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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Ever approach client of national you used to...

Posted By: (sm) on 2005-10-19
In Reply to:

work for to offer your IC services for their account...or is that asking for some kind of a lawsuit and headache that you don't want?


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never a client from a national, but...sm

A client approached me AFTER both HE and I had quit working for this one particular MTSO...I worked for him, she found out and tried to sue ME for $20K.


I sent her back a play $20K bill and told her that was about as much as her "lawsuit" was worth. Never heard another word from her.


A small national is a national company that is smaller
than a big national.  There are a few "big" nationals, where they have hundreds, if not thousands of employees.   I work for what I call a small national, only has about 30 employees.    An MTSO could also be considered a small national. 
I like your approach sm

I think your service adds the "personal touch" which definitely makes you different from other services.   You shouldn't want to be the same as everyone else.


I have studied marketing for years and have learned that the personal touch is often more effective to not only getting an account but keeping an account.   


You're proof that it works! 


 


I went from national to small back to national
My large national has all the resources and money to operate successfully and have decent platform, etc., to work on, the small company did not, and I went back to the national.
Your brother took the right approach...sm
too many docs write a prescription without testing to make sure that a person has the diagnosis to support it. A good doctor will do the testing like you indicated to make sure a patient truly is ADD or ADHD prior to handing out medicine.

Question to the original poster: Are you under extra stress lately? If so, that's probably what is causing you to be scatter brained and learning how to handle stress will be more effective long-term than taking medications.

Good luck to you!
Let me tell you how I approach the visit
If going to a new physician, I have my history and physical and all other information typed out for them. If a return visit, I type out a small list noting the reason for the visit. Mine are short and sweet, first of all because if not written down, hard for me to remember and just makes it easier for perhaps a person who is on their treadmill trying to see all the patients they can and me as I don’t want to spend a lot of time there either. I heard somewhere that after about the first 4 or 5 minutes you are tuned out anyway. Why not simplify for the visit??
While I like this approach, the fact that you
motherly.  I think sometimes MTs feel like it's their parents correcting them.  Would you agree?  Also, I think a lot of us are home MTs nurturing our children, and cannot separate when we are speaking to an adult.  I would prefer no baby talk, but then again this is my interpretation.  You sound very nice, and keep up the positive attitude; however, we're not children being scolded.  We are adults that need guidance once in a while and as you put it a second set of ears.   
Get your own accts. When approach Dr with
x
Any ideas about how to approach this...

In these tough economic times, any ideas on how to bring up the subject of a salary increase to management without it turning on me in some way?  Is it even worth asking in our industry?  Working for major MTSO for a few years, still making same salary since the beginning, below 10 c/l.  Any little bit would help. Love my job but getting desperate.


That is how I approach my position as QA as well...
not my problem to find missing commas, et cetera...it is my job to listen to the blank, plain and simple...
Approach homeschooling with knowledge. sm
I have family in California that homeschool their children, and it is wonderful. The mother has an education, sets up great courses, and the support network there is absolutely fantastic. Sports, music, field trips, clubs, they are all available. They couldn't get a better education anywhere, and the socialization is absolutely great.

However, I had to homeschool my son last year for health reasons, and there can be real problems. He is an only child and was left out of all the school social activities. Unfortunately, there is no homeschooling network in my area, the nearest one is 150 miles away, so there were no field trips, sports activities, etc. We live in a small town, and not much is available outside school. It took him 2-3 months to get back into the social swing in high school. Fortunately he is very well adjusted, and turned out fine. Be sure the pieces are in place before you homeschool. Otherwise, you will be the only support your child has, and it can be almost a full-time job, especially if you have to start your own organization. I highly recommend homeschooling if you are in an area to do so. It can be a great experience and children can learn so much faster than in the public school. Good luck.
cost effective approach???

Okay, I am ready to start out with my own "company". I don't want the inconvenience of tapes yet the equipment to setup my own dial-up service is prohibitively expensive.  Does anyone provide cost effective services where I can offer a 800 dial up service?  OR, any rental options? Is anyone using this kind of service?  What does it cost? Thanks. 


How about this.......wait until the time comes and approach your sup then..
Why cause "drama" when there is none..
I like your approach, straightforward and observant (NM)
Valid question, I agree.
We don't have to approach hospitals we work for;
there are plenty of others out there, and we didn't sign any contracts not to contact them.

We wouldn't need to be talking about specific MTSO's in general, either, but the industry as a whole. And more importantly, about AHDI and all its underhanded little shennanigans.
Jay Vance tried that approach and it died. You have to charge
reasonable membership dues for people to see the seriousness of the action.  Jay Vance charged something like a dollar or something like that and no one took him seriously.  Of course, that was the old days, now he's an AAMT suckup.
The fine-toothed comb approach!
Being right there in the same room is wonderful. How wonderful you were able to be of assistance to a relative too! I will keep everyone posted. I would like some other contractors to post in about what they think should be paid out of 8 cents/line for an OJT. Looking forward to more input!
Having waitress' say "you guys" every time they approach each and every table.
I still want to know how they really want me to answer when then ask "Are you guys doing okay?" or "How are you guys making out?"  ????  Well my relationship with food is personal I guess!
(1) Don't work for a national. (2) Don't work for a national. (3) Don't work for a nation

If you still want to stay in MTing, which is a dying job, go to a hospital and apply to do radiology.  They sometimes hire people just out of transcription schools.


But don't work at home thinking you will make any money at all - even with 20 years of experience - the nationals have wrecked that. 


Be under the umbrella of protection at a hospital.  That way when your computer breaks, the weather is bad, you are sick, there is no work - you will not be without a paycheck. 


The nationals are selling a line of BULL.  Gradually they have taken what used to be our built-it benefits------------> and moved it over to their pockets and called it their PROFIT.  They are not brilliant - but they are unethical thieves.



have you tried another national?

It seems you may have worked for one national, have you tried any others?  There are a few good ones.  I found a great one, but am keeping my fingers crossed because every time I find one, they start growing and changing (for the worst, in my opinion). 


Unfortunately, it seems to be the trend in our profession.  It could be we will all be out of jobs one day, just all at once in a heartbeat. 


Like the age of automation, didn't people lose jobs and become 'displaced' like all at once? 


I hate to say this, really, because I respect your feelings, but a lot of us lately are running out of work with our nationals.  Complete flipside - I have been running out almost daily, even on 3, 4 accounts.  I just ran out now and am waiting to get some work because I really need the money...


There seem to be no easy answers.  We are all at the mercy of our employers and whatever they decide to do.  Seems there are no laws for people like us...we are like slave labor. 


I hope you find your answers, and I think your Sparkle paper towels are giving some great advice!  (smile)


$36.5K, national and


For national MTs: how many different...

accounts does your national have you on...just curious.


I started with one and now am up to three and they're trying to shove two more accounts on me for a total of five. Simply hate it...would love to have just one primary account again with just one back-up.


As soon as I pick up momentum on the account I'm on at the moment, I get switched over to help out on another.


And yes...I have complained to them already...just wondering if this is the norm nowadays.


what national?
At home work or office work?  How long did it take you to finish the program?  What did you do or say to get hired before graduation?
Does that mean I should keep my job with a national?

Most definitely. Not MQ, another national. sm
I've been going on-line from dawn to midnight to get my hours in.  You know, this has happened with every service I ever worked for between Thanksgiving and mid January, so I'm not hysterical YET! 
my national because she is very....sm

Only ONE out of plenty I am sure do I like because she is communicative, will email you your qa'd reports if you want, and will even call you at home if you request.....I have NEVER met another QA person like her and I nominated her for QA of the month (year if they offered that but they do not - *lol*)


To me, it's all about COMMUNICATION!! 


 


A national,
Can anyone help me out?

Thanks!
national
!
I'm an IC with a national
and transcribe for a hospital. My TAT is normally 24 hours. Also, they hired me right out of school for 8 cpl.
the BIG national........LOL.....nm

for the national now on DQS...sm

but privately, which is my main source of income,  (4 MDs), having them for a long time, I do about 300-400 LPH with a 68-72 character line in a DOS program with ShortCuts expansion program.


I used to type 250-300 LPH for the national before they went on DQS 3 years ago.  That's been sliced in half.


best of luck to you!!!!! 


7 CPL for a national for VR.....nm
.
I got 9 cpl with a national
at their mercy as well.  I'll take the 8 cpl with freedom to work when I want thank you very much and not be at anyone's mercy ESPECIALLY as an independent contractor like some folk do for these companies.  I'll take the 8 cpl, but if I don't feel like working then I don't; end of story.  I have my own accounts that I make the rules and the line rate, not some MTSO spoon feeding it to me.  If I need more money then I'll just go out and get my own accounts.  Not getting rich off the companies online that's for sure.  Funny thing is whoever thinks that they are going to make top dollar on an account someone else (like a national or even a small MTSO) really has their head in the clouds.  If you are good at what you do, you can go and get your own accounts and make 13 cpl or even more...  go figure right????  Good luck my fellow MT's.  Nationals are not for me.....
I have only tried one national and that was

I have even tried a small MTSO and they didn't want to pay squat either.  I had no trouble at all with the dictators, but they still only wanted to pay 7 cpl as an IC and wanted to run my life, quick turnaround, yada, yada, yada.  I would have been better off taking the morning shift at Bob Evans restaurant or better yet, the Dunkin Donuts (Indian-run) would probably pay me better than that.  I say try your best to gain an account on your own even if it is only just one.  You are better off with a small MTSO, but.....they lose accounts too even faster than the nationals, so then what?  Put your efforts into finding an account on your own.  There have been some suggestions on this board regarding such and someone was even going to hire a business consultant to get her business going.  The other option is, if possible, try an on-site job especially at a hospital even if that is only to network.  Make sure all of your friends know that you are a medical Transcriptionist with a great worth ethic.  Word gets around and you would be surprised what can fall into your lap.  Good luck.  I do not like the way the nationals or even small MTSOs operate as far as pay and how they treat you especially when you are an IC. 


Not at a national, but it was (sm)
most definitely there when previously working in-house.
Is this a national..which one?..

Just curious because I did hear of 1 co that wouldn't let you check your counts, and it seemed to be causing a lot of issues with the MTs of course.  It ranged from some MTs feeling they were cheated out of lines to other MTs just wanting to know where they stood as far as their progress for the day. 


The thing is, I can't remember the name of that company for the life of me.  I thought maybe if I heard it, it would sound familiar if it was the same company. 


FTP Client
I still don't know what an FTP client is that was asked in the original question? 
the client always wants a little something...sm
The client always wants a little something for nothing.....so I give them a free line if there is only one word on the line...I give them a 68-72 character line (spaces I do count).  I have never upped them in 9 years, but on my 10th anniversary I am upping them to 13 CPL.  I also give them their 5 line headings for nothing as it's only 2 Keystrokes for me.  They are good to me so I bake for the offices a couple of times a year and give the offices a gift during the winter holidays. 
I do for one client

One of my clients requested that I charge this way.  We do 10 words = 1 line, so basically a penny per word.  From what I have figured, I'm doing okay when compared to the character count way of charging on this account.  I think they requested charges calculated this way because of being ripped off by their last MT.  Once I send their files, they can check the word count and keep a running tab to compare with my statement.  They're satisfied and I'm satisfied, so it works well. 


Have your client do it. SM
Call the office of your client and have them fax/e-mail to you samples of their prior surgeries.  There's certainly nothing wrong with asking for this.
the client does not have to have it-- sm
The client can unzip using WinZip or whatever program they have installed, but MP Tools is so easy, some clients may want to use it. I have a couple who are interested in purchasing it just for the printing function, which works really well.
I had a client ask me to look
They provided a patient list for the date of service, but if the patient was not on there, then I had to view on-line the past week of patient lists to look for the name.  Yeah right - that took 15 or 20 minutes sometimes uploading and viewing.  So now, they get an inaccurate spelling of the patient name with a comment when I send there report, pt. not on list.  Hello?  Like the low wage isn't bad enough, and then add in that kind of junk.  It is pathetic. 
What the client says is law, if that is what they want, then
that is what they expect and they have the right to tell an MTSO who can and cannot work on their accounts.
Even with this, the client is always
BOS is a style guide, which I do not own.  However, I aim to please the client.  So, if the doctor wants to spell something his own way, then so be it.  He went to medical school, not me!  A book of style means absolutely nothing to a client who wants things a certain way.  End of story. 
It is just according to what the client
wants. Most do I would think, but some want them in a paragraph form and not captialized. Need to check with your supervisor or client.
Oh my! Do you have your own client? sm
I don't know of any MTSOs who pay 13 cpl. If you found one please share.
I'm not sure, but if the client does not
get a cut for using ASR, they why would they care whether their physicians use it or not????

We would be a lot more valued if they all thought ASR was as good as originally touted and had no editors to fix the darn reports it spits out.
First off..there is no way the client is getting a
And ASR is NO WAY 3 times faster...that will never happen. Most transcriptionists type the speed of the dictator to begin with. ASR could be a great tool for those of us needing a break from transcription, but it does not warrant ripping off our cpl's..ESPECIALLY when the client is charged the same...the have NO WAY of knowing whether the report is goes to ASR or not. Lastly, an ASR Editor needs YEARS of transcription experience, becuase to insure a correct report
It would be according to what the client
wants. We just type the numbers if they are dictated that way.
Unless specified by the client, I only
expand in diagnoses, procedures, impression, etc. I always type what they say when it comes to drugs, you don't change things like two a day to b.i.d. unless directed to do so by the client specifically. Also, on my client we are not allowed to use slang, so if they say "sat" we expand to saturation, bili is changed to bilirubin etc. A good MT never takes it upon herself to change something that is dictated UNLESS they are specified to in certain instances by the client or it something is wrong--then if it is changed you flag it for your QA.
I have 5 accounts with a national and still run out.