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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

In the back of Advance Magazine you see all the coding jobs. Can access it online, too.

Posted By: Advance for Health Information Professionals. nm on 2007-06-26
In Reply to: Taken courses, but not much hands-on experience as of yet. n/m - Anybody know company hiring coders?

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did anyone see the article in Advance magazine

about how wonderful it is to train Indians to do our job.  OH YAAAYYY, LET'S HERE IT FOR SPHERIS AND HEALTHSCRIBE   Let's give a big whoopie and cheer them on while they continue to post for transcriptionists on this board and yet outsource and TRAIN Indians to do our job.  I guess I'm angry about the article on other levels, such as the fact that it seems that Advance magazine is constantly promoting offshore transcription.  This is not the first time they have printed articles like this. 


 


Our hospital used Spheris and Cbay and we spent hours up hours redoing the reports, yet these companies got paid in full.  Where is the logic in that?  Thank God, administration wised up and brought the work back in.  Now we can go back to doing what we've always done ... OUR OWN TRANSCRIPTION ACCURATELY!


 


I sent Advance magazine an email
I think if enough people did, then maybe they will stop glamourizing the overseas work. This is the third article in a year's time that they have done. A few months back Advance actually interviewed an Indian owner, picture and all, about his company!!!


Try off of the Advance Magazine web site, pasted inside. nm
http://health-information.advanceweb.com/main.aspx
Advance magazine? Anyone notice the letter to the editor?
It's on page 5 entitled Does Walmart or Home Depot pay better?......Gee, I wonder what company this person is talking about?  Okay, which one of you sent this in? hahaha!

 

Well, while everything the writer of this letter says is true about the company, I think we all know most of us make a bit more than 8 to 10 bux an hour.  For myself, it's about twice that.  If I really were only making that for what I'm doing, I WOULD head over the the Walmart or Target.  I would NOT do this for 10 bux an hour NO WAY in HE double toothpicks!

Idea in letter to Editor in Advance magazine (sm)
Just last night I read a letter in the Advance for Health Information Professionals from a former MR who is now a cancer registrar and loves it. I had looked into that myself a few years ago, although I chose to stay with MT. At the time there were on-line courses through community colleges.

What about coding? I have a friend who works now for a local hospital at home doing ambulatory coding.

Just some thoughts.

BTW, the letter to Advance can probably be found on-line at advanceweb.com/him. It's the Nov 5 issue.
There was an excellent letter to the editor in Advance Magazine last month sm

that spelled how why, but here are some of my reasons:


1. In all their years in existence, the AAMT has yet to make life easier for the AMERICAN MT.  In fact, the state of MT in this country is worse than I have seen it in a very long time. 


2.  The AAMT chose to align themselves with MTIA whose board of directors is largely composed of Indians.  They also support offshoring and have adopted the motto "work smarter" which to them means pay hundreds of dollars for a CMT that most companies will not even acknowledge and then hundreds more dollars to join AAMT yearly to get their crappy publications.


3.  They are now certifying offshore MTs.  Yes, nothing like opening the cover of the AMERICAN Association for Medical Transcription and seeing the names of the Indians who have received their CMT. 


4. I get less pay than I did 20 years ago and offshoring is the main reason.  So pardon me if I am a little testy that I just paid so much money to an organization who stabbed me in the back.


5. I certainly think they SHOULD change their name to something else.  How about the I SOLD THE AMERICAN MT DOWN THE RIVER ASSOCIATION FOR MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION.  Bitter?  You bet.  Gosh, they made so many promises and all they did was take our money for a piece of paper rarely recognized by anyone at the same time extending a hand to the reason I am making less money than I did 20 years ago!  


6.  It's a bloated association full of lots of people who "do things."  Everything except stick up for the American MT. 


7. Oh yes, and the BOS is ridiculous.


I do with mine plus online access nm

nm


I sent a comment to Advance and heard back from them
supposedly, they are going to put my letter in the next edition in Letter to the Editor .... we'll see. But I did not cancel my subscription.
I don't expect to be paid OT. I need access to jobs during my shift.
I have a line count to meet. If the system goes down or something happens causing me to not be able to have work, for 3 and 1/2 years, I was able to make up time on my day off.
Do you have an employee access number so you get jobs once you're logged in? Maybe
s
Sombeody actually wrote a really good letter to Advance a few issues back. sm
It was in the Jan. 12, 2009, issue, letter to the Editor titled, "What Good is Change for MTs?" by Wendy Keller. She does attack AHDI in a very intelligently written letter.
Unfortunately there aren't very many work-at-home coding jobs. NM
x
If they have access to how the lines are counted on the back end - see inside
They can go in and maybe make changes to what their counts actually were.  Anything is possible.  It does sound fishy to me.  I would go to your supervisor and ask in such a way as could the other girls possibly show you any tricks they are using that might benefit all of you and open up communication that way.  That way you are not accusing anyone of anything.  Worth a try. 
stay away from online jobs
instead go door-to-door to doc offices,nursing homes, assisted living facilities and tell them you are available for overflow and vacations. they tend to pay better and they don't ask what school you went to. most are desperate for someone to fill-in and almost always that fill-in person is asked to stay on permanently when the full-timers realize there is someone to help them when the going gets tough.
I would not do them back to back - I have done 2 and 3 jobs at the same time -- all PT - sm
It is possible to do of course but you will burn out fast. Now I do one almost FT (about 30 hours a week) and the other is about 8-10 hours a week-- I still get beat doing that and that is w/o set hours. I find that the older I get the harder it is to work late and I am only 40! But a mid afternoon 30-minute cat nap helps a lot in order to keep going on busy days.
Well of course we know that now. Back then we didn't because he didn't allow unfettered access.
c
2 jobs here, also back to school, single working mom...sm
hi just me,
i'm rapidly approaching 50 and working 2 jobs (1 FT as MT, 1 PT as virtual assistant)using different programs (50 hours a week total), and going to school PT (10 hours a week), all as a single parent with a house and yard. in addition, i volunteer about 4-6 hours a week. NOT EASY! But, it CAN BE DONE! I think the secret is in motivation, planning and organization. my outlook calendar program looks like a rainbow! (and the task list is pretty daunting at times) =) let me know if you want more advice via email...good luck!
Back to school....or secretarial jobs??? Selling on Ebay??? Not sure myself....sm
I've been pondering all of the above, back to school and ebay seem to me to be better than back to the clerical/secretarial pool.  I'd like to get into working with kids or with people in general.  I'd like to work with disabled children, specifically children with speech problems, occupational therapy, speech therapy, applied behavioral analysis, something like that.  I know this job will not be here for the rest of my working life, time to start planning now I guess.
I should have specified, hospital inpatient coding and doc office coding are very different.
They follow different coding rules and an entirely different set of codes. I learned both while earning my B.S. in H.I.M., and both are challenging, though inpatient more so simply because there are more codes.
Honestly, you could get a job in a med rec dept without ANY certificate; some computer experience and your experience as an MT would get you in the door. It might just be doing chart assembly/completion, filing, etc., but there are certainly jobs in MR that don't require specific schooling. Then being in the dept you can really learn more about all the functions and pick the one you REALLY want to spend time, money, and effort on for additional schooling.
I sincerely hope that you are correct in that we will jobs coming back to the states, but I won't
I realize that India is a third-world country and it is a small percentage of Indian workers who are benefiting from the offshoring of American MT jobs and it may be only a small percentage of jobs been offshored, but the impact of this small percentage to the entire industry of medical transcription is tremendous.  It has lowered the standard wage for the American medical transcriptionist.  How can an American MT compete with 3 or 4 cpl?  By accepting only a little more per line than the Indians or by taking jobs editing the Indian MTs work for 3 or 4 cpl.  Either way, we lose.  We make less than we did 10 or 20 years ago and that's progress?!?! 
Bare Minerals IS available at ULTA online,Sephora online...(sm)

...and you don't have to sign up for a makeup "club," or anything. I totally agree with you that this makeup is great for all the basic purposes (coverage, lasting), but their slogan is "Makeup so healthy you can sleep in it." There is a delay in time between when you can apply your powder after moisturizer, but it is really worth it.


To go with your powder I recommend the "pump brush" offered at some of the cosmetic online stores. You fill the handle with your powder mixture (I mix two different powders, changing it up or down according to how much sun I've been getting) and the pump brush will distribute some to the bristles, tap and have at it! This is great for carrying it with you to minimize the loss into the lining of your handbag!


I cannot recommend Bare Minerals enough. I used to be a MAC convert, and have tried everything from Chanel to Maybelline--this product does not disappoint.


I've thought about coding. My DH does medical coding and I think with an MT's medical termino

background and anatomy and physiology knowledge, a transition into coding wouldn't be hard at all.  From what I can tell by looking through my husband's books, an MT would have to learn insurance regulations and legalities.  We've basically got all the medical background down or we should be if we're worth our salt as an MT.


I even contacted AHIMA and found that the qualifications for taking the CCS or CCP coding exams are completion of the a coding program, RHIT program, or RHIA or related work experience.  Transcription is part of HIM, albeit the red-headed stepchild of the HIM department, but a part nonetheless and so satisfies the qualification of having work experience.


The test is tough though.  My husband didn't pass it his first time out and I think I read something like only 20% or so pass it the first time.  So it would probably be best to take some sort of formal coding class, in my opinion.


Anyone know if coding would pay as well as MT? Is coding being outsourced too?
xx
What magazine did this come out of?
Cults 'R Us?
the magazine
I've always found them to be a very good source of information.  They are fair and unbiased.  I have no reason NOT to believe their statistics, do you?
Big rip off for a magazine!!!!
If you want to support a dying organizations final gasps for survival, buy it. Otherwise, save your hard earned money! I was a member for the first 3 yrs of MTing (where they magazine was included with membership) and then dropped them. They are still aggressively sending me info stating I can renew my membership or even buy their magazine without being a member. How generous of them! LOL!!
magazine
I agree about Advance Magazine. I know it's important to flag some errors, but agree that is out of my expertise.  
medical magazine ads sm
I did this once in a small town, New England. Only one reply all year and it was from a doc who later got arrested for child molestation. True story! For me it was a waste of time and thank goodness, I did not take his dictation because he had really old equipment and I had no transcriber for it. Perhaps you'll get a more positive response, but this was truly my experience and it was costly to do this.
magazine article
I'm sorry, but I have a very difficult time believing this. I believe that there was an article written, but the content is ridiculous. If we went to medical school, I'd want the same pay as a physician, wouldn't you all ? For us "old-timers" in medical transcription and having been a CMT for 15 years, we were never, ever told that and I'm certain that as strict as AAMT used to be, we would never be certified to transcribe.
She's now "published in PC Magazine." Who needs friends?
x
Advance
I too saw it and was as angry as you are! I'm canceling my subscription, how 'bout you?
Thank you in advance it should be !! nm
TYIF -- something like Thank goodness it's Friday, but not that either. OOOPS !
thanks in advance..................nm
x
Advance is another one.
x
The magazine is free. no subscription fee. Advertisers pay
x
No magazine. It's from me. You're first on the prayer list though!
:)
I guess you know more than PC Magazine, CNET, and Newsweek :) sm
You and your unspeakable qualifications are the reasons you're a technical pro with more knowledge than the folks that write the articles and why're you're hanging out on an MT bulletin board! Yes!

Firefox absolutely is relevant. Your choice of browser does increase or decrease the likelihood of your acquiring a virus. I've never heard anyone say that because they use Firefox they're protected from all viruses. But you're the pro with more knowledge than anyone else, including those in the industry who write the articles, so let the rest of us tread lightly around you and your ego.
yes! i used Consumer's magazine to make my choice,
and love mine - Eureka the Boss, SmartVac (an upright) -- less than $150 at Walmart -- very quiet, picks up very well. Only drawback i see is the cord is not retractable. If upright is not your style, or you want particular features, i'd still suggest using Consumer Reports suggestions. Neighbor just bought a Kirby for $800 -- bet this one would outclean that. Its even advertized as outcleaning a Dyson by 60%.
Has anyone ever advertised their business in a medical magazine?.. sm

I am a small MTSO (just me) and have been trying to drum up business with postcards and letters.  It has been about 6 months and nothing!  I found a medical magazine for my State and was thinking about placing a classified ad.  Wondered if any of you have tried this, and if so, were successful.  Thanks!


Since ADVANCE is free, there would
be little immediate impact if we cancel our subscriptions. Contact the advertisers and express your displeasure. They're the ones who provide the income stream for ADVANCE. They need to know that the people they're trying to reach are displeased and that their companies are associated with an extremely unpopular position.
how to advance in the MT field ...

I am wondering what it takes to advance to another position in the MT field.  I've been an MT for about 13 years, acute care for 12 of those years.  I'm tired of typing and have done QA as well, but the pay is horrible.  What does it take to move up the ladder to another position, such as MT supervisor or account manager?  I'm just curious. I know there are probably many more qualified people than I out there for any such position, but curiosity has got me as to the general qualifications and average salaries of each.  Anyone know?  Thanks....


Article in Advance
Did anyone read the article in Advance: Is Mandatory Credentialing Next?

The article says: "we have more and more companies paying premium for credentialed MTs." Is that true? The author is president-elect of AHDI. You all know what that is? Never heard of em. Or is it that new organization that used to be called something else, what was it... I think it had the words Medical Transcription in it. Maybe we should write a letter to tell about the reality of working out here.


how is Advance irrelevant?
nm
Advance article
Thanks for sharing this article in Advance - don't get magazine anymore since I dropped my AHDI membership. Proud to be part of ATA - we MTs deserve an assocation that will advocate for us.
supposed to be, after people lose their jobs, they are forced to take part-time, lower-paying jobs..
with little to no benefits. service jobs. where are you going to work in a few years, when Medical Transcription is replaced by technology? McDonald's, Walmart? you really going to like that?
Check out Nov. issue of Plexus Magazine from AAMT
and from whence they came.
Get the April 2006 Consumer Reports magazine...sm
It gives you a rundown on all vehicles as well as which ones have held up well and which ones haven't over the years. It's in the stores now or your local library should have a copy you can look at for free. :o)
HPI publishes a good magazine called Perspectives.
x
Isnt there a transcription paper/magazine that comes out monthly??
I remember years ago when I was working at a transcription agency that there was a monthly subscription of a magazine/newspaper-type that came out monthly that I read.  It was always sitting around.  I cant remember the name of it.  Can anyone tell me the name of this??  And do they still publish it monthly?  Thanks!
If we cancel our subscriptions, Advance won't be able to
sell as much advertising.  THAT is where they make their money, not by promoting offshoring.  If they can't distribute XX numbers of copies per month, the advertisers will go elsewhere.  Boycott ADVANCE and spread the word.  Shut the traitors down.
Great article about this in Advance (sm)
early this summer -- explained the 3-prong test (instead of the old 20+ questions).

If the service insists you use their software, if the service tells you when you can invoice them (instead of the 2 of you deciding together), if the service, not the client, decides turnaround time and quality, and if the service says you can't subcontract the work and insists on a noncompete clause, then you are an employee.

You can file a form with the IRS if you want your status clarified. Also contact Dept of Labor office in your state.

If you don't have an attorney and accountant on retainer, then you aren't professional enough to be an IC.

Also check the Nolo Press site as they have some excellent reference books regarding IC/employment issues.