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I have an idea. Let the MTSO do impossible

Posted By: Dr. She is getting the most money having SM on 2008-04-16
In Reply to: Refusal to do certain doctors... - SCMT

his business.  Instead of expecting me to do him for 1/2 of what he is paying, let her do him. 


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It's nearly impossible to get by even on
This biz stinks more every single day.
Not impossible more improbable.
I didn't say it was impossible. Just not the norm and harder to prove. As in this case.
they are already impossible to reach
18,000 lines and your rate increases by half cent, whoopee.  MQ is a complete joke, a bunch of greedy, phony liars.  This whole business is in the toilet and i'm just sorry I didn't start school for a dif career sooner to be out of it NOW.  I'm gradually having to cut down on spending because my rate of pay is not up with the times, severe hand pain day after day, condescending technicians and supervisors.  I feel trapped.   
hahahaha - yup, it's impossible!!!!
x
Appreciate your thoughts, but all of this is impossible.

For so many reasons.  As one poster stated, these boards only reach about 10% of the MTs (very small number).  I, among others, have written numerous letters.  Heck, I even wrote to Obama, my congressman, major news papers, news programs, news magazines, etc.  It does not do any good.  I filed a complaint with the Employment Comission and Labor Board on the working requirements and procedures (that got me laid off).


Another very important thing to consider here is that not all MTs are unhappy.  I was for a very long time, but I am quite happy with my working conditions and pay at this time (even though I do not expect it to last due to the industry evolvement).  There are also more MTs than not who can not afford to do what you say is a good idea (strike or whatever).  Some will lose their jobs as I did and even if they did not, they simply cannot afford to go without pay for any length of time.  How effective would all of this be if only a couple of people from different companies did this?  We all work for different companies, and again, they are not ALL bad, even though there are not many of those left.  There is also the consquence of them replacing us with near-newbies at even lower wages, increasing the company profits, and further damaging the industry.


Our only hope was the AHDI and they stabbed us in the back.  More offshoring is being done to cover the tax/cost implications currently in motion, again further damaging the industry.  I just have to believe that it will evolve to its worst, and then swing back our way.  Wishful thinking, I know but that's all I've got.


1000 lines a day, impossible? sm
this is not unrealistic.  On a good day, I can easily do 16-1700 lines! A mere 1000 lines per day is NOT an unachievable goal, even for a newbie or semi-newbie. My company requires 1200 lines a day, which I believe is about average!
I too felt like it was an impossible career
Now 8 years later, I'm glad I stuck with it.  Before working at home, I worked for two years at a local hospital and that really helped me build my work experience and really helped when I went out on my own.  By working at the hospital, I became familiar with the local docs and eventually got my own accounts with them.  I had to let those accounts go because I moved, and now I am working for a small MTSO for the timebeing.  I had no problem getting this job.  I had applied to many different places and was overwhelmed with job offers.  If you stick with it, it gets easier.  You've invested time and money into this, have patience and see it through.
Then it's impossible to comment on the QA's note. sm
There are, of course, situations where it's pretty obvious that an individual guessed at a term rather than either looking it up or leaving a blank.

For instance, when the MT uses a term that has no logical relationship to the subject being discussed, that's a pretty good clue that she did not look up the definition of the word.

I'm not saying that's what happened in your case; I don't know enough to say. What I would suggest is that you decide on one of two courses of action:

a. Let it ride. It's doubtful that the QA intended to insult you, although "please check the definition of terms that you're not sure of" might have been more diplomatic (or would you have liked that any better?).

b. Talk it over with the QA calmly. Let her know that you thought her comment was offensive and presumed something that wasn't true.

Either way, I'm sure you're already aware that it's always better to leave a blank than to use the wrong term - whether by "mistake" or by "guessing". I know that all of us take great pride in completing our work accurately and it just kills us to have to leave blanks (a wonderful attitude, by the way!), but sometimes its just unavoidable - and if you've done your reasonable best to resolve a blank without success you've done your job. Leave the blank and get a second set of ears on it. After all, the doc might have used a term that doesn't even belong there in the first place.

I hope you're able to resolve this conflict with your QA or get past it. I know how these things take approximately 63.795% out of the joy of your work! :D
LOL! Know just how you feel. They are near impossible to grow in SoFla.
aa
Yes its true. They seem to be setting impossible limits for everyone lately and you have to wonder

if they just want people to quit.


The best place to get experience is in a hospital. I think it is near impossible
to work from home without the valuable experience of working onsite with others around to listen and train.

The schools all hype everyone up on working at home, but it is not that easy!
had a dictator who would give me an impossible long-
unpronounceable name, like Thyvongngang Tamboyvonangouwengay - and then say "common spelling" like it was John Smith. Cracked us both up every time.
Impossible to give answer as it all depends
on voice recognition program, dictator, etc.    I am working in such a lousy program lucky to get in 800 lines a day - it's the software - I spend so much time deleting what is there it is not even funny.  I could type from scratch much faster. 
One thing I've learned in life is it's impossible to
stand up for themselves. Maybe only 1 in 100 will even try. Sad to say, but we've brought a lot of this onto ourselves.
Thank you for response. :( I figured it was nearly impossible for transcribed lines.
I think my co. wants me to quit...
I find infectious disease to be IMPOSSIBLE, with all the bacterias AND the meds.
x
I wanted to learn it, but I fear the learning curve would be impossible. sm

since I can't take any time off from the qwerty keyboard.  How did you make the conversion? 


At 53 working 2 jobs 80 hours a week is impossible. I tried it, it does not work!! (sm)
I have been at this business 30+ years and at one point worked 3 jobs and 2 were for hospital contracts with taxes taken out and the other IC. It gives you no life. My suggestion, if you need the extra $$ work your 40 during the week, then 1 or 2 nights 2 hours and then Sat/Sun 16 hours which would give you 20 hours. That is more than enough and will give you a chance to see if you want to make a job change. Have tried the 2 FT 80 hours and almost had a seizure over it. Remember if your not physically well you cannot do it all!
You must live in Calif - finding a good old doctor is nearly impossible here.
It amazes me. But, it is true. The stories I have heard are heartbreaking.

I blame it on the cap they placed on malpractice suits. Doctors here are complacent. In my town, we go to Stanford or UCLA for serious illnesses. It is well worth the drive.
Explain you took on 2 acct at same time but find it impossible to do adequate job for 2 accts.
:P
what is MTSO?

I'm an MTSO. I can tell you....
We don't hire *anyone* unless they have successfully completed a college education, meaning an associate's degree, in medical transcription.  It doesn't matter if they learned on the job, learned in their garage, learned on their patio, learned it on their own 25 years ago or 25 months ago, taught themselves or  taught the next door neighbor, or if they used to be a nurse, doctor or janitor.  The short and simple of it is:  No formal college training in MT, no job!  (And that includes the "make-$40,000.00-a-year-correspondence-courses, too!).  We've seen the handiwork of those who say they're self-taught, and it's not pretty! 
mtso
Amen!
I'm an MTSO
and trust me I believe in paying above average for an above average job, but when you can't get the docs to cough it up because you've got third-world countries and VR breathing down your neck, not to mention newbies fresh out of school who will do it for even less, well, what do you expect...the MTSO to pull it out of her pocket to pay for you to work.  Never forget ....MTSOs have to make a profit.  They're entitled to that dear....If not, there's no reason to be in business. If you don't like what you're being offered, you're always free to get brave, strike out and get your own accounts. 
When I was an IC I sent my MTSO
Christmas lottery tickets, which he loved. Nothing compared to the $500 bonus he gave me. Now that I am working for a large national, I'm just another number lost in the shuffle. I probably won't send them anything, don't expect anything from them and probably will receive nothing, though a full day's work would be nice once in a while.
I am a MTSO

I am a small MTSO and also IC'd for another company a couple of years ago and something similar happened to me.  However it was probably a little different as I did the pick-up and deliveries although I was an IC for the company.  When she did not bill the clinics so that I could not get paid, I knew the clinics and so I went to them and told them that after a certain date I would not be doing their sevice because I was not being paid -- a little different than your story but you can also let the clinics know how that service is being run.  Again, only after you write your calm, fact filled letter.  But if someone threatened my business with anything like that - going to my accounts -- they would be paid within 24 hours.   Reputation is what counts in this business.   But again, just write to them calmly and with the facts asking them to prove that you had signed a contract, then giving them 48 hours to produce such contract or send you a check for your services or you will see them in court.   Again, I would threaten to go to their accounts to let them know how they run their business but only as a last resort.  But just do it, write them you deserve your money.   Was there problems prior to quitting and that is why you just left suddenly -- I know this leaves them in a lurch but if they were a crummy company they probably deserved it.  Also if you did not sign a contract stating you would not go after any account you worked on for two years go for the accounts. 


 


I'm not a MTSO, but

my hospital's TAT is between 24 and 48 hours depending on type of report.  When I worked in-house, it was from 2 to 48 hours, with Op notes/HP having a 2 hour TAT.   I think it varies a bit between hospitals, but as a general rule most reports are no greater than 24 hours. Sometimes discharge summaries have a longer TAT, such as 48 hours.   I don't have any experience with VA hospitals, but they probably aren't much different.  


What would you do re this MTSO?

I am an IC for a small MTSO.  I have a deduction taken from my invoice every pay period for renting Transnet equipment.  My foot pedal broke and I asked urgently Monday morning for a replacement foot pedal to be Fed Exed to me - work was on the system and needed to get done.  Well, after many many phone calls and e-mails I got the replacement foot pedal via Fed Ex (they shipped on Friday) on Saturday morning.  So I worked all weekend to get caught up on a whole week's worth of work.  Got my invoice yesterday (late - the MTSO has rescheduled their payment schedule as they are not getting promptly paid by their clients - the ICs had to accept the new payment schedule or quit).  There was a deduction for $40.13 for delivery fee for the foot pedal.  The Accounts manager says that "many memos" have been sent out that ICs are responsible for delivery fees.  Huh?  I looked over the memo I received about Transnet rentals and it said our invoice deduction covers maintenance costs for faulty equipment, etc. (the MTSO had originally said I would be billed for a new foot pedal - then I brought up the memo on rentals that covers faulty equipment and that got dropped pretty quickly).  I told the Accts manager that postage is the MTSOs expense, just like it is my IC expense to return the faulty equipment to the MTSO.  I also mentioned that the MTSO pays for phone charges to fax stuff to ICs; likewise the ICs pay for their phone charges for faxing to the MTSO.


What would you do?  I am so fed up with this MTSO...I don't make that much money on Transnet anyway (most of my lines are from microtapes) that I am tempted to just tell her to take all of my doctors on Transnet and quit doing these willy nilly deductions without my approval or knowledge.  This is the third time the Accts manager has taken "deductions" from my invoice without telling me - the last time was for Chicago taxes on rental equipment (totally illegal according to Cook County govn't) - that took 2 weeks to get straightened out!  Arrggghhh!!!


i'm not an MTSO,
but i think you did right and my guess is that within 6 months to a year, they'll come back to you.
MTSO
I have checked the labor sites and just could not find anything. In the beginning, my accountant told me I would need to either collect sales tax or get a wholesale exemption from my client, but after calling the local and state sales tax offices and being told I didn't need one, she changed her mind too. The problem with offices is you don't always get the right answer but you are still responsible for the results. I just thought if nobody else charged, then I could be pretty safe in not charging as well. Thanks for replying anyway!
MTSO??
x
MTSO
I am just starting with an MTSO and looking foward to many, many happy years with them; locally based to my area. Can't wait. Start training tomorrow.
Everyone should be IC/MTSO at least once
it gives you a great prespective on where your money goes and how much goes to taxes... people think that when you are an employee the employer is "giving" them benefits, paying their share of the employee's SS taxes, etc. but actually the employee is paying indirectly, reflected in their wage amount, cpl, etc. They just don't have to write the check for the taxes, it's taken from them before they can see it. The problem with being in this business and being IC is that you need to make a better line rate than an employee and people do not realize that until the tax bill comes. I had to go with a national last year as my large physician group went to an EMR, so I switched to employee status. They were only going to pay the same line rate either way, so it works out better for me now to be an employee. As an IC/MTSO I had alot of deductions, kept every reciept, took depreciation, mileage (a big ded for me as I live in the country), etc. but now with my national position everything is internet, no printing documents, etc. so it only made sense for me to switch to employee. I have another sideline business which provides plenty of deductions right now and not much income. Planning is key whenever taxes are involved, check out the IRS publications or home business books, etc. Some great information to avoid the same tax problems next year.
MTSO
I loved your comment about the outhouse!! :) (And some of the matchbook schools could well BE outhouses for all we know.)
mtso, who?
or stirring up trouble?
As an MTSO, I would want to know

if an MT is directly contacting my client and I would appreciate the tip that I could follow up on.  A good MTSO will be able to handle the situation in a way that would not result in you being in the middle.  Perhaps the MTSO could approach the MT and simply say that the client said that they were contacted by one of the staff about whatever the topic may have been and to no longer make direct contact with the client. 


I wouldn't necessarily say it's none of your business considering that the job you hold is your bread and butter and if your coworker says something to the MTSOs client that could jeapordize the MTSO/client relationship, that COULD affect you, so I believe you have grounds to speak up.


Bad MTSO
I worked for someone like that as well. I bet it was the same company/person. She expected you to work 24/7 so if she needed you all she had to do was IM or email. I wasn't supposed to have a life. I have 2 children and a disabled husband. I did my own accounts -- always on time and when my work was done I had other things to do. Well if your work was caught up you weren't suppose to have a life or rest you were supposed to do more work for her. The paychecks starting coming later and later until one day I had one returned for NSF. I quit at that point. You have every right to vent. Your family comes first. I have had a number of job offers since and I am currently working again with yet another offer on the table. Good Luck!
MTSO here

I am a small MTSO that has two part-time IC's and can only pay them 0.85 cpl to 0.9 but because of the account they can make $45 an hour.  Again, I stress to me it is what I can make an hour.  But it is a psych account, I pick up tapes, meet the gals, and then they have 3 days to do the reports which are long, 10-12 pages but I developed so many templates that they can do them about 60 to 75 minutes.  They E-mail to me and I E-mail the reports to the docs.  We pick up on Thurs, and they have to have to me by 10 on Tues.  My other accounts they sometimes help me with but again I can only pay .85 to 9.  Again though they can make $25 an hour which I don't feel is bad pay.  I just cannot charge the docs more than I do at 11.5 to 12 cpl.  They pay on time, never a bounced check and appreciate what we do so I feel we all benefit.   Also they have been loyal to me and my psych account has been with me for over 16 years.   See what you make per hour. 


That is my Saturday 2 cents worth for the day.  If any typo's cannot find my glasses so sorry if there are.   Patti


That must be one of my MTSO...sm
I know the feeling ALL too well. I have one I help out prn, only if I have the time. I never have any idea when she will need me...a week could go by and I hear nothing, sometimes 2 weeks. I have other large accounts, plenty to stay busy. I check my e-mail in the am, see what needs to be done and get busy.

Well, when she realizes she is in over her head and needs help, she thinks I am sitting on my e-mail and should reply ASAP! I sign off at night, the next morning she has a nasty message in ALL CAPS wanting to know why she hasn't heard from me. Well, for one thing, you sent the e-mail at 10 pm...I am NOT sitting on my e-mail at 10 pm. She then rants and raves about how she is short some MTs, and this account, which she has taken on to help someone else out, is putting her in over her head. She is very short tempered and nasty when she gets herself in these holes and then thinks we should bail her out... and if we are not available, it's somehow our fault.

She preaches on and on about how late she sat up getting the work done, as if it is somehow OUR fault she dug herself in this hole. As I told her, just because you do not want to turn down ANY work, do not expect everyone else to be free to help you out when you get in over your head. And I remind her that IC means just that. After 2 years helping her out, she does not want to pay any more than before. So, when she starts a tantrum, I just remind her that I am working on clients that pay me 2 to 3 cpl MORE than she does, and they are my priority.
MTSO
ok, i give up, what does MTSO mean? i been reading this for months and i can't figure it out. "My Tired Sore Ohhhhhhh...." lol
She's not an MTSO
But if she wants to train MTs for free I am sure nobody is complaining.
LOL you must be an MTSO
It's not dangerous OR hateful advice and it's worked for me in the past.

The OP *should* hire an attorney if needed, BUT BEFORE she/he spends one nickle on an attorney to collect HER money! she/he should give the MTSO one last chance to get it right - and that would be a with a warning about what is likely to occur if she sues.

If the MTSO has a LEGITIMATE reason for a delay they can speak up about and negotiate. But ignoring a contractor who is owed $ is NOT acceptable.

which MTSO are you?
nm
Not MTSO, but
I have used ibackup for a couple of my clients with a need for multiple people to access files.

http://www.ibackup.com/

It's secure. You just send them your directory link and viola.
What is the MTSO
What is their name?
what does MTSO mean?
not trying to sound dumb but new to the boards and keep seeing MTSO, just curious what it stands for
I think you are an MTSO. nm
x
MTSO vs. IC?

I'm a student MT, and I'm curious as to what the difference is between a MTSO and a Sole Proprietor working as an IC from home? Right now I am writing a business plan as part of my MT Program, and I am trying to sort this all out.


Also, I saw a post below talking about digital dictation and paying for FTP site service, is this an expense necessary for ICs or only MTSOs with employees? How does an IC usually download digital files from the client?



 


MTSO can set TAT but cant specify certain hrs.
x
My MTSO is going to use it. *nm*

Does anyone know what a MTSO
charges their clients (hospitals) for medical editing?

I know the average MT pay for transcribing is 7-10 cpl per 65-characters plus spaces, and the average MT pay for editing is 3.5-6 cpl per 65-character plus spaces, but I was wondering what the MTSO would charge the hospital for primarily an editing account.

Does anyone know?