fixing issues/profit
Posted By: SAR/MDI on 2005-07-21
In Reply to: Yes but Transcend needs to step up - and fix the issues at hand. SM
Yeah, guess that is why Transcend had a press release that came out yesterday with a 74% increase in revenue from the prior year quarter. Here is an excerpt from that press release. "Most of the revenue increase of $2,779,000 between the second quarters of 2005 and 2004 is attributable to the acquisition of Medical Dictation, Inc (“MDI”) on January 31, 2005. MDI contributed revenue of $2,294,000 to the second quarter of 2005."
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What do the MTs get paid for fixing these?
x
How do you get compensated for fixing these?
x
Price fixing
It seems that ever since AAMT suggested that the line count should be characters divided by 65 (which cut our gross line pay by 1/3), clients have been insisting that we count that way. So now Escription comes along and tells the client the same thing and they want us to change the way we count. It seems to be there are some antitrust issues lurking here to be plumbed. Isn't that called price fixing? And wouldn't one think that we should check on it like with the attorney general?
I think my company is fixing to go belly up so
I've decided it is time to start looking. I have been offered a position my Keystrokes and accepted it and then changed my mind before I even started work or they had mailed me equipment.
Medscribe is offering a sign-on bonus, which I could use, and they use the same platform I currently use.
There is so much posted about KS, mostly good. I just read through the archives and other than having to work certain holidays not much bad said about Medscribe.
Has anyone worked for both that can give some feedback? You can e-mail me directly if you'd rather. I have 20 years' experience in acute care, but I've basically only worked for 2 companies my entire career and the thought of having to start over again is stressing me. I have a lot of flexibility where I am currently and easy platform, but I still use WP5.1 so I'd pretty much have to learn Word no matter where I went, switch to a new expander, etc.
I am fixing to find out if E-scription does or not
today. Today is the big day I start with Transcend. I am going to find out as well if I like to edit machines.
Price fixing does not need to be accepted and should not
I see, 5, 6, 7, 8 and should not be accepted. Get your calculater out. Figure out what that would be per hour. Com'on this is a highly highly skilled profession, not just anybody can do it, takes year YEARS and you never know it all, never.
It seems like price fixing in t this industry.
They all pay the same unlivable wages. Anybody know a lawyer? Ask about a price-fixing lawsuit.
I'm beginning to believe its price fixing
Seems like reps from all the major MTSOs sat down, came up with a so-called competitive rate, and decided to all cut wages at approximately the same time - so there's really nowhere else to go when MTs want to leave! Greed! Plain and simple!
I don't know why you think that's not much profit
Maybe if you only have one employee that's not much of a gain, but if you take the hundreds of employees that some of these MTSOs have, and take into account that their overhead costs are minimal, they're doing pretty good. Frankly, the 10 cpl jobs are few and far between and most run 8-9, which means the company is potentially making what I make. If I had even 5 people funneling that kind of money to me, I would probably be doing pretty good, or at least better than I am now.
MTSO profit????
How does the MTSO make any money? If they pay the MT 9 cents, and the QA 5, the would mean charging the client at least 16 to 18 cents per line to just cover overhead and make a VERY small profit. I don't see a lot of docs paying that kind of money for transcription.
Whatever that means -- I think according to their profit for the year . n/m
x
They're not making a profit.
I work at Futurenet. I don't mind paying the 25.00. It's guaranteed by 10:30 a.m. It has only been late once and I was reimbursed the cost. It's worth it to me for the peace of mind.
Why dont you do the work for 6 cpl and keep all the profit for yourself but
I expect you cant do it so you try to hire people for 6 cpl that can do it. I bet you didnt get hundreds of applications this time.
It gave D lots of profit?
That's about the only positive I can think for the scenario.
Sorry, I wish I could be more positive but we've been in a losing battle to get our lines and enough money to live for at least 2 months now, and ALL of our cries for help or an explanation were met with dead silence.
The suspicions were indeed 100% correct, which also confirms that they were reading this board and not with any honesty contest that which was being speculated.
Like I said, yeah, really classy, MDI-MD.
Great way to trash all those years and hard work building up that reputation.
I now rank you right up there with Heartland, the Q, Spheris, and those other MTSOs that outsource their work and pizz all over their MTs on their way up.
Classy, guys, really classy.
Up yours...I'm walking. Best of luck on your new 'venture', and I hope you all sleep well at night on your pillows of fresh greenbacks.
Actually, I kinda hope you suffocate in them.
You file a Schedule SE on your profit income.
and you pay social security and medicare tax . While you have to pay the full amount on the social security tax and medicare you can deduct half that amount to your adjusted gross. I really need to find out more about this because if I have been paying too much on my social security tax I really want to know. Does anyone else know about this? Are there any IC contractors who are not paying social security tax or only paying 7% as you would as an employee and not an independent? Perhaps it has to do with how you set yourself up. Thanks for any info....
I think they are making a much larger profit on the backs of MTs...
Think about it. Do you think it is costing the clients any less for their transcription. How would they even know it was VR? If the MTSO charges the same, they are making more money (half of what they used to pay the MT).
I get 10-12 cents a line from clients so I can only pay 6-71/2 to make any profit.
There are some clinics/hospital that will pay more but they also want you to do a lot more secretary stuff which the management staff does and you do not see. I know some of the huge nationals are raking in the profit and not spreading it around to well deserved transcriptionists but us smaller nationals or local companies are not getting those huge accounts that pay 16-20? cents a line. There is overhead too to pay like your utility bills, dictation equipment and upkeep, long distance phone bills, advertising, paper, printers, ink, faxes, health insurance, etc and then the income for the management team, proofers, and computer techs. I am not trying to take up for the huge companies that rake it in but if you haven't had your own business in the field then you really can't speak about what goes on after you turn in your work because you have no idea. Making comments to ad that can't offer more like me does not help anyone. I find plenty of experience transcriptionists happy with the pay, workload, and TAT. I wish I could offer more but when you are only making 3-4 cents of profit and still have your overhead that is not greedy. Your checks are nearly the same as the transcriptionists. If you don't like the pay find your own account - you do the leg work and don't respond to if it does not interests you as it does to a lot of people.
I wasn't rude. All I said was that if I was trying to profit from recruiting people, I would
have left contact information. I didn't get called out and was never rude. How is stating FACTS rude? I'm also not offended because your logic makes no sense to me. I speak the truth. But it doesn't matter. If we have anything negative or positive to say about ANY company whatsoever, we're either recruiters or disgruntled ex-employees. I didn't get called out because there was nothing to call out on. Please, take your senseless accusations elsewhere. The board administrators know exactly who I am, so they can back me up when I say that I'm not a recruiter. I'm (GASP!) a happy employee FINALLY after ages of searching for the right company!!!!
I think you are right. Eliminate cost. Be more competitive. Save profit margin.
x
Again, what issues ............
You are the one who asked me to get a grip just because I pointed out that Transcend had a 74% revenue increase this last quarter and accused me of being a "MDI cheerleader", which I am not. How can my pointing out that Transcend “ain’t doing so bad” financially make you so defensive?
You are the one who said that MDI had issues that Transcend needed to “Fix” or you were leaving MDI, and now you are saying your experience has not been bad, but there are issues with management. Again, I ask, what issues?
I don’t think my post was assumptive in any way, merely factual from my standpoint. I would certainly not assume that everyone has had the experience I have had with MDI. I am sure, especially from some of the post I have seen on this board, that there are a number of MTs who have issues with MDI, I was just stating I am not one of them.
You got issues? Deal with them or find another job! It is as simple as that.
My issues ( ignored)
First off, I like my accounts. I do. That's why I'm still there.
However, the QA people I've worked with have MUCH to be desired.
On my monthly reviews, the QA person scores me, but don't even give the sentence, much less the entire report, to give context on the errors. They only give me the word I presumably used incorrectly. The WORST error I made was not putting a capital letter in the middle of a word, i.e. BuSpar. Though other errors were even more minor, there is no way to refute or explain that if it's only a word, is there? I've asked for context, asked for an explanation. Zero response. I've stopped asking.
I've also repeatedly asked for instruction on how to do something right that I'm presumably repeatedly doing wrong because it doesn't match the stated convoluted format. It's only a matter of learning the keystroke, and I can't find the answer. No response despite repeated requests.
There are discrepancies between account instructions say and what the QA person insists you do, which are completely opposite of one another. Asked which is correct? No response. So, when I'm dinged for this on the next QA review, I certainly won't get a response THERE, either, will I?
Errors are counted off that are so completely and unbelievably miniscule that no medical professional would even begin think they are wrong because, in truth, the aren't (he was seen 1 time versus he was seen one time). But because Amphion has its little oddities it's wrong. DING~
And being wrong means that you are kept out of the money. I've always passed my monthly QA at over 99%, but that just isn't quite enough to get to you making more than a tenth of a cent more per line. It's a bit like needing to be an MT Stepford wife in order to win.
I will stay there for now, but I'm no longer as enamoured as I once was. I think top management is okay, but they ought to take a close look at some of the people who are running their ship in their name.
I usually don't post here, but I certainly can't take my whining to management. The bell would toll, and it would toll for me. Maybe one of their people will read this and pass it along.
Serious issues that had nothing to do with
nm
TTS issues
I previously worked for TTS. She has recently just started her own company to provide employee status. prior to that she was a company that was subletting work from other companies. In the beginning the work was great and the pay was never late, but then she had issues. Decided to pay when she wanted to pay. From what I understand things with that issue have gotten better there, but make sure to stay on top of it.
TTS Pay issues
IMO - Linda will NEVER have this 100% perfected and I would warn anybody to stay away!
I have never had these issues
When I first started a month ago, I was provided with a TON of information. I printed it all out and have a binder with pages and pages of physician's names, spellings of cities in the area my hospital is in, and even sample reports for each of the doctors on my account. Also, if I have ever had to email my lead with any questions, she has always gotten right back to me in a timely fashion.
Pay issues...
That's probably why they never called me back once I addressed to them when they called me for rehire if they had straightened out their payroll issues. I told them I would not even consider about coming back unless they pay me on time!!!! Of course they said they have a new payroll department, but after that conversation, I never heard back from them. The company really sounds screwed up in the head. I do not think anybody needs to work for them.
lag issues
Yes, this is definitely a hospital problem. I have had extreme problems with this, but they were supposed to have fixed it on Friday. I worked yesterday and only got kicked out once. I know that KS is working diligently on this. I really don't like this about the Meditech platform, but I do like the fact that it is straight typing. I use PC ShortHand and like that as well. I also think newbies (I've only bee on this acct. a month.) have a learning curve as far as physician and patient names, looking up, etc. Hang in there - I think it will be worth the wait.
I think it was TTS that had pay issues. sm
If you search for TTS, you'll see a few MTs had issues there with pay not being on time. It's possible people are confusing TTS, which I think is Transcription, Technology & Support or something like that, with TT, which stands for TransTech.
They don't pay well and there have been issues in the
past with not getting payment in a timely fashion. You can check the archives for more info.
no issues with pay
i don't know who posts these messages about gant transcriptions, but its very easy to read into the negative remarks and get a bad impression. i have worked for this company for quite some time and have been very happy in doing so. the issue of pay should be addressed with the one writing those checks, not with disgruntled people leaving snide comments when it's likely they are hurt for probably being fired for poor performance or something and want to get back with any digs they can. it's a great company if you give what you expect to receive!
Sorry to say, I am having the same issues
Wow, I feel like you just stepped into my world! I haven't been with them long and I am beginning to notice a lot of inconsistencies in policy just like you mentioned. I thought I was just being overly sensitive. I am trying to give them the benefit of the doubt, but if things don't change soon I will have to leave.
You have serious issues.
Oh no, I am not nasty and rude! I posed a comment like that because it is true! Would you seriously work at this job if you could only do 41 lines per hour? Even 80 lines per hour?
I never mentioned how many lines I type per hour, therefore never *puffing myself up* as you said.
The pay in this profession is certainly not what it used to be but even if the OP was making 13 cpl, at 41 lines per hour, that is only 5.33 an hour! Come on. We are supposed to be here to help other MTs. I am helping her by stating this job is not for her. It is obvious!
Get your panites unbunched and get over yourself!
You have some serious issues.
x
VR issues
If you think for 1 minute that VR is making you a plain old typist, you will have a lot to learn. It is not for a newbie because you have to be an excellent Editor to watch each and every word. Now that might not be for you but I happen to love. I was outsourced, did not ask for VR but that was started inhouse at the hospital where I had worked for 12 years. After we had learned (some did not like by the way and left), then we were outsourced to a company in town working at home. You have to know transcription or you WILL not be able to do this. If a physician says he prescribed a patient 750 mg of aspirin 4 times a day would you not question this? A newbie would not know. This can go back and forth and seems like it has. I had an Indian physician the other day and she said food and VR put in foot but you have to know the sentence. When a dictator changes their minds and they do, VR puts in this and that and if NOT an MTer, you would not know what fits. I now have been working for 48 years and frankly I love VR because I work straight through and when dinner is done (my hubby cooks for us) I can sit at my desk (work 12noon to 8 p.m. shift) and eat while I am working. I have been told some at my company make really high salaries (by the way I also straight type because work for the same hospital as when outsourced, now have 19 years working for them) and we have interns and they are on straight typing, never go to VR). When I first started doing VR I asked my daughter (I am very poor at math) how many lines per day on VR would it take to make X amount of money per day and she told me the number I would need and that is what I strive for, some days more, some days less but it averages out to what I need. I work only 4 days a week now, am 66 and I make $500 per week which is what I WANT. I have worked so much in years past that I do not WANT to work full now. In the 80s my salary was close to $60,000 but then we were paid salary, incentive and that went out when outsourced. I do not know what the company wants to pay the people here, Transtech I believe is the name of the place but I heard something about 3.5 cents a line? My last day working was 3245 lines of VR and at my 4 cents that was $129.80 and at 3.5 that would be $113.58. I would not like to do for less than I do now. Some like, some don’t but I really think the big companies sooner or later will go this way and if people jump ship, unless working for say private office, then probably are going to be jumping ship often. When we were outsourced, I had spent from 1974 to 2002 in a hospital setting doing transcription. I had no idea about all the companies out there, we did not work on the internet and I was in my 50s when outsourced. I love the hospital I have worked for (I do not like the influx of all the ESLs and we have loads now there) and I have made enough in years past to retire if I want to. I read other posts on her about companies they work for, such as MQ and the stories are horrible. My job does not bother me, no micromanaging and what is not to like? If I wanted more money, then I would work a full week or even do like I hear others do, work 2 jobs or weeks and weekends. I am just past all that working now. I hope I have answered some of your questions. I love my work, have always worked in the medical field even before learning MTing and just do not think when you get a certain age it means sitting in a rocker all day long.
VR issues
I'd like to know what platform actually learns. I've been on same one for over a year and it (or docs) haven't changed or learned one tiny bit. It even still gets the dictating docs's names wrong! The gibberish is still in many reports, etc. Several posts have suggested that it's QA who wouldn't catch reports that are shot through in a hurry. Where I work, QA only gets reports specifically sent to them. It's the client who catches demograhic errors, such as wrong admit date, wrong John/Jane Doe, etc. They don't read the reports. Only a few docs actually read reports. They use electronic signatures and don't bother. Maybe the only people who'd notice might be Joint Commission but they only choose a few randomly (I think) to check thoroughly.
so she should already know about the issues.
nm
I have not had issues until recently and
with you I would; however, I don't! FYI, I am dealing with my issues and if they are not resolved to my satisfaction, I will leave. Thanks for your concern and have a great day! DVW
Pay and benefits are two different issues.
You are still being paid as long as you work for them. MQ has every right, as does ANY company, to define what amount of work qualifies the amount of money THEY spend in offering you benefits. If you don't satisfy that requirement, they do not have to offer you benefits and have the option of putting you into an SE status -- but you are STILL BEING PAID. They are not getting free labor in any way. You haven't produced enough to qualify for benefits. Benefits COST the company and they have to be able to have enough work produced by each MT to justify that cost.
As an SE, the wage and labor board is out of the picture. Hours do not apply. Neither does the ability of MQ to force you to work a set schedule.
Yes, they or any other company for that matter, can let you go for any reason. Any company in the US can do that. There is no contract - direct or implied - to guarantee you employment. If a company so chooses, they can let you go without any statement as to why. Smart? NO. Rarely will companies do so. States do not regulate companies other than to force them to follow their own, self-defined policies and procedures. That is why policies and procedures are so important to both the company and to employees. If a company makes a policy that their termination procedure will include warnings, etc., then they can face legal action if they do not follow their own policy. Short of that, they can let you go anytime for any reason they choose. At the same time, you're not tied to them by a contract either -- you can quit any anytime for any reason. It is called employment at will...ask the labor board about that. Hahaha
The spin you are putting on your posts is that MQ is big bad ugly monster doing anything to jip you out of money. Absolutely not. They have set guidelines -- clear guidelines -- and you have all the information you need. If you do not or cannot meet those guidelines then you have to follow the policy and be changed in your employment status. The company cannot afford to just lose money on MTs who do not make their production requirements.
Will they immediately change someone? No. There is a mechanism of making the MT aware of the discrepancy and giving them more than ample opportunity to rectify the situation before action is taken.
If you work as a FT employee being paid on an hourly basis at a hospital but you continually do not make your 40 hours a week, you will eventually be written up. You will go through whatever mechanism they have for making sure you are aware you are failing to meet FT employee status. Once that is exhausted, they have the choice to fire you or, if they have positions or want to, place you into PT status or perhaps p.r.n. status if they have such positions. You are STILL getting paid...you simply do not quailify for benefits because you are not making your position worth enough to them for the company to spend their part of revenues for your benefits.
It's not rocket science. It is not unique to the MT industry. It is simple business practice. It is the most misunderstood process I see on this board. MTs and most people who have never had any business experience whatsoever believe companies are made out of money and they just sit around thinking of ways to jip employees, they just pull wages/line rates/production incentives/bonuses out of the air. Not true. There are budgets, plans, processes -- all to be projected for the future then reconciled with actual expenditures. Companies have boards and stockholders. Their chief goal is to make those people happy because they are the ones providing what is necessary to even have the company and provide the jobs. If those people are not happy and are not making a certain profit, there will be no company and thus no jobs.
No, I'm not management. I'm just an MT. One who has been in business before and one who has a little more insight as to what it takes from both sides to make a successful operation.
Instead of doing all the back-biting and complaining on this board, why not ask actual questions to your company? Why not find actual answers with an open mind to understand how all of these things are determined?
Yes - you have a right to your opinion. I do as well. I completely disagree with yours and am stating so.
Don't read the posts if you don't want to. I wanted to respond to yours and have!
Spheris - HR Issues
I am a new hire with Spheris and can't seem to get ahold of the HR department. Has any other MTs had this issue? Do you know if they are understaffed and thus leaving the MTs hanging? 
No issues here, except never got paid
I never did get paid and gave my notice, and am still waiting for it, I am glad it is well for you, but a few of us it did not work out except for free work
That and a few other issues that need tweaking. nm
s
I hear you. Having the same issues with them!
About ready to just head for the door and forget about them. Tired of NO contact, NO info, not enough work. Do we really want to hear how happy they are that we are all caught up and that the client is happy when we are looking at NJA and no money in our pockets? Have they forgotten what it is like to be in the trenches???
Anyone else having quality issues because of too
I'm a long-time MT and I pride myself on my high QA, but in the last couple of months I've made several serious errors. I can't believe how sloppy I was. I know a good part of it is because I'm so tired and distracted constantly about not having enough work at TWO services. I have 9 accounts between my 2 jobs, and it's also very hard to keep up with all the different account specs. (FWIW, all three errors were made at one of the services.) Before this, I had received one call about QA in seven years, and now I've received three in two months. I feel like the worst MT in the world  .
Good Pay - No Issues
I joined Ascend 3 months ago. No problems. STAT $0.12 per line. Paycheck accurate and on time. Just an alternate opinion. 
Definitely can tell that you are an EX employee and that you have some issues..
x
TTS payroll issues
Same here for me. I thought it was just me.
While I agree that they have some pay issues
they are definitely not the worst company to work for. I have never been paid incorrectly, although I have been laid twice. I have been treated very unethically elsewhere. They are actually very pleasant and have helped me out on more than one occasion.
are you experiencing any issues
with the line count not updating like it should or is it just me?
Line issues
I was previously employed by this company. I now work for another company, working on the same platform, same work types, same work hours and they also do not pay for headers or footers because they are not typed. My line count is around 1400 lines a day and with TT it was always always around 700-800... and I was pounding my fingers until I was in pain. Clearly, something was amiss here but I am not quite sure what. I am not a liar, so don't call me one. I don't spread rumors, these are facts as I know them and are not slanderous or libelous. Until there is a better explanation from this company, this is all I have to go on. There are many of us out here with the same story.
Issues with OSI paying
I also had issues with getting paid what was owed to me. I kept their equipment and then they threatened me with a civil suit. When it came almost time to go, I called Sherry Ponder, the OSi HR Manager, and she gave me what I was owed. Then, I sent their equipment back.
All pay issues have been resolved at TTS
and have never had a single problem. My first paycheck even got direct deposited. They are wonderful to work for and have a ton of work! I say go for it!!
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