goose cooked for working now for 15 years without contracts and have to eat my words.   Time will tell. 


 


I would sign....but
I won't spend $2 to do it!! Rip....
Where do I sign up?
 I would sure like to meet you in person...I've been an MT for 42 years (started at age 17 when transcription was still lumped in under "Medical Secretary."  I have worked in all venues of transcription...clinic, MTSO and legal...but never found the time to actually get all the credentialing an MT needs in the current environment.  After "proving" myself, I was promoted to supervisory level and my greatest pleasure was "helping" other MTs as I had been helped in my early years.  If you ever implement your "program", let me know because I'll sign up anytime/anywhere!!   
You don't want to sign it off any other way or ...
...you will not get credit for your lines. Use the unknown patient MRN, type it and sign if off. Follow your company/client's specifications on how to accomplish that.
I do want to sign it off
because it is a personal letter and he does not want it on the hospital system.  I would be typing it in Word and be paid separately. He has quite a few of these he wants done.  The point is he doesn't want the lines in the system.    Thank you.
Then don't sign it
Don't agree to it and don't sign it and if you do, then don't whine about it.
That would be the first sign of
epicondylitis (better known as tennis elbow). This is
very common in repetitive movement in the hand/wrist, which of course all MT's apply themselves to day after day. I experienced that for the first time in my MT life 1-1/2 years ago, very painful. After viewing articles via Internet, this totally alleviated the problem as follows. One hour before starting work, take 600 mg ibuprofen, buy a tennis elbow brace or 2, I just had it in the left hand, you wear it approximately 1/2 inch "below" the epicondyle everyday constantly that you work...within at least 4 weeks, you will find that you no longer have the pain, thus can now stop the ibuprofen, but continually wear the tennis elbow brace while working to avoid recurrence of the problem.
s/l MOSES sign.
EXTREMITIES: The patient does have +2 pitting edema bilaterally without any erythema, warmth, or tenderness to palpation along the calves.  He has negative _____ and Homan sign
brudzinski sign???- sm

Have you ever seen this dictated as part of HEENT exam on history and physical exam.


please sign this petition...

I received this from my sister, please pass it on. It is very important. It may not be LEGAL, but it is important... just click on the link, then click on the sign petition...let's make our voices heard on this issue...please also pass it on...


Mastectomy Bill in Congress:
It takes 2 seconds to do this and is very important...please take
the time and do it really quick!

Breast Cancer Hospitalization Bill - Important legislation for all
women.

Please send this to everyone in your address book. If there was ever
a time when our voices and choices should be heard, this is one of those
times. If you are receiving this it's because I think you will take the
30 seconds to go and vote on this issue and send it on to others you know
who will do the same.

There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which
will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital
stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the
"drive-through mastectomy" where women are forced to go home hours after
surgery against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia
and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.

Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a
petition drive to show your support. Last year over half the House
signed on.

PLEASE!! Sign the petition by clicking on the web site below. You
need not give more than your name and zip code number.
 http://www.lifetimetv.com/health/breast_mastectomy_pledge.html


I would not sign it, seems like they have something to hide
to sign it. Obviously they are trying to protect themselves from a MQ type of situation. Makes you wonder though?
No, I didn't sign up,
x
Did not sign for Ipay
I did not want to join Ipay..however, I should still get a check if Im owed one, right?