Here is a link to info on medical insurance I found interesting (sm)

• Giving up Health Insurance - Kristy
  • Please don't be harsh on me, but if you are so SM - GM
    • I do, but - Kristy
    • I think she is working for a company that provides insurance. - Mrs Chippy
      • I'm sorry. I have just me to insure. I know things are hard. - Didn't mean to offend.
  • A terrible, terrible gamble - PsychicMT
  • Chamber of Commerce or your own state might offer coverage for IC/SE - sansie
  • Here is a link to info on medical insurance I found interesting (sm) - tough issue
    • Are you in Atlanta where Clark is - June
      • No, I listen to his radio show when I can find it LOL nm - tough issue
      • Sorry should have said he was on radio - June
  • I asked about this too, you can get medicaid if you get hospitalized and spend a certain amount. - Mary S
  • I have private insurance (sm) - Anon
  • I havent had insurance in many, many years, I pay cash and like SM - MT50
    • What happens if you have to be hospitalized? - Kinnie
      • I think about that, I had hospitalization from State Farm, but it became too expensive for me, SM - MT50
        • In time past my child was diagnosed - Kinnie
          • I'm sorry to hear about that. What happened to your child? My DD has PCOS, but that is hardly ca - MT50
            • In the years since then my child has - Kinnie
              • God bless you and your family. nm - MT50
  • Some info - from a fellow uninsured MT
  • Me too - wsd
  • insurance - Marilyn
  • What about just a catastrophic policy in case something major happens? - academia

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. doctors increasingly have access to computers to look up information on their patients, but more than half still don't have digital health records or the ability to write electronic prescriptions, a study released on Wednesday found.

Twenty-two percent of doctors surveyed by the Center for Studying Health System Change last year had access to electronic prescription tools compared with 11 percent in 2001.

About half can use computers to access notes on their patients or exchange data with other doctors, up from about 37 percent and 41 percent, respectively, four years earlier.

"Despite substantial growth rates ... many physicians still lack access to practice-based clinical information technology (IT)," said study co-author Marie Reed, who manages data for the independent policy research group.

Overall, a higher percentage of doctors said last year they could use technology to find out about recommended treatments and patients' medications, as well as share information with other physicians.

The study comes as a U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce subcommittee prepares to consider legislation on Wednesday that would create guidelines to help hospitals, doctors and the government share patient records.

All Americans are supposed to have electronic health records by 2014 under a goal set by

His administration has funded the U.S. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology but has otherwise relied on private industry to spur wider use of information technology in the health sector.

Some critics say the federal government should take a greater role, offering tax breaks and other incentives as well as requiring U.S. agencies to make greater use of electronic health data.

"In general, major barriers to physician adoption of clinical IT include start-up and maintenance costs, as well as the significant effort and costs of changing workflow to effectively use IT," the study said.

Researchers surveyed more than 6,600 doctors in 2005 and about 12,000 in 2001. The did not ask doctors whether they actually used the technology in their everyday practice.

About 65 percent of doctors last year said they could look up information on treatment guidelines compared with 53 percent in 2001. Twenty-nine percent said they used technology for reminders about preventive treatments for patients, compared with just under 24 percent in 2001.

The Center for Studying Health System Change, which receives most of its funds from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation philanthropy, said promoting digital health data may encourage more doctors to go high-tech.

Until then, the slow adoption rates "suggest that physicians as a group have not yet reached a tipping point in the adoption of IT for most clinical activities," it said.

I check the Craigslist website quite often, and on a whim I clicked on India and then jobs.  SO MANY POSTINGS FOR JOBS AVAILABLE FOR U.S. BASED COMPANIES - customer service, call centers, computer techs, and yes even MTs.  There was even one posting a few weeks ago from a "company" that would set you up with a U.S. based physical address, phone number, fax number so that you could have your business "based" in the U.S., obviously to actually be in another country and get the U.S. tax break.  Sickening

I am looking at moving back to working from home, I am currently 'in-house' working for a hospital clinic but I need more flexibility for my children's schedules.

I have a decent lead on an IC position, but I am trying to figure out if I can find/afford health care.  I really only need catastrophic type care and plan to pay for my own routine care.

Does anyone know of a decent insurance company??

Thanks VT_MT

From the same  link: 

**Check out the last paragraph... Apprenticeship from the US Department of Labor - is that also for overseas MTs? 

Education and training. Employers prefer to hire transcriptionists who have completed postsecondary training in medical transcription offered by many vocational schools, community colleges, and distance-learning programs.

Completion of a 2-year associate degree or 1-year certificate program—including coursework in anatomy, medical terminology, legal issues relating to health care documentation, and English grammar and punctuation—is highly recommended, but not always required. Many of these programs include supervised on-the-job experience. Some transcriptionists, especially those already familiar with medical terminology from previous experience as a nurse or medical secretary, become proficient through refresher courses and training.

Formal accreditation is not required for medical transcription programs. However, the Approval Committee for Certificate Programs (AACP)—established by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and the American Health Information Management Association—offers voluntary accreditation for medical transcription programs. Although voluntary, completion of an ACCP approved program may be required for transcriptionists seeking certification.

Certification and other qualifications. The AHDI awards two voluntary designations, the Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) and the Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT). Medical transcriptionists who are recent graduates of medical transcription educational programs, or have fewer than 2 years experience in acute care, may become a registered RMT. The RMT credential is awarded upon successfully passing the AHDI level 1 registered medical transcription exam. The CMT designation requires at least 2 years of acute care experience working in multiple specialty surgery areas using different format, report, and dictation types. Candidates also must earn a passing score on a certification examination. Because medicine is constantly evolving, medical transcriptionists are encouraged to update their skills regularly. RMTs and CMTs must earn continuing education credits every 3 years to be recertified. As in many other fields, certification is recognized as a sign of competence

**Graduates of an ACCP approved program who earn the RMT credential are eligible to participate in the Registered Apprenticeship Program sponsored by the Medical Transcription Industry Association through the U.S. Department of Labor. The Registered Apprenticeship program offers structured on-the-job learning and related technical instruction for qualified medical transcriptionists entering the profession

most of these are old but the CBay post is fairly new...even the MTs in India do not seem to be treated fairly...I imagine there is a lot of abuse over there also. 

Too bad we could not unionize them and us together...would that ever be possible you think? 

Well, I am about to use my vision coverage insurance for United Health Care.  Eye Exam 2000 said they only covered 15-20% of the exam, 20% of cost of lens/glasses.  I have never heard of such a low amount covered.  I guess I have the wrong plan.  Anyone else disappointed with United Health Care benefits besides me?  I work for a large national.

Thanks.  I guess I am hoping someone will tell me I am wrong and that 80% of the bill is covered.  That this is all a mistake.

Signed,

Squinting

I was running out of work every day.  They are wonderful and very nice.  Transcend is not that great. 

The last link was to the main site. The soundoff board was here: Correct Link.

Medword's mailing address:

306-46000 1st Avenue
Chilliwack, B.C. V2P 1W1
Canada
Business Line: 1-604-701-6868
Toll-Free Line: 1-877-701-6868

as to why medical records should be in some type of print format and not handwriting, if that is what they are still doing. 

http://www.medlaw.com/healthlaw/Medical_Records/8_1/physicians-barred-from-cu.shtml

Best of luck out there!

Have this as one of my bookmarks - found this handy whilst handling rehab work. Hope this helps!

http://medicaltranscriptionwordhelp.googlepages.com/rehabmedicineterminology

How absolutely awful.  It says he was visiting his mom and the new baby.  Can you imagine going in the hospital to give birth only to leave with your new baby and your older son not make it out?  I can't even comprehend it.  I'm sorry for the people who can't see past her craziness but that has to be heartbreaking. 

and Tessier's The Surgical Word Book, 3rd edition.  Books you could buy used I would say would be Stedman's Pathology and Lab Medicine and Cardiology/Pulmonary word book.  These are all the books I use the most during my day.  You could buy other speciality word books as you need them and could probably go used with those.

I wouldn't bother with buying a drug book, new editions come out every year and I just stick to the FDA website and RXList as my drug references.

Also FYI, not a book, but I use my Stedman's Electronic Medical Dictationary a lot.  It's easier to open the program than it is to pick up a huge 30-pound dictionary.