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

Any IC charge late fees? Please advise.

Posted By: tbpmt on 2007-09-17
In Reply to:

I have been contracted with a hospital for almost 13 years and never had a problem with getting paid every two weeks.  I email my invoice on Monday and receive check via mail by Thursday or Friday.  Within the last three years I have had a little trouble, not often, but usually critical times for me, with receiving payment during that time.  Does anyone charge a late fee and if so, do they pay it?  I thought about putting at the bottom of my invoice "Payment is due within 5 days or a late fee of $ will be charged. 


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

late fees
My business attorney told me I could really charge whatever I wanted - BUT - it had to be put as a disclaimer on the bottom of every billing you send them-- that is their "notice" -- you can't just charge them without warning them.  I charge 5% of total billing.  Mine reads something like "late fee of 5% will be charged if invoice is not paid within 10 calendar days."   Be careful on the verbage of calendar days versus business days.   And don't be afraid to charge it or defend it -- every other vendor they have is charging it!!
I doubt it, though they will sock you with late fees and expect - sm
both your Feb. 1 and March 1 payment at the same time. You could pay the one by March 1 and use the 15 day grace period and pay the March 1 payment by the 15th (along with late fees from the previous late payment) to get square again. I have to use the 15 day period now and then, hate to do it, but it does not hurt anything.
definitely charge fees if you do that

high ones...  they don't want you to do it for free, do they?


I sympathize.. $100 an hour... what a job


Fees
I would not be tax deductible per se. You would not receive the money, therefore it would not be income.
Fees
Actually, the fees are deducted from the income, but you never see it because it is deducted.  I'm pretty sure it would be tax deductible.  Again, I am not justifying the existence of the fee.
Charge what the credit card companies charge when they don't get paid on time!!!!
 
Audio hour charge - what is fair rate to charge company?

Doubt you can charge 15 cpl for VR work to the docs - you can't even charge them 12 for straight
x
Rental Fees

I noticed that several companies are charging their employees rental fees for equipment/software. If one was in-house, they would not have to pay a rental fee. How are these companies getting away with this? Why would you, an employee, agree to pay for their equipment? The only time you should pay a rental fee is if you are an independent contractor. As an employee, you do not pay to work for the employer, they pay you!


I am just amazed that companies are actually charging their employees to work for them!


need help with fees - digital

I can get a new contract but will do the work digital.  I have only worked as IC the old fashion way - tapes and picking up, printing and delivery.  I will now do everything through e-mail and a C-phone. The office manager is trying to squeeze me for a good price, telling me she has somebody willing to do the workload for 6c/pl and she says its characters only, no spaces etc.  Their previous lady did the transcription for a fixed amount per month but this sounds really screwed up.  Any help or suggestions on what I need to think about regarding charges etc?  I now get $3 a page and that includes my driving etc.  I am happy that I would save gas and time but don't want to work for free either.  My $3 a page figures to about 11cpl when I checked.


Monthly fees
May I ask which carrier this is through?  I have ATT and to use my laptop I can hook it up through my phone with a USB cable but in order to get on the internet I would have to buy the data package for $59.99 a month. Thanks, we do a lot of traveling in the summer.
THEIR pro wages paid with membership fees.
x
I just started using "mydocsonline" - no extra fees unlike the one advertising above this - sm
Simple to use to, I only have 2 users so $99 for a year which is half the cost of most of the others, and HIPAA compliant, etc. Not sure how cost effective if you have a lot of doctors though, but I like the fact they give you so much space a month, you can save/delete whatever you want to do, no extra charges/mb or kb--metroscript is 14.95 a month (or more) and .34/megabyte of each upload, I would have ended up paying about $120 a month, forget that! I tried the free trial of mydocsonline and it works well for me.
If you're talking about MetroScript, I didn't find that they had any extra fees (sm)
They pretty much only charge you for what you use. I only pay $14.99 per month and it works great for me.
you don't have to charge $60/HR - all you have to do is charge a good rate and then..
work smart, not hard. If you have a great dictator, charge him 14 cpl on a 65 char gross line, then set up your templates and word expanders, you can make $80/hr. But you need all three to work together, otherwise you might only be making $60/hr. Some people are just really good at what they do - shouldn't they make more if they are more productive?
I'd still charge by line, just charge a lower
rate, like maybe 8 cpl.  Do you have to pickup and deliver work?    You could also setup a one-month contract until you see how it goes and then you can figure out the best way to charge and go from there.  You could also charge a flat rate per page and keep it fairly low.  
One office I charge .12, another I charge $2.25 page--nm
//
Check into adoption through local Catholic services, fees in our state (Ky) were based on income and
although expensive, not as bad as private adoption.  Still, a long wait, we were told.
Thanks for the advise...

I appreciate the good tips about the company board, but my situation is unique. I currently have more than enough work to keep me busy; however, I may be interested in getting a business license and picking up a few more clients and having my cousin (who just graduated as an MT) work under me where I can supervise her work.


If I were to start my own small business, I would like some sort of website and would need a method for my clients digital files to be sent back and forth which is HIPAA compliant (my MD now insists on using email, which I have told him is not secure).


I emailed sitefever earlier today and they showed me an online demo of this file management system they have under development, which they said should get released before Jan 2006. It seems really easy to use, and it is designed for MT's and their digital files. They said the cost is only $60 per year, which seems like a really good option. And, best of all, it's HIPAA compliant!


So, just sharing with you all some things I learned today just by asking a simple question!


You should never advise someone
I agree that she should get proof if she can. However, I think it's very irresponsible of you to tell her to "push his buttons". What if he fatally harms her this time? You don't know this woman and neither do I. If she is a person who normally does not instigate things, by her suddenly doing so could possibly REALLY set him off.

I say if he abuses her on a regular basis, the next time it happens, if she doesn't leave before, to call the police and make sure that photos are taken. You really need to calm down.
My advise to you is

I learned the hard way years ago out in my garage with no AC on a Royal typewriter, stacks of black carbon paper, a typewriter eraser, the aid of a good medical dictionary plus a kleenex or two to wipe the sweat off my brow and you know what?  I'M STILL TICKING!  I have so many accounts and doctors screaming to sign up I can't find girls fast enough but I would say to you to save your money and time about school.  Invest in a good computer, a medical dictationary, learn to use google as a backup and for any questions but ..... DO invest in a good AC unit!  Hee Hee!


Best of luck to you,


Old timer in Arizona


I would advise this -
Do not change anything right now. Keep working and spending like always. Let it sink in and then make responsible decisions with that money. I am not even sure how many people I would tell at first. The people you hear about who have nothing left a short time after a big windfall are nearly always those who quit their jobs and began spending like they were Bill Gates.
Fed up - Going on my own! Advise please!
Ok, I've had it!  I'm going on my own.  I need advise about how to find local clients, what to charge, simple dicatation systems, etc.  Essentially, I need to know everything about starting my own business.  I'm confident in my skills and am tired of being put up down and told when and how much I need to work.  I'm dependable to the point that I have been tottally taken advantage of.  I know there are better ways to make money doing transcription than what I'm currently doing.  Please Help!
best advise is to go to Help on the start
menu, type in copy as the question, and then follow the directions.
Would respectfully advise you to do some SM
serious research before you choose a school. CS may not be the school you need.
I have worked for him and would advise you to look elsewhere. sm

If you are asking because you were approached about a job please feel free to e-mail me for details of reasons not to do it.


advise to atty
To begin with, a GOOD attorney is going to ask another doctor where mistakes are made, not us. The person who takes a deposition is the one who may ask for interpretation of the transcrtiption because most of them are not able to accurately transcribe medical dictation and our opinion is only worth what we interpret from listening to the doctor's tape. We are not medical experts but we are considered experts in interpretation and transciption. Belive me, I know. I've been in court twice relating to transcription and interpretation of a "tape" NOT making a judgment call on something that is only transcribed and has no tape to back it up. We are not allowed to make diagnoses. A good court reporter will ask for assistance in cases where this are problems with an ESL or similar. I have several that I assist with this part and since I am certified and have many years' experience, I am able to hold some weight with the court as an "expert". This is also part of our job and it has nothing to do with a Transcriptionist working against another transcriptionist, so your attitude is way out of line.
I would advise a little caution

First, send your grievances to your employer in writing. Give them a chance to rectify them. (Yes, I know you may already have done this, but there is a procedure for these things.)


Sever people have mentioned starting blogs. That would be a good place to share the answers everyone receives (if any) from the employers. THEN would be the time to talk strike, if the employers' response does not address the issues.


It's easy to get carried away with enthusiasm, but you don't what to shoot yourself in the foot.


Just call me - Gimpy


SPi "strongly advise against"
All the tech folks I've spoken to at SPi (also the Cymed tech people before) strongly DIScourage anyone from installing Vista. Everyone I've spoken to has said that it will cause major problems. (We use Chartnet platform, btw)
Advise needed

I really enjoy reading the posts here.  I am getting back into transcription after being in for over 15 yrs and out for about 2.  I have a new (1st) grandchild that I love to death and babysit quite a deal for my son.  She is 16 months old and loves me to spend all my time with her.  Now that I am going to be busy transcribing; how do those of you with small children keep them busy or balance working around them.  This is my main concern with coming back to transcription; how to let her know Grandma cannot occupy her every waking moment now.


I can advise her from here. Don't go on television and dog the people who are looking for
your daughter and investigating the people who may have seen her last.  Wipe off some of the makeup and go grieve.  Hire a private investigator.  Let your Aruban attorney versed in the laws and possibly with more knowledge of what is going on in the system speak for you.  Go help the searchers from Texas.  Be more like your ex-husband.  Maintain a low profile and quietly go about your business and don't second guess anyone who has more knowledge than you. 
Advise you discuss this with your doctor. Soon.
11
Need help, QA says no to type-2 diabetes, please advise????nm
nm
Guess you NEVER advise your children, do you?
x
Yes, i advise my "children" he is an adult now. sm
He accepted the job as it was and can quit or accept the terms. my dh and i run a construction business. he runs around and spends 2 hours a day just picking up help. we do not pay travel time. you either choose to go or you don't. we do, however, buy their lunch when it is a longer than usual travel. when they are ICs as usually with any manual labor field, labor law and travel time doesn't constitute for their positioning. turn the situation. if someone was coming to your house to do some work, would you be willing to pay every person on that crew travel time? probably not because that would significantly raise the price which you probably already think it too high to do the work you need. you have to realize they are ICs as we are and have all the expenses of trucks, tools, gas, taxes, etc. and have to cut their prices because foreigners are taking over the manual labor fields as well and working for pennies just as transcription is doing but manual labor isn't going to overseas, overseas is coming to the US for pennies. i would have him ask the man he works for about it but it the guy accepts either live with it or quit. i doubt he will get it as with 18yo he can't have a lot of experience to constitute the extra pay, etc.
When people put "please advise" at the
x
I would advise you to continue teaching! nm
x
Advise on important questions to ask on job interview
I have applied at a company and they are to contact me. I'm really not sure even what to ask. This is a new experience for me. Any help would be appreciated. Any warning signs to watch for?
I would just advise to present your situation clearly w/o 'whining' (sm)
as my DH went several years back and there was a lady who worked on her farm picking crops, her husband was disabled, and she sold at market on the weekend - the judge actually bought from her - and judge refused to excuse her and said it was a 3-day trial, was her civic duty and would be over soon.. DH did QA at the time and didn't say anything after that :(
Laptop user question... please advise...

Well, it's time to put the old one out to pasture and get a new one.  Computer, that is.  I really want a laptop so I may travel with husband to clinics and now follow games and a daughter (cheerleader) going to college.  But my primary use will be at home.  Do any of you laptop users have any trouble with the monitor going out from over use?  I was told it would be best to hook up to another monitor (already going to hook up another keyboard) for everyday use at home. 


Any feedback on this would be great!  Thanks


Need advise/guidance from experienced MTSOs. See inside.
I am an MTSO currently using a call in system for docs to dictate.  The transcriptionists also use the call in system to access their work and the call in system is becoming rather congested.  Want to save the call in system for the docs and put the transcriptionists on the internet.  Can someone give me advice/guidance on how to go about this?  Thank you in advance.
Off topic but need STAT ADVISE on deviled eggs

Hi,


I need help as I don't want to make anyone sick LOL.  Baby shower tomorrow night, my co-host who was making the deviled eggs along with other things broke her wrist this morning...soooo, I am in a time crunch and would like to know if I can make these things tonight (36), just boil them tonight, maybe do the prep just fill them tomorrow??  I usually make them & take them or serve them, but don't know about preparing them this 24 hrs ahead of time.


Thank any of you experts in advance for your opinions..this is so much easier than trying to call Betty Crocker


For the person who thinks Codex is no threat. I advise you read



HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS
BEFORE THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 11, 2005

Henry Lamb- A Great Freedom Fighter Documents how your Dietary Supplements are Under Attack

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to read "Your dietary supplements: Under attack again" by Henry Lamb, which I am inserting into the record. Mr. Lamb explains the threat to American consumers of dietary supplements and American sovereignty by the Codex Alimentarius commission, commonly referred to simply as Codex. The United Nations created Codex to establish international standards for foods and medicines. Just last week, representatives of the United States government agreed to a final version of Codex's standards on dietary supplements which, if implemented in the United States, could drastically reduce Americans' ability to obtain the supplements of their choice. Members of the American bureaucracy may be hoping to achieve via international fiat what they cannot achieve through the domestic law-making process--the power to restrict consumers' access to dietary supplements. American bureaucrats may gain this power if the World Trade Organization, which considers Codex "guidelines" the standard by which all other regulations are judged, decides that our failure to "harmonize" our regulations of dietary supplements to meet Codex's recommendations violates international trading standards! This could occur despite the fact that American consumers do not want to be subjected to the restrictive regulations common in other parts of the world, such as the European Union.

This article is typical of Henry Lamb's work. For almost twenty years, beginning at an age when most Americans are contemplating retirement, Mr. Lamb has worked to expose and stop threats to American liberty, sovereignty, and prosperity. Mr. Lamb became involved in the battle for liberty when, as the CEO of a Tennessee construction company, he founded a state association of contractors to work against excessive regulations. In 1988, Henry Lamb founded the Environmental Conservation Organization to defend true environmentalism, which is rooted in the truth that there is no better steward of the environment than a private property owner, from those who used the environment as a cover for their radical statist agendas. Since 1992, Mr. Lamb and ECO have focused on the threat to economic liberty and self-government posed by the radical global environmental agenda.

Henry Lamb works to further the cause of liberty by giving speeches around the country, editing an on-line magazine, making numerous television and radio appearances, and writing a weekly column to inform his fellow Americans of the latest scheme to undermine their freedoms. Mr. Lamb is the model of a citizen-activist, and all who wish to become involved in the battle for freedom can learn from his example. In conclusion, I once again urge my colleagues to read Mr. Lamb's article to learn about the need to protect American consumers from Codex, and I thank Mr. Lamb for his tireless devotion to the cause of freedom.

YOUR DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS: UNDER ATTACK AGAIN (from WorldNetDaily, June 11, 2005)

(By Henry Lamb)

The Codex Alimentarius Commission sounds like one of those shadowy, sinister organizations conjured up by one-world-government nuts to scare people.

Truth: It is!

The Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization created this commission in the early 1960s to set standards for food safety and to ``harmonize'' the laws of member nations. The commission was endorsed by U.N. Resolution 39/248, which says:

``When formulating national policies and plans with regard to food, governments should take into account the need of all consumers for food security and should support and, as far as possible, adopt standards from the ..... Codex Alimentarius. .....''

The Codex Alimentarius Commission consists of delegates from 163 member nations representing 97 percent of the world's population. It meets every two years, either in Rome or Geneva. Between meetings, the commission is governed by an executive committee that directs the activities of its many committees.

Of immediate concern is the ongoing effort to bring dietary supplements in America under the control of standards set by this commission. Dietary supplements generate a $17 billion industry in the United States, which affects more than 150 million consumers, according to Congressional findings (H.R. 2485). Proposed procedures and standards could virtually destroy this market and deprive millions of Americans of the supplements they want to use.

The European Union Directive on Dietary Supplements, which becomes law in August, severely restricts the types and quantities of supplements that may be legally sold. Most forms of vitamins C and E, for example, are not available, or are available only in extremely small doses. If current plans proceed on course, American consumers are in for a shock.

How can this little-known international commission control what consumers buy in the United States?

An even less-known agency, deep within the bowels of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is responsible for U.S. participation in the Codex Commission and designates delegates to each of the commission's committees. Barbara O. Schneeman is the delegate to the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Food for Special Dietary Uses.

The effort to regulate dietary supplements has been under way for more than a decade. In 1994, Congress adopted the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, which kept supplements beyond the reach of the drug police. In the past, Codex recommendations have been non-binding. Now, however, the Codex Alimentarius Commission is teaming up with the World Trade Organization to bring international enforcement to the dietary-supplement battle.

Ironically, it was primarily the U.S. that brought the WTO into existence in 1994, as the successor to GATT, the General Agreement on Tarriffs and Trade. The WTO agreement specifically requires that the member nations--including the U.S.--conform its laws to meet the requirements of WTO decisions. Failure to conform results in stiff financial penalties. The Codex Commission and the European Union want the WTO to enforce Codex standards, which fly directly in the face of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act.

Pascal Lamy of France was just selected as director general of the WTO. Lamy served as a member of the French Socialist Party's steering committee and was chief of staff and representative of the European Commission for President Jacques Delors. Since 1995, he has served as a member of the Central Office of the Mouvement Européen (France) and as a member of the European Commission, responsible for trade.

The Codex Commission will be meeting in Rome July 4-9 to adopt the final rules on dietary supplement use. Dr. Carolyn Dean, president of Friends of Freedom International, will attend this meeting and return to the U.S. just in time to present her report to the Sixth Annual Freedom 21 Conference in Reno, July 14-16.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission's reach is much broader than dietary supplements. Its committees are also working on standards for pesticide residue, labeling of all kinds of foods, food additives and nutrients, veterinary medicine and drugs, as well as standards and methods for analysis. The function of this organization is to establish standards for all food worldwide and to enforce those standards through the power of the World Trade Organization.

Few people know that there is such a thing as the Codex Alimentarius Commission. It was created to promote food safety in international trade. It is on the brink of becoming an Orwellian bureaucracy--far worse than the worst fantasies of the one-world conspiracy theories.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission is neither fantasy nor theory; it is real.

http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/c...05/cr071105.htm

__________________

You can't go wrong with Suze and take her advise, cut up cards but do NOT close accts. Just don&#
:I
Speaking of rip-offs, anyone have any advise on how to get back money paid for a product you never
received?  I needed a Dictaphone C-phone for my job (was using a loaner) and put a note on the equipment board pertaining to this back in May.  A woman contacted me stating she had one for $100 (I only needed the phone, power supply and phone cord).  She said she was going away for 3 weeks and to Western Union the money to her that night and she'd send it out the next day.  I did not like the high pressure and was still shopping around anyway so I told her I'd wait the 3 weeks and contact her then.  About a week later she emailed me stating she cut her trip short but was going away again that Friday (It was Tuesday), I had by this time decided to buy her phone.  I mailed out that day via Priority mail a M.O. for $100.  She was very anxious for the money, and thought I'd sent it Express Mail, which I of course informed her I did not.  She stated that it should be there by Friday and if she did not see her mail that day that she'd have her mom check the mail and then mail the C-phone to me.  After 2 weeks I emailed her as I had no phone as yet, no response.  A week later still no phone, emailed again, no response. Then I called her (looked it up) and she claimed her email was "broken" and she had not received my emails but would email me back as she was on her way out the door to a baseball game.  I asked her how can she email me back if it was broken??? So then she backpedaled and said she'd call me.... I held my breath at that point.  So the next day by some miracle I get an email from her stating her mother had mailed it regular mail, no way to track it, etc.  So supposedly it is lost.  I emailed her back which it appeared she did not get as she did not respond to my questions but she did email me again saying she'd return my money.....again I am holding my breath.  That was 8 days ago.  She is in OK, I am in VA.  If she sent me a refund promptly it would have been here by now.  Now when I call her, she does not pick up, and no answering machine either.  I am planning now to mail her a copy of her email and my response to getting my money back.  I am assuming at this point that I was taken for a sucker and was obviously too trusting.  Right now I don't have $100 to burn (who does?) with my drives to the hospital (60 miles round trip) for my daughter's chemo, doctor visits, etc, on top of only making about 1/2 what I used to make due to the changes in my life right now.  In the meantime I got kicked off the account for which I needed the C-phone for (add insult to injury here) due to problems at the company I was working for, so that does not sweeten my disposition any.  So does anyone have any idea how I can squeeze her and get my money back?  Contact the police there for fraud? Small claims court in OK?  I am a persistent pain in the butt and will keep at her until I get my money back, if it is fraud then she picked the wrong person to screw with, if it is on the up and up then it is unfortunate but she should have insured it to cover her own (and mine) butt, and sent in with a delivery confirmation too....but you know what they say about hindsight.  Any ideas???
Too late now, but what you should have done...
You probably should have deprived yourself of sleep last night and slept today, or better yet a couple nights in a row, just cleaning house or something to keep you "awake" so you can get a jump start on training your sleep cycle.

It is SO hard to do this job sleep deprived because it is so sedentary. I can easily stay up 24 to 35 hours as long as I'm doing something physician and nonbrain-taxing.

If you find yourself nodding off, take a 45-minute nap. I'm sure your employer will understand this is something hard to go into "cold turkey."

Good luck!
Late fee

I do the opposite, I offer a small discount when they pay within five days and in the past five years I have had my checks well within that time frame (usually 2 days) and never have had to ask for my check.  


Patti


 


Late fee
I really don't think a late fee is going to make them pay you any earlier.  You really need to sit down with the office manager or whomever  processes your invoice and talk with them.  They probably won't pay the late fee and still take 3 weeks to pay you.  If you stay with the account and this has been a chronic problem you gotta budget to have money to tide you over for the 20 to 30 days or how ever long it takes them to process your check.   Talk to them see what they say and then decide if it is worth the frustration to continue with it.   If this has been going on for quite a while doesn't sound like it is going to change so you either have to live with it or find another account.    In 22 years of doing my own accounts I have never had anyone pay me any later than 10 days after recepit of invoice and that was just a couple of time.  I guess I am lucky but it is the truth. 
late pay
Well, I feel the same way, I don't want to mention the name of the company at this point. I do know however the company actually goes to pick up the checks from the hospitals and has to get them in the bank before she pays her ICs! I have been in this business over 20 years and it's the first time I have encountered something like this.
Late $
We sound like we are in a similar boat. Very nice people, very appreciative of good work, and it does get paid, just late, which most of us cannot handle because our bills need to be paid on time. How do you manage with your bills?
late pay
It isn't easy! When she does pay I try to get enough ahead to pay bills when she is late which is basically every pay period. And luckily, my husband has a good job, but it is one which slows down in the cold months. I Christmas shopped about 6 months ago! Plus, our work has not been slow and I have been able to make an extra $200 or so each week. How do you manage?