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True. Insurance change as of 6/1 and SM

Posted By: for real on 2006-05-16
In Reply to: All of the replying post is true. - sm

I'm pretty upset about it because the premium has gone up and they sprung it on us out of nowhere.  I'm questioning whether I even want to continue working there and I'm looking.


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The insurance plan in my opinion is excellent insurance. I am not sure if it will change when it'
time to renew or not. I really hope not but I know that a lot of companies change every year in an effort to keep costs down because most insurance companies start raising rates after you have been with them a year. The insurance is Great West and they also have excellent dental and vision plans. I believe the cost is less than $70 a pay period for the employee.
True, change in everything is a given. Look at is as
things from changing.  Will only prolong YOUR misery.  Take effort to figure out the change and how to make a go of it, figure out how to get out of it what you want. When change comes, as it surely will, and you feel you cant/dont want to make it work for you, time to seek other means of income.  Either way, is gonna take effort and you can either spend energy learing something completely new or you can spend that same energy learing how to work the change in your life.  Ok, got flame resistent suit on. Flame away about how righteous and better than others I think I am.  But, it that is what you get from my posts, you must be very bitter and hopeless long before you read this post.
They also did not change the MGMT insurance
and that's just not right. Seems the ones who are making them all that money for their BIG salaries are the ones who are suffering. VERY UNFAIR.
Did MDI-FL ever change their insurance coverage? SM
I was told by the owner several months ago that she was looking for a cheaper policy for their medical coverage. 
Yes, the bit about the insurance is true.

Plagues me every day.  I had to drop my husband from it because it was too expensive (thankfully he finally qualified for disability) and I worry every week about making my quota.  I haven't taken more than 2-3 days off at a time in years...have to save my PTO for when power goes out and if line counts are low from that or lack of work.  Absolutely stinks to be under that kind of pressure, especially in an industry where there is no guarantee of steady work. 



Nothing will change unless we make it change..SM
As long as we accept the exploitation that this MT profession has reduced us to, it will keep going on.  The top of this is the outsourcing.... well, get your legislators involved....better yet, the MEDIA.  How many patients know their private medical information is being outsourced to halfway around the world? The squeeky wheel gets the grease.  Do the patients know that their info won't be sold by some unscrupulous MT (halfway around the globe) to insurance companies, etc., making all this Medical records privacy a joke. It's not just our T-shirts being made in other countries; it's our most personal, private medical information, of which the public is not being made aware of.  Not to speak of undercutting out profession to the bare bone.  Granted, most US MTs are willing to work below market wage just to have a job, especially in economically-deprived areas, where outside jobs are scarce, and kids need to be fed and mortgages need to be paid.  MTSOs know this.  I'll bet they'll be the first to lobby against any action against outsourcing.  (Wouldn't you be...if you got people to work for pennies while you're raking in the big $$$'s ?  Still, notwithstanding the outsourcing problem, we're still going along with all the BS...working for pennies, whatever the client wants, he gets... ever notice how all of the MTSO flak seems to be re. unpaid work...mostly, demographic issues we're not even paid for... bec. It has to be done.. Part of the job... The client put the wrong info but we have to correct it...all unpaid work.  Just give me a job with nothing but straight transcription, w/o the unpaid/demo. flak..I'll take it even at the present, absurd pennies-per-line state of the profession.
401k funds are protected by govt insurance similar to the insurance
that banks have (FDIC). It is safe even if the company goes under.
The insurance cost is double for Transcend but insurance probably doesn't factor in for her.
I have heard more good things about Axolotl than Transcend, although it seems Axolotl may be less flexible with your schedule and someone told me that QA was pretty strict, which should not matter either if you have worked for a hospital and know what your QA score is.
Glad that's true for you for 8 years. Not true for many. I love the company, but I do run out of
as do many others. Wish I were as fortunate as you.
Not necessarily true. That is not a true test of skill.
Do you know how many people get others to take tests for them? It happens and it happens more often than you might think. The only skill that shows anyway is that you can do it.

We are actually more than a transcriptionist. We are specialists in our field and we are supposed to know some things regarding anatomy and physiology as a working base. That's how we can judge if a physician dictates something in accurately and many do because they can't pronounce or just are not thinking. That's why our skills of basic knowledge come into play and that means basic knowledge of body parts. If our job was just to sit there and type without thinking about what we are transcribing, then all patients are in trouble and this is just based on what I see as a QA person.

It's more than just knowing how to transcribe and some of the companies have discovered how to know what your basic knowledge is based on what you have picked up with your experience by utilizing your references etc. Hopefully that utilization of your references has taught you something that does stick in your head.

Beliefs like yours are just so far off base. You have to know what you are doing. It's not just about being able to listen and type. Base knowledge is a very important thing and the services have to find a way to know that knowledge base that is there in your head.


Insurance sucks compared to my old insurance... sm
The insurance seems like they don't want to cover anything, even simple prescriptions I used to pay 4 or 10 dollars on I now pay 20 to 43 dollars.  I like the company/people so far, just don't like the insurance.
Insurance Questions: Can you tell me what you pay for insurance through your

MTSO, which MTSO it is and whether the coverage is decent?  I currently pay $92.00 a pay period for decent coverage but am trying to figure out if I am getting a good deal or if I could do better elsewhere.


TIA.


This may be true... and that is philisophically true, but
and pay bills while being screwed? This is what I think the OP is scared of... I certainly agree and honestly think it is unfair to put people in this precarious position... on one hand be grateful you still have your job, or a job, and on the other, immediately there will possibly be a cut in pay, for which you may have to give up your home, or medicine or reduce your budget for food. I don't know if I am the only one, but I think the OP still has a good head on her shoulders and that may be the problem...at least for employers out there who are switching to VR.. and their employees
MQ BIG CHANGE?
I just love these posters..gonna be a big change..well, what?  Dont post something like that and not explain.  It only causes anxiety and speculation in an already scarey field, with outsourcing, etc.  Big change, well, come on now..what is gonna be the big change and where did you get your information from?
Well, then maybe that should change.
Maybe they, too, should be paid based on what they produce, with a little bonus if the person stays a year.
Sometimes you just get in a rut and need a change. Sometimes you just
get burn-out in general and think it is the company/account.  I've left a position before because I thought the grass was greener, but it wasn't.  Had to learn new platform, new software program, new dictators with various new accents to figure out, new way to count lines, etc.   Even if the pay was a bit better I still figured I lost money and the grass wasn't greener.   No company is perfect, but there are some very good companies out there, but there can still be intermittent issues with any company.  Sometimes talking with management might resolve issues, sometimes taking a break will refresh you and make you see things in a different light.  List pros/cons of present account and compare that what a different company has to offer.  You may realize you are better off where you are and if not you can feel comfortable that you're making a change that really will be better for you.   If you do decide to leave current account just don't burn any bridges so you leave with the possibility of being able to return if new account/company doesn't work out. 
No. Currently, you can use your own. That may change
nm
I think so...I am not one for change tho....but there

To change
the subject somewhat.  Gastric bypass and lap banding scare me to death!  I personally know of five people who underwent the procedures, and all had complications, one being death.  They all had excellent surgeons, one being my surgeon.  Everyone responds differently I know, and that is the problem.  It is too much of a gamble for me.
change
Are we all in the same boat?  I work for the largest national in the country and am hoping to hear about another position with another company tomorrow or Wednesday.  Many of us have been MTs for years and make less now than then we started.  We get thrown into the national cesspool and may get 20 different states in 20 different reports.  Impossible to make a good line count this way.  I'm slow to change and always fearful, but I'm really at the end of my rope.  Anyone want to add to this conversation, please feel free.  Happy New Year everyone!  May 2008 bring us more MONEY and more CONTENTMENT!!
have to change dsl
well just talked to Vonage and everything was fine until they tried to transfer my line. Said I have to discontinue DSL through ATT for ATT to allow it, then vonage can transfer it...
So I will change to time warner for cable and then get the adapter from vonage. Yes it is a lot cheaper, but have to work out all the transfers.
I know... but I need a change... SM

It was a great benefit for me being an IC because I would work and get big paychecks and being a single mom, I would get the child credits and the earned income tax credits, and I would actually get money back, quite a bit.


But now that that is not going to happen anymore, I want some PTO and all those nice benefits!!!  Im just ready for a change...


Which companies actually hire employees and offer PTO, etc.?


:-)


Change in pay
Contact the Wage and Hour Department of the Federal Labor Commission. This is illegal.
Looking for change
Good luck! I hope you find what you are looking for. I might also add that Landmark is a good, honest company that does not offshore.
Do you know by any change the
system you will be using? Some are apparently much better than others.
I wonder if that will change with the new sm
employee handbook?  I briefly read it this morning and it seems that it boils down to **you owe us this, this and that and we don't owe you anything**.
That will all change.

I've been in the business 20 years too.  I worked for Transcend for 4 years and my honeymoon period with them lasted about 7 months.  Once the honeymoon was over, it was one of the worst job experiences I have ever had. 


What would you like me to change it to? (nm)
I don't like change that much. I started posting here when I was a newer TT'r, so why change?
that says a lot. You would change sm
your mind if you were the sole bread winner as a big majority of MTs are. You wouldn't care about weekends at that point. You do what you have to do to support your family.

You can say what you want, but you have some off as self-righteous and definitely a slap in the face to all of us hard-working full-time MTs
exactly to change this???

x


What you are not getting is the change.
If you've always been used to it, fine...you have worked it out with the mortgage company, car payment, insurance, etc. You've got auto payment set up for your internet or your phone bill. So all those things have to be realigned. That will take some time to readjust both the inflow of money and the getting the autopayments changed.

And, some of you folks really don't seem to have any feeling for those that literally go paycheck to paycheck. I work two jobs. The only time I can take any length of time away from my desk is on Saturday evening and Sundays. Which works out great if I'm getting paid on Fridays. Not so good when it's falling through the week....so you're waiting extra days waiting for payday anyway and then you've got to wait longer before you can get out and do anything with it.

I'm glad your life is so stable that that waiting three extra 3 days doesn't impact you in any way. But having been there myself, and still almost there, I can certainly expend a little sympathy and try to understand how it might be problematic for someone else.
Why don't you change your hours?

I thought you were allowed to choose your own hours.


Times change. It's not about YOU, it's about

what the reality is today, not four months ago.


Congratulations on your windfall, though.


If you have doubts, email or call the person who hired you and they'll verify this.


 


Good or bad change?
What do you think is going to happen?
MQ big change? Hmmm maybe

Big changes a coming...


she's talking about that we will have to volunteer xxx amount of lines to the legal fund


put in for PTO 3 yrs in advance


 be required to have state of the art systems (say the ones for 2 grand)


 pay are own and 10 of our neighbors DSl bills (because MQ may have a stake in that company


commit to not only real chains to the chair but also go on ankle monitors, so that MQ management can tell when we stray farther than 2 ft from our puter's...say to go to the potty


have to go through our supe's, area managers, district higher up's then finally corporate to sign off for the shift or to notify them of our own deaths


not only be able to understand our loving ESL's but to also be able to transcribe in their native languages if they so desire


be ready, willing and able to put up during training all the offshores who so desire to come to the US to train...kinda like a foreign exchange transcriptionist


Last but not least, to have the common sense to duck when that sky falls


 i love those the end is near posts.....geez


Hang on it will change
I am surprised to hear that FOCUS ICs are without jobs!!! I work for another company that provides services for them and we have so many jobs from FOCUS that we are asked to work extended shifts. I know that they have some accounts that are supposed to be VR editing but everyone working on them is mostly doing MT work until the VRE kicks in. We hear it is about 30-60 days from 90% VRE.
worrying does not change anything
Two hospitals that I worked at..rumor was they were going to oursource.  We were told no way, dont worry about your jobs.  One hospital was reassuring us on Monday, Thursday we had a meeting and were told we were let go, pick up our purses and leave.  The other hospital was reassuring us in the morning and by 11am we were called down to Human Resources and let go.  Corporate is not gonna tell us what they are deciding as they dont want to scare the transcriptionists away and then they wouldnt have transcriptionists.  Plus the management are only workers like us.  Whatever they know, if they tell, they will lose their jobs.  Corporate looks out for making a profit for their stock holders.  I have heard the rumors about MQ also, some from office workers themselves.  If you are a good transcriptionist, dont worry.  MQ isnt gonna get rid of the transcriptionists.  It is the offices they are merging.  The transcriptionists will just have to call in to a different office.  Also, there are many transcription companies out there.  Nothing you can do about corporate decisions.  If you worry so much, you will make yourself sick. Used to be when I first started working, there was loyalty between employer and employee.  That isnt how the American workplace is any more.  Just remember, transcriptionists are in demand.  You will do fine.
subject to change..lol
I worked for a large national for an entire week, getting only one report per day, but one of them was really really bad. The patient had allergies listed and then the same medications listed in "medications." The family history had the father 2 different ages and dying of 2 different disorders, and it went on and on. I sent it to QA with a description of all of the obvious and potentially dangerous errors and was told "it is verbatim and not our problem." Scuse me...that could be somebody's grandma laying there about to be given a medication that could or could not be deadly due to an allergy!!
I wonder if there was a change in management...
...to account for your different experience.  Something for potentials to consider.
As much as things change
there, yes it will change again, for better or worse, who knows, I sure don't.
Is Webmedx going to change all their
accounts to VR like Transcend is doing? I work for Transcend and am going to find another job due to that fact. It's a pity cause I liked my job until that happened. Webmedx sounds good, but if they are gonna do the same thing, I won't go there.
No. That's SLAVE CHANGE.
.
yes, pay rate does change, but...
you know prior to the new month beginning what your pay rate is going to be for the next month. Everyone receives a report card that shows how the pay rate is added up. It does not change until the next month.

As for the critical error of typing an instead of and, there are things about that, that just don't make sense. I just can't believe they would dock someone's pay for something like that. Maybe since the report was obviously an extremely long report, good chance there were more errors than just that one.

I really don't know anything about the Trinidad thing. I just know that I have plenty of work, and have never run out, and have been there almost a year.

I should say this, when I first was offered this job, I was discouraged about the pay rate, as it was less than I was making with my current company at that time. After taking a long time to decide, I took the plunge, and I actually make at least double what I was bringing home with my other company. Lines seem to add up so quickly.
That will change - once you start
producing consistently and making money, you'll be switched to ESLs, mumblers, stumblers and speed talkers.  That is a guarantee in this business.  But congratulations on your increase.
Wow, that's a major change.
They used to pay $10.00 per hour for the first 90 days and then put you on production. Yikes.
They were upfront when this change was
made and have never denied the fact that they are owned by Transcend. But they operate separately and on most accounts with different platforms. Always amazes me that people who do not (and many times have not) worked for a company try to create doubting Thomas attitude and the only reason I can think of for this is that this is a competing company representative or you were there and just did not fit in.
Don't think so. They're trying to change the name and take out
They're causing a huge rift in the organization by doing that.
I agree that we don't like change, but

it seems to me that not liking change and distrustfulness gets more people in trouble as being trusting.  I don't think to be trusting is to be naive.  Yes, MTSOs, even small ones, are in business, not friendship.  But if you are a good employee, and a good MT, you don't have to necessarily fear change, and an MTSO is not going to willingly let the good transcriptionists go.  It's the ones who insulate themselves or think that they're better MTs than what they are who get mad when change happens or whose accounts are cut off because they do crap work and then go and spread nasty rumors trying to make trouble.  I've been on both sides of the issue multiple times in 18 years, both remote MT and middle management, and I've worked for a company that sold out.  It wasn't the end of the world, though some of my coworkers tended to make it out to be.  You can be friends with your employer and yet still realize that they're not going to leave you their company when they die.  You don't have to cut yourself off of all emotions, you just have to be realistic and realize if you don't do good work, you're going to be out of a job, friend or not. 


color change

Does anyone know in word how to change the background color and get it to stick?  Everytime I change and exit out it goes back to white.


 


Thanks


The reason there is a change in pay

between IC and employee is because as an employee they pay part of your taxes.  I prefer to have company pay taxes rather than dealing with having to pay quarterly taxes.    There may be a line rate difference and your net will be lower, but you don't have to worry about socking money away to pay quarterly taxes.  I haven't run the numbers, but I don't think there is a difference in pay. 


 


 


cool change--sm
I sat back all day yesterday and watched the *backlash* you had wanted to start. It is unbelievable the twists and turns a post can take. Interesting! but entertaining, to say the least..thanks!