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Curosity- I am curious if I am making the normal amount of money weekly for MT. Would anyone care

Posted By: Becca on 2008-07-18
In Reply to:

to share their weekly amount of pay? 


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Making money - just curious
Just curious, but how does anybody here make any money if you are on this board all the time bashing people- that really takes a lot of energy up that could be spent on making money.
All those folks care about is making MONEY.
-
What is, on average, a normal weekly IC report production?

I need your opinions please….


 


I am an IC who works for four doctors who each dictate approximately 100 or more reports a week.  They send them via over to their personal website and I download and transfer to Express Scribe (awesome program by the way).  They tend to call me often and will ask for one or more patient’s report to be faxed over immediately for insurance purposes.  Of course, they have no idea how complicating and time consuming this is on me, when I have to search for these specific voice files, one by one, and then transcribe the report, etc.  I felt a bit of an attitude the other day when it took longer to perform my task. 


 


I am wondering, am I just too slow?  Is completing 400 or more reports (on average half page reports) a week slow, including transcribing these special request reports?  I feel so stressed all the time now; their phone calls for insurance purposes are becoming more constant.  I am wondering if they realize that I am not an employee, but an IC, and that there is a difference.  How may reports do most full time IC’s complete within a week, plus deliver 2-3 times per week?


 


Thanks for any and all advice. 


Sorry, I was making around $250-$300 weekly

t


Normal amount?
There is no "normal amount" in this field. It's a matter of if your pay works for you and you feel like you are rewarded properly for it.


a normal amount would be allowed I think
not gobs of blanks
It's very difficult to say what you are producing is a normal amount sm
but it sounds pretty normal.

In my opinion, you need a better plan for searching. How do the doctors create their voice files? Is there any way they can put some type of identifying data in the name of the file? If they just put in last name or chart number, that would make your search for the sound file SO much easier. It would take another few seconds per sound file on their end to do this, but they might find better results on the back end when they need their reports back pronto.

And on your end, you need a better way to locate the finished product. Have you ever looked into MPLite? You can locate patient notes super quick with that program. It is really not that expensive, but worth every penny.

And finally, if they are requesting these reports before their agreed upon turnaround time, you need to be charging them for STAT work. If you have to stop your flow of work to locate a sound file and then transcribe that one, fax it in, and then finally get back to what you were doing, you need to be compensated for your inconvenience. I charge half again my usual rate for STAT work. (If I charged 20 cpl for regular work, I would charge 10 cpl for STAT work). Once they get a bundle of STAT charges on their next bill, I bet the number of requests for STAT work sure would decrease!! Either that, or you will have a much fatter paycheck to compensate you for your aggravation!!
And what do you consider "a ton of money" ? What do you make weekly? nm
x
Quick question or poll - What does one consider "good money" for weekly bring home income? sm

 Would you consider $1000 a week, IC status, working 5 hours a day, 5 days a week "great money"?


 


What do you make a week and how many hours do you work?


This is for informational purposes only and not to belittle or degrade anyone or boast and put anyone on a soapbox about their income.


Thanks for your help!


Make money? I'm not making any money because of my decision. You read my reasoning
You can agree with me or not, but don't make false assumptions please.
I would not poo-poo the amount of money
the people are making doing crafts. I have just bought out of state from a lady on Etsy some plates she made. I paid $25.00 for 3 plates and $40.00 for one. I called her on the phone to put in a special order and I asked where did she sell besides Etsy. She tells me there are several events she goes to, usually selling $20 or more a day of at least $20 each and she cannot make them fast enough. The plates are very ornate, beautiful (mine at least because I like the bling and asked for such) so I think if you got enough needing your product, hey don’t think a person cannot make a good living that way. She sells on Etsy plus the events she attends and possibly other ways although we did not get into that. I love crafts and only wish I could make something as beautiful but guess I will just have to stay with what I do best, MTing.
You could also have an addin that blocks normal.dot from making changes.
It doesn't necessarily mean your normal.dot is corrupt.
I think the best of MQ is over. With the horrendous amount of money going to lawyers and what it
will cost to pay these hospitals that they bilked will be millions and millions. There is no way there is going to be money made with MQ anymore without a tremendous amount of aggravation. I think they will sell out or merge. My office is closing and they told the clients either get on DQS or find another MT company so they are moving on rapidly to something and not sure what. I think they are getting their ducks in a row.
As someone who lost their husband almost 2 years ago, I can tell you that no amount of money could

ever replace my best friend and husband.  Yes, I have tried the dating thing, but to tell the truth here, it's not the same and I don't think anyone could ever replace the father my children lost at such an early age. 


 


By the way. he had just turned 34 when he died, so I suppose you might want to give your hubby a big hug tonight for thinking of your future without him, especially when we truly do not see ourselves leaving this world so soon. 


 


Hugs to you and yours!!!


I wouldn't spend the huge amount of money--sm
required for this book. their *rules* will just change in six months anyway and they are only *guidelines* not *rules*. Alot of services do not adhere with the BOS anyway, but go with client preference. If you are in school, you should be communicating with your mentor concerning this. Every school/service is different. There is no *one way* that is correct. JMO
Money talks & the smaller the amount paid out,
x
Money brag or is this normal now?
Why might someone might feel the need to tell you how much money they make when you did not even ask?!  Insecurity, perhaps?  This happened to me recently via e-mail and I have no idea how to respond, if at all. 
Sounds like exactly how I feel. MQ has a tremendous amount of unhappy people and could care less.
:
0.075 cpl for acute care, 1 normal, 500 staff physcians.

1025 lines per day and 0,075per line. Acute care, Benefits, one of the big corps employing foreign labor.  This is after 1,46 per exam in Rad for 4 years. 


0.075 cpl for acute care and shorthand, 1 normal so far (new acct). 


I am in my 50s and would like to be assuresd at 0.075 cpl in 8-hour day will givce me enought to live on for a single woman.  Hired at different rate but considered "new hire" which I feel requires a contract or some type of informativce interview.


What is this?  More "fleecing of America" in the disguise of pilferation?


I


You realize by doing that they're making more money & you're making less? You should reconsid

I'm curious too. Is it for the money? None of our cotton picken business, but
aa
Making money with VR

Any of you who do this, how in the heck do you make any money? I accepted a job with a company for 4 cpl for VR, but I nearly have to type the entire reports over.  I was doing it part time and it takes so much time that I figured out I am only making 5.00 per hour.  What's the average rate for this?  I  gave it up, it's not worth it for the line rate, considering I was editing typed transcription as well that came back from India and it was just as bad and took just as much time.


 


 


making money?

I think the only way we newbie MTs can make any money is to make it ourselves, like counterfeiting. 


I consider myself still a newbie at almost 2 years of nearly full-time working at home with IC status.  Love my company and enjoy my work; it is mainly VR and 3 cents per line.  I am rather slow because I keep double checking everything, but on a good day at 8-10 hours and 800 lines I will make $24.  Isn't that encouraging?  


The extra dollars do come in handy and so appreciated for my farmer husband's income, but this could no way support a single income. 


Working for $3.00 per hour was great sometime in the past, you know?  Like 35 cents per gallon of gasoline in 1969. But it 2009.


I do think if we newbies hang in there long enough and become good at our work then we will move up to better pay.  However, we who work for 3 cents or 6 cents per line and are so thankful to be making even that are probably the ones others may blame for the poor pay since transcription companies can hire us so cheaply.


Don't know what the solution is.   


 


No they're not because I'm making more money on it....sm
than before the program was implemented.  I also know others who are making more money per hour  - and no one argues with more moolah! 
And you still end up making more money paying LD. sm

If you consider an 80-hour pay period (which I don't do), at $27 per hour with the 800-number company, you'd make $2160.


At $33/hour, paying $1.80/hour, you'd make $2640 minus $144 (a deductible expense also), still netting you $2496 -- substantially more than the company giving you the toll free number and less pay.


 


Makes no difference to me.  I personally wish you all would stay away from MDI-MD so I could have more work ... LOL


money-making docs? sm

As a hard worker in this industry to put my son through school to become a medical professional, I can tell you that after all my hard work and broken back, he is still paying student loans, works like an animal, hardly has time for his family, continues his education and is not "rich." He treats his staff like family (constantly haunted by his mother to do this) and barely has time to take a bathroom break. I know there are those with fast cars (always thought they did it to get to the patient faster, but I'm sure that's not the case with some of them) and those who are rude (perhaps not taught right by their moms) but some are just ordinary guys and gals who put their pants on one leg at at time like the rest of us and worry about the next payment like the rest of us. They're not ALL the same. I read another post about docs yawning while dictating. I think in most cases they're exhausted and the paperwork is just another thing to deal with after they put their kids to bed, if they get the chance to do that even. I didn't understand this until I "lived in it". As the babysitter, I can tell you, "it ain't pretty." They suffer just like the rest of us.


It is all about them making more money. If you have seen the News lately
they had a piece on money making is with those of us who own animals. Some will pay any amount to cure their pet, like chemotherapy for their animal, when the most humane thing would be to put them down.

Vet medicine is all about them making money now. Personally, I love my pet, but I will only do the basic healthcare, shots, exam, and that is it. They want blood work, lyme titer, check for diabetes, etc. I tell them NO, Absolutely NOT! She is healthy, 3 years old, and even if she has those conditions, which in most cases, the animals do not, she will not be treated. Who ever heard of a dog having diabetes or thyroid problems. It is an animal and I will not pay healthcare bills for a healthy animal for unnecessary things.

Watch your wallet, love your pet, provide a good home, feed them, bathe them, and give them their yearly checkup with shots and they will be fine.
If you are already making that kind of money
and working less hours then I don't know why you would want to change to an unknown. BTW, would you care to share who you are working for now making over 50K and 6 hours a day? Pls e-mail me privately if you like. I won't post it, I promise!
The up side to not making enough money is
that pretty soon the fridge will be so empty it will be significantly easier to clean.  And I do mean soon.
Oh I care, it's making a joke of the company
that used to be a professional organization. You think clients don't see this? Think again.
and that folks was where our "mom and pop" biz that we were making the money on...have gone!!
The biggies saw the opportunity to make the money that we were...and decided we made too much, so that is the story...long and short!! The future does not look good for us, only them and the india counterparts.
The money making part is true,
the Congress Center in Atlanta sold out for Sylvia's show and standing room only and I am sure her return show will be the same. It is like wrestling to some, not me, but entertainment and should not be sought out by people who are in the situation such as the missing kid's family. As long as psychics are out there, people will seek them out plus other off the wall treatments for different maladies. It is human nature but I would not want to be the one giving the advice.
You punch a level so you know you are making money?
I would never set something up like this to make myself go faster. I know if I don’t type the amount of lines I want per day, so simple I don’t have a decent check. Don’t need a stop watch, counter, etc. My motivation is bringing home the amount of money I want every 2 weeks. My way is really simple, just fast fingers concentrating on the end result.
I am making tons of money doing tapes.

Just like tapes get misplaced so does digital dictation.  Also, have you ever timed how long it takes to download and upload files?  I think it runs about the same.  I am assuming this is clinic work.  So, if you don't go the office, then you'll need patient lists faxed or e-mailed, what have you.  It also costs money to have a secure FTP site for transfer.  So, no matter how you look at it, there is that time taken for the administrative end of transcription so to speak. 


To the OP:  I would ask if the problem really is the delivery if you could cut back to two days a week and given them the option of typing STAT reports to be faxed to them OR you could ask if they'd go halfers on a courier service.  But, I think the problem is the cutting of the paper, so you may just want to mention that you'll need to attach a fee. 


I had to attach a FAX fee to an office that was constantly calling and requiring me to search for letters that they apparently hadn't filed yet, so I started charging them for that service.  Guess what?  They don't call as much.  Just a thought.


Regarding making money, I forgot to mention...SM
The standard for "average" typing speed is no longer the unassisted "The fox jumped over" standard as measured on a typewriter. You know, back when 75 was considered decent.

I don't actually know the new standard for a competent typist, but it's set by those who have trained themselves to use word Expanders extensively and is at very minimum double that on unfamiliar text. On familiar text with many phrases in storage, much higher.

Current pay rates are adjusting to the new reality that a worker is able to produce considerably more with today's technology than before. Those who aren't using it, and using it extensively, are finding their incomes dropping drastically. Best wishes.
Sorry you are so disgruntled but many of us, myself included, are still making money...
there have been changes but I am still making great money so I have no complaints...good luck to you though
nice to hear that I'm not the only MT making such little money at this
And I've been doing it for a decade now and it keeps going down every year.

I've finally decided to take some classes in another line of work so I can get out of MTing but still work at home.
How long will it take to start making money as an MT?

I'm new to this career. Have only been working for 6 months or so. Does anyone have any advice for a newbie? How do you make a decent living on 6 cpl? Any advice for increasing speed? Thanks.


MB


I would be 43 and have no life at this time and wish I was making decent money, but not ;0( ...NM
NM
1200 lines should be a given. You could be making superb money!
x
Agree completely.....money making scheme....
xx
1099 ? Is the amount on the 1099 only the money paid to you in 2008. So if I did not receieve payme
than that $$ would be on my 1099 for 2009 not 2008??  I have to invoices that were due to be paid in 2008 but I never received the $$ until January of 2009.  Do I have to claim that money on my taxes this year or next???  Thanks in advance for your help.   
No. I'm making excellent money doing this (IC). I have no desire to leave this profession.
  
I have been around awhile, and will last making good money as long as this field does.
x
There are too many MTSO that whine about making not enough money to pay you a livable wage.

I applaud you for being truthful and NOT GREEDY..


Have done both, and still prefer at home, making more money and setting my own hours. (sm)
In-house your required to meet a productivity of nothing less here on the east coast of 135 to 155 lines per hour, not to mention the QA's done weekly!! Yes, weekly, random 10 reports per MT!! I never had a problem with the QA's always between 99.6% and 99.8%. But, you work straight, no talking, in your little box (I call it). Yes, the benefits are a perk, but not that much and I worked 2nd shift always, so it was 18% of my base wage. I am still making more at home productivity wise and take a break when I want to. But, like you said circumstances change. Good luck!!
Two jobs don't equal one when it comes to making money and not wasting time. sm
Recommend looking for one good job.
: ) Some don't even care about money
any man will do. And unfortunately most men would go for it ;0
We paid hourly with incentive for high production. So she's making money when she's just
sitting there.  I don't know if it is a habit or not because this is the first time I've really had to work with her for any length of time.  I usually only work a couple of hours a day with her when our shifts overlap.  I think I'm definitely going to ask the girl I'm filling in for what she thinks about her.
Haven't heard in years. Supposedly making it harder to get money
xx
You live in a dream world if you think that MTSOs are making money hand over fist. Overhead? Add i
Banks charge about $200 a month for a business account plus .10 for every check deposited and written.

Ten people in an office? At $30k a year, that's $300,000 per year IF you can get them to work for only $30k. Add in 2 editors, an IS consultant, an accountant, a lawyer, rent on office space, checks, stamps for checks, software upgrades, phone lines, equipment for MTs, equipment for office staff, lightbulbs, toilet paper, a copier, a printer, paper, ink, pens, pencils, long distance charges to call MTs and customers, recruiting ad costs, taxes, benefits because most MTs are employees now because the IRS says most should be classified that way, high-speed internet, internet service provider because hotmail and yahoo are free but not professional, email encryption, fax machine, fax phone line, staplers, staples, paper clips, file folders, file cabinets, etc etc etc.

I am not whining. I am just stating facts. Add that to the headache of juggling schedules based on unpredictable workload due to unpredictable amount of people needing medical attention, the headache of billing clients who pay when they want regardless of what your terms are, covering for people who get sick or need time off, and it is not an easy thing to do. I am lucky that I am a workaholic and love what I do. Am I rich? No. Will being an MTSO make me rich? Probably not. Do I make more than I did as an MT? Yes, but at a higher price.

Don't judge until you walk in someone's shoes. I bought a new vehicle this year, a 2005 Ford Taurus, trading in my 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee and actually had comments made about how it must be nice to be able to buy a new car.