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Transcend Cuts Pay rates for All

Posted By: Discouraged on 2009-09-29
In Reply to:

Anyone else hear about the cross-the-board pay cuts for all at Transcend???  We started getting the calls today from our manangement team.  Starts October 1st.  This goes into effect whether you are brand new with the company, or if you've been with them 10 years.  Team leads are the only exceptions.  These cuts in rates are in the 30 - 35% range. There are no more shift/weekend differentials And of course, quota remains the same....you just now have to produce 35% in a night 5 nights a week to make it .  So for some....guess than means no more benefits.  This makes an overall pay rate cut for me of about 50% over the last 5 years.  (The first 20% cut came 4 years ago when they first took over the hospital where I worked --- and now this second one for approximately 35%).  Crazy, isn't ?  Where else can you work 5 years someplace and loose 55% of your pay?  I'm disgusted and discouraged.  Is MT even worth it any more?




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Transcend pay cuts?
At the time of the Transcend purchase of MDI, we MDI'ers were encouraged to ask questions, so I asked the Transcend president directly if my pay rate would stay the same, and her answer was yes. I have not yet heard anything from anyone at MDI or Transcend about any pay cuts. Could someone provide further information?? Thanks.
Transcend/MDI pay rates

I think MDI/Transcend should inform the MDI MTs what their pay rate will be come January 1st.  We've been through enough and you can't tell me that they don't know what it will be. 


I'm on the verge of jumping ship, and if I don't find out soon what my pay rate will be with Transcend, I think I'm going to go with the other company.  I'd rather know what I'm going to make than to sit around wondering about it.  I can't wait until January 1st to find out that I'm going to be making 20%, 30% or even 40% less on the next paycheck.  This is ridiculous and really should be unlawful. 


All MDI MTs should email their liasons or D herself and ask this question directly, in light of these recent Transcend pay cuts.  Maybe if enough of us come together to do this, they will give us the answers we are seeking. 


So, Transcend pays half of MT rates for ME?
@@
VR lines rates w/Medq vs Transcend

You could never figure the line rate with VR out with Transcend --- it was different with each person and when you did hear the formula, you would need to be a math whiz from Princeton to figure out the percentages of everything.  It would always turn out 1/2 of what I would make straight typing.  So probably Medquest is paying better on that for sure because I surely didn't make twice what you are saying is the rate for Medquest.  They may have their faults and pay less for straight typing but for VR that isn't bad at all.   Once you get going if you lose the dang mouse, you pull down twice the lines or more than with straight typing. 


 


And on top of that QA really cuts your pay
///
pay cuts

Unfortunately, she couldn't say who gave her the information so that person wouldn't get burned, but she did decide not to apply. That seems significant since I know with all her experience she would have easily passed the test and been hired. 


It seems interesting to me that you say the company has went down in the last 6 months to a year.  I've been there quite a few years and have seen the company take a drastic tail spin as soon as they hired their new chief of operations, formerly from Speris, he then hired some MQ buddies of his, and now they have systematically taken a really nice place to work and turned it into just another MTSO that thinks of its CEOs (and they seem to have added quite a few of those!) wallet before its MTs! 


So before the usual management/CEO posing as an MT comes on and tells me to quit, why should I? ... this is where all the transcription companies are headed, no need to change one devil for another.  But retirement will be coming for me sooner than later because I can't see things getting any better for us MTs.


no pay cuts!
I dislike VR but it took some reasearch for me to understand why the reports kept coming in filled with junk/errors. I never suggested any pay cuts--heaven forbid! I do about 50/50 where I work but more traditional whenever possible.
Pay cuts

Wonder when the CEOs of these companies will figure out it's the MTs that are keeping them in business....you get what you pay for. Outsourcing to India and then having to hire a US MT to QA their work seems rather ludicrous to me. I was always proud to say that MDI didn't outsource - although I realize everyone has to do what they have to do,  I have mixed feelings about this merger for that reason, whether it brings additional work in or not.


Pay cuts
I'm in nursing school at the moment and getting the heck out!   I have 20 years experience and remember when I was getting paid a nice 12 cpl WITH benefits.   Can't even seem to find anything, but contractor jobs at 8 cpl!  It's disgusting what they have done to the MT industry. 
Man, that makes me mad when it cuts off like that. sm
Bush actually supports offshoring and has implimented plenty of tax cuts to companies and hospitals alike for sending work offshore!
Webmedx pay cuts ?
I had a friend who was applying but later heard that there were going to be restructuring and pay cuts announced next week.  Any one else heard this?
Acusis Pay Cuts
True, true, true. Been there, experienced that. If you want to hear all about it, e-mail me.
Watch out, MT pay cuts are next

I know there was some trashing of someone who posted on the Company Board about Editor pay cuts, but I know someone who knows an editor, and all the editors except the new ones got at least a 30 percent pay cut. MTs are next, and we are going to have to get by on less.


If you love Spheris and the indian companies, you're gonna love Acusis.


Acusis pay cuts
Your pay may not have been cut if you're a newer MT with them.  Its us MTs who have been there and know all the ropes who are getting the kick in the face.  If you're an old MT with them, I'm sure your pay is cut and they just haven't gotten around to calling you yet!
Notice it's always the MTs who get pay cuts, never
Feh.
BAD - ISR pay cuts in the near future :(
Some mumbo jumbo about how their fancy new ISR program will up our production, and thus we get pay cuts, since we have to be competative in the market. Funny how we are getting million dollar accounts, but yet they can't afford to pay us a decent amount. Knew it was coming, just was hoping to avoid it for another year until done with school.
Transend/MDI pay cuts
To all Transcend MTs, I am syaing without any form of hostility, welcome to our world. I am wondering if any of you have the answers to the questions us MDIers have been asking: Is IC still an option? Will be be limited to a 40-hour work week? Will our schedule include 1 weekend day EVERY weekend? What happens if we can't (because of lack of work) meet our commitments? Can we expect a cpl drop? Will we be forced to VR? Will we have a set schedule or can we work when we want? How is the current work flow, is there enough for everyone? What percentage of work is being outsourced and what are the projections for next year?

These are questions that us MDIers cannot get answered. Do you Transcend MTs have any REAL and credible answers?
Yikes - with the pay cuts and all? You can have 'em.
nm
Actually, a lot of careers have had wage cuts
Anything that can be offshored to India for under a penny on the dollar has seen their wages cut. Do we remember what happened not too long ago to all the software engineers that used to make really good money? They're probably making half of what they made 10 years ago. The few customer support people that remain stateside probably make at least $2 an hour less than they made 10 years ago. Heck, even the radiologists that used to make great night, weekend, and holiday pay took a beating when they discovered they could offshore that, too.

So the pain is spread around, but it doesn't make it less painful. They have to find a way to bring American jobs back to America. It doesn't do much good for the so-called global workforce to lower the price of a plasma TV if I can't even afford to buy Wonder Bread.
The only problem is, we were taking pay cuts
Do you think we'll all start getting raises from 7-8 cpl to 9-10 cpl when the times are good again? Nuh-uh. They'll just hire on more Indians, and buy more VR equipment.
better than Lanier - darn short-cuts! NM
q
Probably getting together to discuss line rate cuts. nm
x
The line cuts are happening across the board...sm
for VR. This is not just about individual MTs. I know there are a select few who roam the board thinking they are above everyone else and hence their wages will never be cut, but they are just a number in the end like everyone else.

Why is it when anyone objects to having their wages cut for VR or because India can to it cheaper, there are people like you who imply MTs deserve it? Anyone who says anything is told 'obviously you are not a good MT.' This isn't an original or compelling response. It's kind of stupid.
Short cuts go a long way with ortho. A good speed typing engine will
dd
Transcend bought MDI, so if Transcend sends work offshore, so does MDI. nm
nm
We heard Transcend is buying Keystrokes next. I'm not working for Transcend. No Way !
nm
If MDI-FL is owned by Transcend and Transcend admittingly offshores, sm
then doesn't that make MDI a company that offshores? That's like saying that one branch of a company offshores but another does not, so they are excluded from the offshore label. If MDI-FL is part of Transcend and Transcend offshores, that means that they do.
RE: If MDI-FL is owned by Transcend and Transcend admittingly offshores, sm
Your hypothesis is incorrect. MDI is a wholly independent subsidary of Transcend, therefore, they were not a part of the experiment to offshore to evaluate cost/benefit ratio that Transcend only tried for 90 days (I believe the evaluation process is not still ongoing).
Pay rates
Your pay rate doesn't change. What this policy says is that IF you send a report with a CRITICAL error to a customer and it is returned, you may not be paid for that particular report. I don't see this as unfair frankly because the service can't bill a customer for that serious of a mistake in a document. It's all about us being accountable for our work. We want to be recognized for our value but don't want any of the responsibility that goes with that?
pay rates sm
I turned down a job also because of low pay--company did not want to pay for spaces and added normals themselves so I wouldn't get paid. How low can you go? Wish we all would turn down low pay. Maybe it would send a message. I know this isn't realistic, but I'm wishing :)
pay rates sm
Just curious but which company does not want to pay for spaces? I know of one company that does add the normals and will not pay the MTs but it isn't any of the three mentioned here, can you enlighten us, please?

Thanks!
pay rates
There are two different platforms, one pays 9 cents per line without spaces and one pays 7-8 cents with spaces.
low rates
I have a friend who has a small MT company and she charges her clients 9 to 12 cpl (the 9 cpl accounts she types herself). She has a few ICs locally (usually pays 7 cpl). She is amazed when I tell her what other companies charge their clients but every time she tries to negotiate a little higher rate her clients tell her either it's the same low rate as always or they won't use her services anymore, so she feels stuck. We live in a low cost of living area, so the doctors are generally cheaper here, but for me personally, I wouldn't take that pay if I had to have the hassle of my own accounts, dealing with clients, billing, etc.
Especially re. pay rates....sm
The few MT contracts I have seen, employee or IC, are pretty vague on the subject of compensation, saying something like, ...The agreed-upon rate.  Agreed between whom?  Get a specific figure in writing, esp. re. rates per line, spaces, etc.  They can screw you up here without you knowing it, and how is agreed-upon rate going to hold up anywhere?
rates
Employee rates are 7.5 to 8.5 for dayshift, plus they have an incentive that you can make if you type an additional 200 lines per day.  That will add 1/2 cpl to your rate, they also have an additional 1 cpl for late shift plus the incentive.  The acute care rates are higher than the ER team rates.  They pay by direct deposit every 2 weeks. I started with MedScribe about 6 months ago and like the work and the new platform.
low rates
I have tried to reason with the company I work for, using all my logical arguments - it's best to pay a little more if you expect people to work on their days off, it's better to pay your experienced people a few cents more than to hire in outsiders when work gets behind, especially if your clients are already angry (come on, tell me that someone can just come in and do exceptional work with no experience on an account!), that it would be nice to get a raise or a sick day or some kind of incentive, and it has all fallen on deaf ears.

I believe there is money to be made in this business, but it is not the MTs who will be making it.
low rates
I turned down an offer this morning of 7.5 cpl for acute care.  I have over 20 years of experience and I refuse to accept that line rate.  It's an insult to all of us who have dedicated our lives to our profession.
MT Rates

If anyone knows the going rate being charged by MT companies or by individuals in Florida, North and South Carolina, would you mind posting it here..hubby and I are considering a move.  Thank you.


pay rates?
Anyone know companies that pay on the gross and/or straight line? 
pay rates
But, because the vendors spew their crap about how this technology will save the hospitals so much money, the Editor pay is almost always decreased per line versus traditional transcription. Most editors are getting paid 3 to 4 cents per 65-character line, some are paid a % of their usual pay rate per line. It still means a decrease in overall income per hour.

How many MTs/editors are now working extra hours per week to make up that difference?

Although the vendors (keep in mind, they are salesman, they only care about selling their product -- they don't give a rat's a%% about how it affects anything else) claim that the technology keeps learning and improves, that is not always the case. A lot depends on the particular system, how many editors are involved, if the editors are ALL given the identical specs and following those account specifications.

I'm just sick and tired of new technology actually causing a decrease in my income. It should be a win-win situation for everyone involved in the process, but it never seems to benefit the MTs/editors.
Rates for Rad
I've worked for a company offering Rad on PowerScribe (and please ask how you are compensated for downtime) and rates for both editing AND MT should never be below a dollar, that's just insane. $1.25 to 1.50 is the going rate most places per report for MT.
Rates
I would suggest you talk them into using a digital recorder - then you don't have to drive for tapes, and the sound quality is better. There are many inexpensive ways to get the files to you, so you won't have to worry about gas, etc.

As for rates - I wish you the best of luck in getting them to pay the range you're considering. You have a shot at the low end, at the high end, if you can get it, I'll hire you to come do sales for me. ;)

Deborah

PTO rates cut
If you thought the PTO time you have been banking at DRC/Acusis was going to be paid at the rate when you banked it -- dream on!  It's being paid at your CURRENT rate -- so for all my sister MTers, we lost bunches of money.  One wonders what is next??!!
The insurance rates are the same for everyone who
signs up for that particular coverage. If you are signing up for employee only it will obviously be the lowest cost. If you add children and/or spouse and/or family coverage, those are all different coverage plans and each has a cost.

The benefits for Spheris are not negotiable. Therefore, if $202 was what they told you would be the cost of your insurance, then everyone who has the same coverage will pay that same rate.


Reasonable rates
Reasonable rates to you may be unreasonable to others.

If you don't feel you're being paid for your experience, then you're not.

As you can see below, when MTs start posting anything regarding rates, line counts, etc., flames start.

Decide what is reasonable for you and what is fair compensation for your experience. If MQ isn't paying it, talk to them. If they are, then congratulations!


line rates
When I started I was told line rates are based on years of experience and what account you work on.  When you are hired they give you a pay matrix so it is easy to see exactly what you are making.  They also pay a shift differential after 6PM and have an incentive plan that is paid at 12,000 per pay (2 weeks). 
Pay Rates Have Not Changed -
It must have been the level of the account.
This is exactly why our rates are going into the toilet -
SOMEONE will nearly always work for whatever ridiculously low rate is offered!
Line rates
Why do all these companies keep dropping their line rates?  The cost of living sure isn't falling. 
Line rates
Because they can get away with it. As an experienced MT, at this point I will go work doing something else before I will take less, but I am frustrated that there are so many out there who are willing to sell themselves short. I also will happily learn voice recognition or do QA but not at my expense. I keep wondering what the fallout in this profession will be.
Line Rates

Hi


Could anyone tell me what to expect for a decent line rate... I never see any ads for more than about 8-9c per line?  Thanks. Lou