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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Looks like OSI can't catch a break

Posted By: reaping what they sow LOLOLOL on 2007-02-01
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    are on to catch up.
    dfsd
    It's a catch-22 sm
    It can be pretty hard for people who need insurance (no spouse with good insurance, etc) to take a job (even if it is with a wonderful company) where the insurance is too expensive for them to afford until enough people come on board to get a lower group insurance.  If you come from a company where you had insurance and can afford to keep it via COBRA until the company has enough people to participate in the group insurance, then maybe it can work out.  However, if it takes too long, then you are in deep trouble because the COBRA only lasts so long. 
    Good catch on that - sm
    I don't want to try out new and improved if the last was old and crappy.
    Yes I an employee and I don't see any catch.

    The majority of the companies do not reimburse LD/internet fees.  They did loan me a C-phone for free, most won't supply or they rent them to you. 


    Doing away with my home phone and getting digital phone actually lowers my expenses, as my costs from BellSouth/AT&T were more than my digital line is, so I don't see that I'm out anything.


    In the ads they clearly state you need ULD and they don't mention anything about reimbursement.  They have been completely up front about it and you can make your choice, go with them or don't. 


    You still have today to catch up. nm
    nm
    Actually they are offering it, must be a catch, but they
    xx
    If you don't catch all the nonsense
    nm
    Did you catch the errors after you sent it
    Or did the company call them to your attention?

    You can always correct the errors and resend it, asking them to disregard the first submission if you caught the errors.


    Thanks. Guess I need to catch up with the times. :-) nm
    x
    Catch up with the times. Unfortunately, MTSOs are in
    For those who still need the personal one-on-one attention, they should go back inhouse or get their own accounts.


    it's such a catch 22. Everybody wants cheap stuff yet
    and get paid top dollar. You simply cannot have both. Not with the CEOs having million dollar salaries and all. because God forbid they make less than six figures. it's disgusting...
    Sign on bonuses-What's the catch?
    Hi.  When a company offers something like a $1000 sign-on bonus in one of their classified ads, what conditions do MTs usually have to meet to actually qualify for just such a bonus, and if those conditions are met, how long does the MT usually have to wait for the bonus?  I am personally not looking for a new job right now, but when I see those adds, I ALWAYS think - Yeah, right, what's the catch?
    Horrid hours.. thats the catch SM
    I have to wonder, what hourly rate are they setting you up for?
    No, I did not catch the joke, thought you were serious
    When you spoke of the labor board was wondering why contact them about this. Do you work doing VR or straight? I personally think 3 cents a line is ridiculous for VR. I make what I am satisfied with on VR because I find my platform easy, very good with ESLs BUT I do not think VR will take over completely. I have done VR now for about 7 years and you cannot just leave a machine to run and not check behind it sometime, such it is with VR.
    Brilliant! a real catch-22
    And you cannot keep copies because of HIPPA so you cannot win.
    funny, I catch this ad at top of screen

    U.S. Based proofers?  Kinda curious needing MTs to clean up the reports, geez


    9.9 Cents / 65 Char. line


    U.S. Based Proofers, Almost Inhouse 98.5% Quality, 24 Hour TAT

    www.MyMTCo.com

    "Twisting the Knob" - right??? That's why it's so hard to catch them
    include or exclude characters or letters to count.
    Yep, my work is low this week too. Previouly, however, we could not catch it up. Is it all the ..SM

    new hires, do you think?  They haven't told me to take the day off or anything, but there are big gaps in my downloads.  I love QT but it's times like these that make my eyes wander to the ads.  Funny how when we're busy, I type faster, too.  When it's like this, I just casually and nonchalantly go about typing during the day, getting up and down as I please, no hurry at all.  Maybe I'll start looking at part-time supplements -- then if work runs really dry, I'l already have my foot in the door somewhere else. 



    We have been slammed with work and plaing catch up
    doesnt make sense to me
    No company name given. Now that's a shock. What's the catch?? I doubt the adminstrator will le
    stay there anyway so you better apply before it gone LOL..I just don't feel gullible or vulnerable today..
    Nope, not a catch. The only thing you need to do to qualify I think is have been there one year in
    to be eligible. They pay like four weeks at full pay (your average weekly earnings) or eight weeks at half pay. Your choice. They strongly believe that it's the right thing to do.
    Notice the "up to $2500" - sounds like a catch - be careful with this one
    nm
    I found Medrite to be slow -- would type and watch it try to catch up with me. sm

    I went from 250-300 lph to 180-200 lph with it.  Plus it has this spy stuff (I called it), where if you are gone longer than such amount of time, when you come back, you have to say why you were gone (it has things to choose from).  I didn't care for it, but obviously some must.


     


    Good luck! 


    How did they break it to you?
    Why would they drop direct deposit? Does it cost a company to provide that service? Sorry to hear about your insurance. 
    Give me a break.
    I doubt 100% that you posted AGAINST Keystrokes and used your real name.  Not gonna make me believe that in a minute, cause if you did, it would have been spread all over this board like wildfire, with Lee and the whole gang from KS posting to you, yadda, yadda.  Don't believe you one minute.  As for posting against Spheris, hmmmm... they have like 12,000 or more employees now? Bigger than MQ. So, boy, you're sure brave if you ever posted as Michelle.  Yep, they'd be able to zero right in on you on their radar screen! Please....Transcend watches this board like a hawk, and DOES contact posters.  PERIOD. It is scary and it is a hassle, so its a business strategy that does work for them regarding damage control. Doesn't mean any of us are "hiding" or that our negative comments are any less valid than your soap-box stances defending Transcend.
    Give me a break!
    I understand there are two sides to every story, but there is no excuse for not paying the people who have worked for you. I just hope you are a better business owner than she is.
    Give me a break.....

    I know a whole lot more hard working, LOYAL, honest, go-the-extra-mile transcriptionists  then I do companies who truely appreciate them.  It is not the work ethic of the general TX that has caused the rates to go down.  It is greed on the part of the company.  I have now been with SEVEN different companies in the past 3 years as an IC and have never done the things you suggest.  What I get is days without work or days that I am expected to work 24 hours, late/no paycheck, awful and ridiculous platforms, doctor switching games, etc.


    I'd gladly still be with the first company I ever worked for if they'd just pay......


    Give me a Break!!

    Ya know, I must be cranky today, but...some posts below really got my dander up! MTs are asking for referrals about companies, and someone actually posts that the company is GREAT - I believe GREAT is the adjective. Then inside message says something to the effect of:  I'm a new hire, too, and I hear the work will be picking up soon. PICKING UP SOON!!  This is after several MTs claim no work, which is what we all-too-often hear with these companies. Hiring and WORK SHOULD BE PICKING UP SOON!! And the poster closes by saying how NICE everyone is. That he/she doesn't mind lack of work cause they are NICE. Grrrrrrrrrrrr...


    I wish we could have some coding system where MTs gave job referrals based on LIFE SITUATIONS. Like how many of us really need the income?? Versus those who obviously don't really need the $$ and don't mind being hired for a job with NO WORK. But the people are nice...Can you imagine? I used to hire people in-house for hospitals - all depts. I can just imagine me HIRING people for work that wasn't really there... Give me a BREAK. Nice...


    How about giving me a break?
    I am the MT who seemed to upset a lot of you with my post below about MDI and the lack of work for some. Unlike what many of you surmised, I also need a regular income, a daily line count that I can depend on and I work far more than 1-2 hours per day and always have. I am also an MT who has been kicked to the curb by enough MTSO's to make me want to quit this profession at times and work at just about anything else. What I was saying below is that MDI, at least for me, is trying to get me more work and guess what? I have more now! Yes, everyone, they are being helpful and NICE! When compared to others I have worked for, who have also been low in work at times, and who have told me and other MTs who ask for more work, to basically get over it and wait it out or go elsewhere, I think I prefer the treatment I have received with MDI far above the others. If a nice company doesn't cut it for you, then go to the many out there who don't give a rat's behind how they treat you. They are not hard to find. When the work is there, you will be worked to death and when it isn't, they could not care less. Heck, you can make good money these days working on a garbage truck, so if nice isn't important,what's stopping you?
    It is just a different field to break into now...
    I have only been an MT for 4-1/2 years, and I am happy to hear that you found a job that you are happy with and making a good wage at.

    However, to say that because MTs are not happy has something to do with their skills does an injustice to hardworking MTs. There are some of us who do 12-hour days, too.

    The field is totally different that what it used to be. You can ask a majority of seasoned MTs, and they will tell you that wages are going down and the cost of benefits is becoming outrageous. It can take you almost 2 weeks to earn enough money to pay for family insurance. Couple that MTSOs who are making contracts with companies for acute care work when they have only hired transcriptionists with clinic experience, and you have some very overstressed MTs just trying to make a living. I have felt since starting I am being pushed to gain 10 years experience for each year I work. Some days you just wake up, go to work, and you are on a totally different account, totally different work type, and totally different part of the country with no warning.

    Since starting in this profession, I have worked on over 20 different accounts in all areas of the country. Not only have I been required to learn medical transcription (and I have done all report types right through the OP notes), I have had to learn umpteen physician groups, hospitals in those areas, nursing homes, drug stores, county social service units...you name it.

    I have consistently good quality scores, and I usually work at least 1-1/2 times my required production. I have been with my company close to 3 years, work nights and holidays, and have given up more family time than I care to consider. However, I just saw an ad where my employer is offering 10 cpl to do discharge summaries while I am doing consults for a clinic no one in the company wants to touch because of the difficulty factor, and they will not raise me above 7.5 CPL.

    On top of that, I had to darn near beg today to have a technical problem taken care of that was preventing me from working. It was a 2-minute fix that took almost 40 minutes to resolve because our customer service kept telling me I wasn't even working as I had no jobs checked out and my boss kept switching her MSN messenger to say she was busy or away.

    Do I feel disrespected and underpaid? YUP!

    That is my reality.
    Hate to break it to ya, but
    *Isn't this just good business sense on their part in an environment where it is hard enough to feel connected and part of a team?*

    Good business and reality are galaxies apart. During my final time at the last company I left, it was commented to me that for as long as I had been there and as good an MT as I was, they were surprised I had not asked for a raise. I had been with them 9 months. I was covering 12 different accounts and doing mostly ESL dictation. They thought when I turned in my resignation it was about money. It wasn't. It was about a having a level playing field and I didn't like their level of *honesty.* My work route was being manipulated and they couldn't admit what they were doing. Gravy was being given to lesser experienced MTs and I was getting nothing but crap and it was being touted that everyone was paid the same cpl. (okay, this example shows they were lying to me on that level! If they were willing to give me more money to keep me, then they were surely doing that to other people, right?) I wanted an honest work environment and the money. That is what I have now. I've already gotten one raise at the new MTSO with the promise of a second when I hit a new lpd average (two months).

    So, it would not hurt to broach the subject if they don't with you. The worse they can do is say no to a raise and explain their review policy. At least you will know where you stand, how you feel, and what your options are.
    Give em a break at least -- sm
    they are giving US MTs a chance to get started rather than offsourcing to India. At least they are giving back to the USA in one form or another.

    They could just send it off and be done with it.
    Ah, I do agree with you on the break sm
    pay. As for sitting in front of the monitor for a certain period, you can work for a company that allows some flexibility (a window of time) in your schedule. That makes it better. I know the MT side of it, our low wages, etc, but the hospital side of it is - we have strict TATs and sick people, whatcha gonna do? There's got to be coverage during certain hours. Anyway, I digress.
    give me a break
    It's called being courteous to my employers, asking rather than telling them and this is completely irrelevant to this board and rather discourteous on your part.
    Give her a break!
    Maybe there are reasons she does not want minimum line counts per shift/day.  I have a hard time with line counts myself but with good reason.  I tore my TFCC in Dec. 06 and had surgery.  It is stable now but I have lost some range of motion which has slowed my typing speed a bit.  That's why I stay away from minimum line count jobs.  I do work for a smaller company though so they are ok with this.
    I'm going to break out of the mold (sm)

    I'd like to branch out to doing general transcription so I can finally 100% work for myself instead of partly me, partly them.  I'd love to have a home-based secretarial service that did a lot of things I enjoy, bookkeeping, typing, etc.  Maybe I'll do some research and just do it.


    Best way to break into the MT business? SM
    A good friend of mine is wanting to learn the trade.  I am self-taught from many years back and have no clue what to recommend to her.  What is the best way to get training - any online courses?  None of our local schools offer anything except maybe a terminology course, etc.  Any MT companies have mentor programs for true beginners?  Any advice would be helpful.  BTW, I truly believe she has the basis for success as she is very computer/English literate and quite the perfectionist - she lacks the medical experience, however.  Again, thanks so much for any input!  :)
    Give me a break

    I do answer posts about which companies are good, who pays on time, etc, if I know the answer so I am not a board troll but a participating member.  Its okay to have an opininon the same as yours but something different and your a flamer.  As for working hours, I was making a general statement as I see it all the time on this board...no one wants to work weekends or past 6 p.m. at the most.  More than the OP jumped on this thread with the me too, no work post...and in my opinion if more people were willing to make sacrifices they would have work but everybody wants to work M-F.  If that's the case then you need to leave your home and work in an office.


    Give me a break

    I'm working with 3 companies right now and will weed out the crap just like they weed through the MT's.  I do ask the worst case scenario questions and have been lied to over and over again!  I'm doing this to make money and put food on the table and if that means weeding out the B.S. that these companies give you - so be it!  You sound like your from one of the companies I am now working for.  They just started a new account and have NO CLUE what they are doing.  The way things are so out of control I bet they never sat down with the hospital to go over how this project was going to be run - and now they are advertising for ANOTHER NEW ACCOUNT!  I got 2 words for you sister - and it ain't Merry Christmas!


     


     


    give me a break
    are you saying becausse I am defending the company I work for that I am management and I am lying??? Give me a break. Obviously you are just not up to the high standard that we are held accountable for at this company and you got fired.
    Break this down so I can understand
    what are you talking about? TTS or this board or ?
    GREAT why do THEY get the break!?!?
    about the people is nothing new
    Give me a break please!!
    I am 100% Cherokee and never took that as a racist remark.  I think that someone is just trying to stir the pot.
    hate to break it to ya, but

    the statement about MT being dominated by females is no longer a factor when it comes to wages.  The picture is much bigger than that.  If you look at the owners of the majority of companies, they are men, or groups of men and women.  We call those _Boards of Directors_   Some are even called _Lobbiests_ and _Leaders_ of MT-associated groups.


    I do agree with being nauseated over the new era of paid spaces being treated as if it was a benefit.  This field is hurting so badly and it has nowhere to go but down.


    Hate to break it to you....
    but leads do not type during the time they are watching accounts nor do they take work from you. Get YOUR facts straight.
    I am prepared not to break the law
    Among other things.

    Will I need to file past taxes? Yeah. But I've only worked for this company for a year, so it's not that big of a deal for me.

    Will it mean I have to pay MORE in taxes? VERY HIGHLY unlikely. However, even if I do, it's worth it to me.

    Why? Because I would prefer to stay inside the law.

    There are several reasons why it's a Very Bad Thing for companies to willfully misclassify employees as independent contractors. The least of which is that misclassification - on average - costs taxpayers money.

    Second, and most importantly, because so many companies are willing to dramatically uneven the playing field ILLEGALLY, it leaves VERY little room for success for an honest company willing to provide quality service and pay their employees accordingly.

    Being complicit in the cheating of one company SCREWS the majority of all other transcriptionists.

    Are you really so selfish to be a cog in this machine? For what cannot be much more than a few dollars a paycheck, when you start figuring in the tax issue and the lack of benefits?

    If we're going to have rules, EVERYONE should have to play by them. Or we should get rid of the rules ... and then see what happens.
    Give me a break (sm)
    This doesn't sound at all like an MT who has worked on this platform: 'It's actually good news in that moving to a more efficient platform means management is working to save our jobs in a very competitive, unstable market by increasing our output, and thus our value to the hospitals.'

    How do you know it's more efficient? Because they say so? Have you worked on it and found your output increasing?

    I'm waiting for those MTs who are finding they're producing more to pipe in.

    You are very rude and smug to people who have been hurt by this announcement. 'Rude and foolish messages' pretty much applies to yours.
    Give me a break -- I am overworked!!!!
    You obviously do not work there.... we have a ton of work.
    I am sure there are 40,000 non-MQ people too, give us a break

    I don't clock out for just a bathroom break or to
    get coffee, but the bathroom and the coffee pot are only about 10 and 2 steps away respectively.
    I agree 100%! I definitely think it's time to break them down! nm
    x