MQ pay cuts, more info
Posted By: nss on 2005-09-07
In Reply to:
I just got a call from Corporate and I asked them specifically if they were going to cut the charges to the client the same amount of the pay cuts to the employees and she said Yes, they are............... I found that interesting  as long as it is indeed true.
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Please back you info up. Pay cuts have not been announced. Have you received a letter? nm.
nm.
We got cuts when we went to VR.
nm
And we got cuts when we went on DQS.
 Actually, I guess you can't say they gave us an actual pay cut, HOWEVER, you sure don't make the money you made on the old platform. That also isn't true because you can make the same money - it just takes LOTS longer. In my eyes, that is a pay cut.
MQ pay cuts
I'm rather new to this board, so forgive me if this has already been discussed. I work for MQ as a SE and received the "letter" but I know nothing about pay cuts. Have I missed something?
Yes, they do so many more cuts because...
they have to do them so fast to keep up the quota. I reluctantly took my 2 kids there a couple weeks ago and yet again (it happened a couple years ago too), they could not even trim a child's hair. I actually had to send my daughter back to the chair because there were long pieces of hair hanging down past the level of her hair. My other daughter looked like she went 3 rounds with a weed whacker... I had to pay more money to have it fixed at another place. This was 2 different stylists, more than one event. They are know in the stylist world as "chop shops" I have gone cheap and I have paid more and I can definitely tell the difference.
There need to be cuts
What's wrong with someone receiving medicaid paying a copayment? I hear grumbling over this all the time, but you sure see some of them in the grocery store buying an expensive 24 pack of beer, yet they want to complain over paying a 10.00 copay? Medicaid was designed to be temporary assistance, not a way of life. I have no problem with helping lower income, but not handouts. I have neighbors in their 20s, healthy as horses, who don't even try to work. They have 4 children with them, the husband has 2 by other women, and they collect 700 a month in stamps plus 300 in cash because she claims he doesn't live there. They do NOTHING, nada
As for Medicare, I believe if retirees make over a certain income they should not be eligible at all. I read that even retired movie stars worth millions of dollars get full medicare benefits.
Cuts
I used to work for Kodak and as most everybody knows they went through years of layoffs and always around this time of year. The reasoning for it was that the department heads had to have their budgets in for the following year and so you had to cut everyone before the new year started. It sucks but that is they way corporate America works.
Dee
MQ pay cuts, My Two Cents
When MQ first bought up the smaller co. I was with, all of the accounts were still intact. I was pleased when my office (Baltimore now, but at that time, still in the Herndon area) offered up increased pay differential for an extremely difficult account.. hallelujah, I thought... and thought that all the worries I had about the Big Bad MT Company eating up the small company I was with were maybe unwarranted. I jumped on this opportunity to actually get paid for doing more difficult work - but was told by my supervisor, well, you already make too much money per line (actually, per 1,000 characters at the time). She of course welcomed me to the account at regular pay - I passed!
Add in that I have not had a pay raise since this same time frame (7 years) ... not exactly a direct pay cut, I guess, and add in the seemingly unprovable decreased pay over the last 7 years... well, that's my 2 Cents. None of it makes sense.
Possible pay cuts, my experience so far
I have been with MQ since 1998 and have 20 years experience as an MT, editor, and MT instructor. I currently make 10 cents per line and in past yrs have been told I am at the top of various tiers also, so not eligible for raise (for life??) bonuses (some, not all), etc. I too received the letter mentioned above, the one about rewarding "YOU for your skill and performance."
I am still on INET, though attempted without success to move to DQS (only have dial-up available where I live, and the ADT searches and other processes were a nightmare without some sort of high-speed internet). In the process of almost going to DQS, my pay conversion remained the same, 10 cents per line. Though this may sound higher than others are making, I have been making the same thing for 8 years now - but yes, compared to what I see on this board that other MQ-ers are making who have same experience or more, I am grateful and surprised. The company I was with that MQ bought out gave us decent raises, and I had just received one before MQ acquired us, and it carried over, thankfully. Little did I know it would be my last raise for that many years.
Anyway, I eventually will have to go to DQS even on dial-up, pay an arm and a leg for satellite, or quit and go to a new company - all options, woohoo, involve pay cuts. I can't even imagine an additional pay cut for ASR, as this makes no sense to me. ASR is an AID, no different than Expander programs (do we get paid less for other things that make us more productive??!) We should get paid for whatever characters/lines we modify on an ASR report and get paid the same as we would for doing straight MT work. Maybe this has already been said here, sorry if repeat!
So, I am wondering what they will knock my pay down to when I finally get over to DQS and get put on the ASR reports... I'm not sure I will accept this pay cut either.
On another note, I am glad for those of you who are getting paid so well by MQ, have great supervisors, have lots of work, and just love DQS - that is great, it truly is. But, it's simply not that way for a lot of the rest of us. I appreciate being able to speak of my true experience here on this board. So, thanks for listening.
She only cuts 3. By hand. That's all.
x
Short cuts
Ctrl U - underline
Ctrl A - blocks all
Ctrl S - saves
Ctrl X - deletes
Ctrl C- copies
Ctrl V - pastes
. . . and my favorite Ctrl Z - brings back something you accidental delete.
I hardly ever use my mouse as it breaks my rhythm and slows me down. If I think of anymore I will send them your way. Did you know that if you hold down your Ctrl key and use the arrows you can move around a document that way?
short-cuts
I've lost my short-cuts...could I have hit a key on my keyboard? Thanks!!
ME versus MT, the pay cuts only apply to
those who do ASR (automated speech recognition), now being referred to by MQ at ME (Medical Editors). If you do not do ASR it would not apply, if you do you should receive a letter stating a 20% pay cut for same, or option to quit doing it at all and just do MT.
Inside gives a summary of cuts about to come
E-mail this page to a friend!
House Passes Budget Bill with Biggest Cuts in Medicaid, Medicare
Cuts $99.3 billion over 10 years - 27% from Medicaid, 23% from Medicare.
Feb. 1, 2006 – It's done. The House has passed and sent to President Bush the budget reconciliation bill that was strongly opposed by most senior citizen advocacy groups and newspaper editorials due to the deep cuts it makes in Medicaid and Medicare. It was a very close vote – 216 to 214. The bill cuts the budget by $38.8 billion over five years – 50 percent of the cuts are in Medicaid and Medicare.
Related Stories
Final House Vote on Budget Bill Could Cut Billions from Senior Programs
Passage expected Wednesday to cut Medicare, Medicaid
Jan. 30, 2006 – The Budget Reconciliation Bill, which many see as making drastic cuts in government programs for senior citizens – Medicaid and Medicare, is expected to hit the House floor on Wednesday for a final vote, the day after the President's State of the Union address. As reported today by the Capitol Hill Watch at KaiserNet.org, the bill will reduce federal spending by $99.3 billion over 10 years, with half of that coming from these senior programs. The Congressional Budget Office analysis says premiums for Medicaid beneficiaries in the bill could cause 110,000 to lose coverage by 2015. Read more...
Senate Budget Chair Calls for More Cuts in Medicare
Republicans to recycle old failed issues in 2006
Jan. 26, 2006 – The Republican chairman of the Senate Budget Committee is calling for more cuts in health care programs in fiscal 2007, which includes Medicare, according to The Daily Health Policy Report by KaiserNetwork.org, which cites CQ Today. The daily news summary says Republicans will also be targeting health care proposals this year, but most are proposals that have failed in the past. Read more...
• Homecare Industry Rallying Support to Kill Reconciliation Act
• Television Campaign to Stop Health Care Cuts for Seniors Launched by AFSCME
• Vote on Budget Set for Feb. 1; Senior Groups Seek to Sway GOP Moderates
The House first passed the bill on Dec. 19, 2005, by a vote of 212-206. It went to the Senate, where it passed by only one vote – 51-50. Due to procedural changes in the Senate, it had to go back to the House for this final vote. There was intensive lobbying by the senior citizen advocates and others since the Senate vote on Dec. 21, 2005, but they came only four votes closer.
The final vote was mostly along party lines, with Republicans supporting the bill and Democrats in opposition.
AARP CEO, Bill Novelli, quickly issued the following statement:
"Last night, in his State of the Union Address, the President said, "Keeping America competitive requires affordable health care. Our government has a responsibility to help provide health care for the poor and the elderly, and we are meeting that responsibility."
"Today the U.S. House of Representatives has turned a cold shoulder to that responsibility by further limiting eligibility for Medicaid, a program that serves the neediest -- the disabled, children, the poor and the elderly. It also approved a provision in its budget that will deny long-term care coverage to those who give money to charities, churches and family members in need.
"Working with our members, AARP will continue the fight to have this ill-conceived policy reversed."
The bill would save $99.3 billion over 10 years, with half of that coming from Medicaid and Medicare - 27% from Medicaid and 23% from Medicare.
There's also $1 billion in new spending to extend an income subsidy program for dairy farmers and a reprieve for physicians who had faced a 4 percent cut in Medicare fees, according to the Associated Press.
A major boost to opponents was an estimate issued by the Congressional Budget Office estimating that 45,000 Medicaid beneficiaries would lose their coverage in FY 2010 because of higher premiums in the bill. The CBO report also estimated 65,000 beneficiaries would lose coverage in FY 2015.
Children would account for 60% of the Medicaid beneficiaries who would lose coverage, according to the report.
The report also estimates that 13 million Medicaid beneficiaries would have new or higher copayments for services such as physician visits and hospital care. In addition, 13 million Medicaid beneficiaries would pay more for prescription drugs by 2010, and 20 million would pay more by 2015, the report states.
According to the report, "About 80% of the savings from higher cost-sharing would be due to decreased use of services." The report estimates that 1.3 million Medicaid beneficiaries would have to pay premiums and that 1.6 million would lose benefits, most likely for dental, vision and mental health services.
In addition, the report estimates that 15% of Medicaid long-term care beneficiaries would have their coverage delayed because of additional restrictions on asset transfers.
The asset transfer provisions in the bill would impose punitive new restrictions on the ability of the elderly to transfer assets before qualifying for Medicaid coverage of nursing home care. (Click here to read these provisions.)
That is true of ANY job. Cuts happen everywhere.
Companies do the same thing consumers do: Look for ways to get the most for less. It's actually a rather natural process.
Any job can change in its direction, its stability, etc., as our economic, technologic and global relationship status change constantly.
The only security anyone has is to be prepared with continuing education in more than 1 field, low debt load, high savings -- really living within your means, and keep good insurance.
JMO
We do use dx for diagnosis, and all the short cuts expanders
dd
Radiology MTs - Major cuts in outpatient
imaging by Congress - called the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Signed by Bush in December. Over five years will amount to 20 Billion dollars cut from outpatient imaging payments for Medicare and medicaid patients. This will have a ripple effect. Private insurers soon will follow suit. Posted the DRA but it was removed by Administrator.... This will have a detrimental effect on us all, as cuts will begin occurring in every aspect of radiology.
Here is a comprehensive article. Please do not remove this post for one day, Administrator. This will impact MTs in radiology significantly.
imagingBiz.com - The Information Service of the Imaging Center Institute
This way works, too, but using the ;yo or ;py cuts down on hitting the spacebar
nn
Cuts in medicare and medicaid are about to take place
I have mentioned this but it was always deleted as I think the monitor thought I was talking politics.
There will be a marked decline in coverage for services to medicare and medicaid patients and I believe to offset this, medical facilities are finding ways to cut costs.
The cuts will be significant. You could do a Google search for Deficit Reduction Act. Radiology will be most severely hit, especially stand alone facilities.
DQS short-cuts to Word 2003? HELP!
Does anyone know how to do this. I have been searching and searching for info and cannot find anything. Please help! Thanks. 
Acusis is giving workers 30% pay cuts?
XX
Love the serrated bread knife! Cuts everything!! nm
s
Ummm--read her post again, please--it don't say *keyboard* short cuts..it says *word* shortcuts
duh!
Depends on the file format of the Short Cuts file.
ShortHand comes with a utility file that can import various formats. You can get that file with the trial download of SH.
Depends on the file format of the Short Cuts file.
ShortHand comes with a utility file that can import various formats. You can get that file with the trial download of SH.
demographic info is not the only info ...sm
protected by HIPAA, as we all know. I saw that ad too and was surprised to see it. Any identifying info is considered Protected Health Information, including diagnoses, tests, etc. This MTSO should have known better than to ask for that.
10% to 15% MTs are cutting pay cuts or thats how much they are cutting from everyone's pay?
Know any good companys that are hiring? LOL
thanks for the info
Wanted to make sure it was okay to maybe start early or late some days, can't stand such a rigid schedule when i work at home. Understand about making sure to produce enough first though.
Thanks for all the info....
It saddens me to know that this is a problem with internet companies, I knew it happened at hospitals.
A little info
My sister graduated from nursing school in 1988 and had been working in nursing, until I became an at-home MT and she decided to take a coding course because she wanted to work at home, too. She took the course and took an in-house position. Some months later, she took and passed her certification. Now, she is having a really hard time finding an at-home position. I don't know if it's a typical story, but I do know she's been pursuing it pretty heavily and is having a hard time.
Thanks for that info (sm)
I was contemplating getting a second HSI provider. As it turns out, I am back on now. But, yes, started my day off all wrong. The stress from this is exhausting in itself. I will call BellSouth Fast and get the info. Hope it is available in Calif. If not, will find some sort of remedy with a backup connection using high speed internet, that is for sure. This cost me money.
Thanks for your response!
thank you for the info...sm
I'm considering asking for a trial at it, wish me luck!
appreciate the info
I think animals need a voice and things like PETA, no kill shelters, animal wildlife preserve are very important in our day and age of technology. We need them as much as they need us.
I think they all have the same info....sm
Because MT is a tiny community and we share the misery well.
I understand what you're saying (and it sucks to be in the situations you were in) but I do believe that if we are adequately vigilant we'll know what we need to. OTOH, then there's me, and I don't care what they do as long as there's work. So I get where you're coming from.
I just would like to see an end to the destructionist thinking about MTSOs and MT in general. :)
Good discussion!
Have you tried looking for the info
on QNET? Might be available there.
I have info on them...
I didn't work for them because a family emergency came up when i was just finished with their training. The lady is really nice, but their training modules are a bit silly. You have to learn their platform to use it to train and then why bother doing the training because you just figured it out on your own..silly.
thanks for the info
nm
info
Hello. My name is Chris. I am getting ready to take my final exam for medical transcriptioning. Does anyone have any advice for me? How is it to actually get paid for doing this? I have been studying for this for so long I don't know what I'll do if I ever get a job where I do get paid for it. Thanks for any ideas.
Where do you get your info?
Are you in the banking business? Where do you get your info? Last year I was approved for a $30,000 home equity loan with no prob. (Btw, got the loan for "just in case" what with daughter going to college, etc. I used about $5,000 of that last year and paid it back within a couple of months). 3 years ago, when DH lost his business, we refinanced the house to assume what debt was left from the business with no prob, and btw, his FICO score is excellent too. It is hard for me to think i should "fix what isn't broken."
Thanks for this info...sm
Well, as much as I have enjoyed using Carnival, they have lost my business. I hope the person who thought up that response gets fired.
I'd love to see the link, so I'll Goggle it.
I wonder if Carnival is the only U.S. owned cruise line. Shame on them.
On CNN, I heard that other countries have been donating money. Why doesn't the person taking the calls from other countries ask if they could send nearby cruise ships instead of money (in a diplomatic way, of course)?
Thanks for letting me know that cruise ships was at least thought of.
You know, I want to help so bad, and I just know there's an answer to all this suffering that someone hasn't thought of. It's too much pain for anyone to bear.
Need some info! Help!!!
Hello! I am going to test for a new job next week. This will involve op notes, H&P, consults and discharge summaries. I have about 6 years exp in Radiology and about 8 months doing H&P, office notes, consults and very minimal in-office op notes. Where can I get practice tapes or anything else that will give me a chance of passing this test? Please help! 
Thanks for info ... sm
on what they'll do when they catch me using it for transcription. I had posted earlier that I signed up for unlimited LD with Bell South as part of a package for $20/month. I told the call-center lady from India why I needed it, and she said that was no problem. A few days later, Bell South sent me a brochure advertising all the good things about the service and, in smaller print, I read "voice to voice only". It's good to know that I won't be hauled off to jail, so thanks for sharing what they said to you. If they called me on this, I was going to blame it on the call-center lady (she really should know the rules and regs on what she is selling; after all, she called me).
It's interesting, though, that when Bell South sent the brochure, they also sent an "agreement" outlining the billing and legal stuff. You need a magnifying glass to read it, but I've gone over it a few times, and it doesn't mention anything about voice-to-voice. You'd think they mention that in the agreement instead of on the brochure. I think I remember Vonage being a little expensive, so I'll probably go back to Qwest, and get their small business plan for $25/mo.
thanks for the info
Thanks for the explanation. I took the training for ASR but afterwards never received any of the work (even though a couple of my accounts are using it for some of the dictators). Still doing the MT'ing.
Thanks for the info dd
=
A bit of info (sm)
I've never worked for Accuscribe, but I did meet the owner once and felt she was incredibly nice. We had a long talk at a convention. I liked the idea that she said she paid premiums to MTs who most helped out their coworkers.
In the past 4 years or so, the only bad thing I've heard is that they don't pay for spaces and that they require noncompete agreements, etc., before they will test MTs. If you are applying for IC work, then a noncompete agreement is dodgy legally; you might want to consult your attorney and accountant to look over the paperwork before deciding. [If you don't have an attorney and an accountant, you have no business being an IC, IMHO.]
As far as I know, they still use DocQScribe as they were the company that first field-tested it when it was developed. (MQ bought it from the software company.) As you've probably already found out, there are those who love and those who hate DQS. It's a nice platform when the demographics import feature works well; otherwise you end up entering a lot of data that you're not paid for. Even with demo importing, you'll still end up losing lots of lines for things like date of service/admission/discharge, referring/requesting physician names, and names/addresses for the courtesy copies, all stuff we used to get paid for as recently as 2-3 years ago.
Perhaps you'll post your experience if you go further with this company?
Thanks for the info! (nm)
x
Wow, thanks very much for the info!...nm
nm
More info please sm
Can you give a little more information? What else does he talk about? Where is he inserting the scope?
More info
Nothing on ALMA. What does the rest of the report indicate?
More Info
I don't have any medical background. There is a local Tech school offering a Certificate in Medical Transcriptionist. It costs $1560, but includes everything you need for the course. The info said you can do the work at your own pace. Some people finish in 5 months some in 9. How much do most people make to start off with?
Wow , thanks for the info....
that sounds like way too much work and not enough pay.
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