Oh well, as long as it gets our work out of India and back to us
Posted By: at a liveable wage on 2009-04-01
In Reply to: Did anyone ever think about the fact sm - sm
I would go back to the office in a second for decent money and affordable benefits.
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I work on an account that just came back from India sm
They had an outsourcing company that sent their stuff to India. They were so unhappy, they brought the account back to be done by AMERICAN MTS.
But the poster below me is right, the government IS doing something, they are making it easier and more financially rewarding to go overseas. One day and sooner than later, the American worker will be so poor and so economically depressed that America will no longer be able to import goods/services from overseas because we can't afford them. By that point, we'll be gardening in our window boxes and stockpiling foods that we will no longer be able to have or afford.
The tip of the slippery slope towards another Great Depression.
I work whatever hours I want, as long as I have the reports back in TAT...
I have assigned doctors...
Go back to India where you belong.
We have enough garbage in this country without adding people like you.
Way back when, a long, long time
ago and in a galaxy far, far away, I had my own accounts also and some years cleared $75,000. Yes it can be done, but you need to have your own accounts. Also lots of delivery, and other duties involved. I work for a large national now and make much less, but I got tired of accountants, having to deal with hardware problems, deadlines, driving deliveries, printing, printers, etc. So I decided to simplify my taxes and stay home and just type. Don't have to worry about computers either, because the company will just send me a new one.
Long, long files. Seemed like they'd never end! I'd never go back to VA again. nm
s
No India where I work. TONS of work. nm x
x
Lots of work but I work with some India MTs too.
x
Sure, if you like your work going to India (sm)
after a few months!!
They're a MQ clone, without the mafia connections.
sorry so long in getting back -
I don't have a real average count because sometimes I run out of work because of the tim of day that I work - but what this system does do is keep up with the amount you type per hour - which is pretty neat. I have instructions that say if you use all of the functions available you can get up to 600 lines an hour (which is my goal). Right now I'm at around 450 an hour - and around the same old 200-250 an hour for straight transcription. It actually averages out about the same pay-wise - but the editing really saves your wrists, back and neck. Hope this helps. You can see that if you work an 8 hour shift about what you would average with time. I also work part-time - but am happy with my pay for the time spent working and am very grateful to have a chance to learn this program since I think it is the way that transcription is going. Those of us who know it will be much more valuable and able to keep a job far longer than those who do not have experience with it.
Come to India, lots work for you.
You be happy there.
Can you afford to work for India wages (sm)
Don't even listen to people trying to sell you a class, study for something with a future.
I did formal training and MT was pretty good for a while, but now I wouldn't recommend this career to my worst enemy!
Yes some crappy India people get this work
But I think it is also a great opportunity to keep this IN the USA.
I saw on this board a long time back
a suggestion that helped me. put the drugs in your Expander using maybe the first 3 consonants, ie, lidocaine is ldc. Sometimes i'll use 4 letters. for some shorter words i'll spell it out in expander, and cap if necessary. you may wish to make some exceptions to the rule too, ie for me, Neo-Synephrine is neos.
Getting back into the field after a long break
I have 13 years of experience in a variety of specialties, including about 3 years working for a transcription company (multiclinic work mostly) and a few years doing freelance work along with my full-time position.
I quit being a Transcriptionist because I completed a graduate degree and became a high school English teacher. I have taught for several years but now am staying home with my children and would like to get back into the transcription field. I always found the reports to be fascinating, and after being a teacher, the idea of solitary work appeals to me. 
The big problem is that it has been about 10 years since I worked as a transcriptionist. I have been refreshing my skills by completely re-reading the Book of Style, purchasing a USB foot pedal, and practicing sample transcriptions. The service where I previously worked was purchased by one of the large nationals, so I don't have anyone there for a contact.
I was an excellent transcriptionist and know I would be again, given the opportunity. How would you advise me to go about my job search?
Thanks, and sorry for making this so long.
Do you honestly think MQ doesnt send work to India, etc.
:
Now MT companies in India have control over the work produced. Quality is much
zz
Long and winding road, but back in high school
 My favorite album was Sgt. Pepper's, I listened to it over n over until the tape wore out and finally broke. I keep meaning to replace my old collection with CDs. I used to have posters of the Beatles all over the walls, collected those circle john lennon sun glasses, the whole deal.
IC sets their own hours. As long as the work is done by the deadline, you decide when to work.
INDIA, INDIA, NEWBIE LOOKING FOR INDIAN-OWNED COMPANY-FORGET AMERICA COMPANIES HIRING NEWBIES!!!!
  Our country sucks when it comes to teamwork. My experience is in hospital transcription and 95% foreign dictators. Most of my dictators are from India and surrounding countries. Give up you all,  India is already way ahead of us!
Used to think we were using India, but now realize India is using us for our med. info, jobs,
:{
Yes, you get back to work now. Go back to
some routine, and it does start to hurt less. I know  And remember, she is still there at work with you. Always will be. I figure at this point I have a whole herd of loved dogs under my desk each day - along with a couple horses, hamsters, parakeets, rabbits...If only I could see them - must be quite a happy zoo! But I know they are all there I sense their love.
...that's as long as you do this work. nm
s
How long do you need to work as an MT...
to be considered "seasoned"...my Editor called me seasoned and I have been at it since October of 2006. I cracked up!!!
As long as QA is up to par, that could work - sm
but in past experience I've had to deal with some pretty shady QA people. In one case, the *rules* changed almost daily, so you were damned if you did, and damned if you didn't: a lose-lose situation. With regard to TAT, I've been given warnings about work being out of TAT, when it was already out of TAT when it was given to me. So even though the reports were typed within minutes, I was still *warned* about being out of TAT. Finally, I've had QA people *correct* words, changing them from being spelled correctly, to being spelled incorrectly, and we had no way to appeal this. Then, when review time rolled around, we'd see the *mistake* (made by QA, not by ourselves) reflected in our reviews & our pay scale. Worst of all, we had one QA-person once that used to arbitrarily add or remove ENTIRE SENTENCES from reports that we had typed correctly, or change punctuation in such a way that it changed the meaning. We had no recourse against that, either. Since those QA problems directly affected my ability to get a bonus, or even to earn a living, needless to say, I left. So if *punishment* is going to go along with what QA finds on reports, then QA has to be almost above reproach. With the peanuts that editors & QA are being paid these days (along with the rest of us!), getting top-quality people can't be easy. Also, in order to keep QA *honest*, and not promote greed on their part (at the expense of MT wages), the QA people should probably be paid on salary or hourly, NOT on production.
how long did you work for them?
I have never had any problems with her.
As long as the work gets done, and . . .
all MTs have enough work, I don't see whay anyone, including the MTSO OR the other MTs, would care.
How long would you continue to do work for someone sm
when your check didn't come when it was supposed to? It is a week late now, saying it was mailed when supposed to be mailed to the correct address but i have not received it yet. I now already have 2 weeks worth of pay supposed to be on next check. At what point would you not do any more work until receiving payment? I have worked for this small MTSO for about 10 months now and never a problem before. Just leiry as the more I type, the more income i am wondering if i will receive. Not idea if it truly wasn't mailed or if lost somewhere in the mail.
Not long ago nothing but complaints about no work at MDI-FL.
x
They think they don't care how we get the work as long as SM
it gets done and doesn't cost them anything. That's what they think. If you can't do it, they'll get somebody who will.
How long ago was this? I know MPWord to work quite well for me.
k
you won't be working until you die. You won't have work that long.
x
If you work for a bad company long enough, believe me
.
I agree. As long as you have the work
option to give work to another IC. I has a client that used other ICs. Just because I transcribed for one physician didn't mean I could expect to receive all of their work. Being an IC is being your own boss, not your client's boss to tell them who the can and cannot contract with. JMO.
your computer will work as long sm
as your generator is running. High speed cable would work if you have that outlet hooked up to the generator. Usually a generator is not hooked up to the whole house unless you have a "whole house" automatic generator. If the power is on and the cable is not out, you can work.
Sure does, if you are going back to work (sm)
and want to get screwed out of your disability money.
Back to work
I started working 2 or 3 weeks after I delivered via C section. I might have even been back sooner but I had twins. But I am only part time and ~at the time~ had a flexible schedule.
Good luck! A bit of advice, don't resume a regular diet right after the C section. Liquid diet the first 24 hours. Soft diet the next 24. Then resume regular diet, as tolerated. Take it from someone who ended up with a bowel obstruction and NG tube (terrible!!!!) because the nurses said GO AHEAD AND EAT!!! when the cafeteria brought me chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, some kind of veggie, and a dinner roll.
Let's take the work back!
I agree that unionizing is not the answer at this point. I would like to see us take the work back from the MTSOs from the hospitals and physician offices. Let us talk to our local medical facilities, explain what is happening with their work (nationals, overseas), and ask for a chance to prove ourselves. If we offer a reasonable rate and perhaps even a small free sample of our work, maybe, just maybe, we will find facilities ready for a change back to a more personal transcription setting.
No, I don't have all the answers - wish I did - but this is my suggestion, and the only one I can think of at this point. I am one of those MTs who has been an MT for 20+ years who has seen a decrease in pay, as many of you have also seen.
I will read with interest any other reasonable suggestions from my fellow MTs.
I work for both ... my comparison (LONG READ):
HOURS/CLASSIFICATION:
MQ: You have a choice of FT with full benefits -- 39-40 hours producing average of 150 lines/hour minimum; FT with limited benefits -- 39-40 hours with less than 150 lines/hour average but more than 100 lines/hour; PT with limited benefits for 8-16-24 hour schedules all averaging 100 lines/hour.
Spheris: FT is 37 to 40 hours a week, with 10,200 lines required by payperiod's end. PT is 20 to 36 hours a week, production is 5100 lines/payperiod minimum.
OVERTIME:
Both companies structure overtime the same way; averaged in the same manner; requires approval, must be in addition to 40 hours WORKED (PTO, DT do not count).
SCHEDULES:
Both require a schedule with the offer of "flexibility".
TIME:
MQ: Time sheets are used; MTs fill them in manually and submit.
SPHERIS: Galaxy is used -- you clock in and the system punches your time for you. Day's end, you see how much you've worked and allocate your time accordingly (productive time, PTO, meeting with mgrs, etc.).
BENEFITS:
MQ: You see the benefits in the Harmonization booklet. The employee's cost of insurance benefits is assigned by the state you live in (as well as which/if coverages are available to you).
SPHERIS: Med/Den/Vision are offered. Employees all pay the same amount for amount of coverages (EX: All employees wanting EMPLOYEE ONLY coverage pay the same; all wanting EMPLOYEE+ONE CHILD pay the same). It is available to all employees. Cost is not region-specific.
EQUIPMENT:
MQ: Use your own or they will provide. The current rental charges will no longer be effective in January; as well, the internet reimbursements will not either. I don't know if there will be a deposit for those just coming into the company after Jan 1.
SPHERIS: Must use their computers. No rental fee but there is a refundable deposit. You can pay it at once or have it taken out in 6 paychecks. Refunds to you when equipment is returned in good working order.
PTO:
MQ: You see the new PTO offered in the plan and can read online the PTO calculation formula.
SPHERIS: Same type of calculation formula; averaged quarterly and you receive a notice of what your new downtime/PTO rate is and what period it covers. Limit is $20 an hour tops for PTO. Lowest is $7.50. Amount of PTO depends on status and length of service and ranges for FT from 11 days to 21 days a year and PT 2.5 to 7.5 days a year.
HOLIDAYS:
MQ: You can read in the Harmonization booklet.
SPHERIS: Thanksgiving and Christmas are designated holidays. If you are scheduled to work on it, you can take PTO instead. If you work it you will earn double lines those days.
QUALITY:
Both require 98%.
PAY CYCLES:
MQ: Pay WEEK is Su-Sat; pay PERIOD is bimonthly 1-15th and 16th-end of month with paydates on 10th and 25th. Direct deposit available.
SPHERIS: Pay weeks are same as pay periods and are Su-Sat with every other Fridya as paydates. Direct deposit available.
BASE RATE:
MQ: With the new plan, you have your current base rate and it is the same on all work (unless you do part radiology or ASR).
SPHERIS: Your base rate depends on the level of the account you type on. If you type on a really easy account, you will get less pay; more difficult accounts, more pay. Each account level has a new-hire hourly associated with it. Levels go from level 3 to 10 with line rates 0.065 to 0.102. With Spheris, if your production earnings do not add up to at least minimum wage for the hours you worked, they will pay you minimum wage. However, you will not stay with them long if you cannot produce enough to keep you off the minimum wage payments.
INCENTIVE:
MQ: We know that incentive is achieved on a daily basis -- after you produce 1200 lines. Tiered so that you earn incentive ONLY on the lines produced AFTER 1200. It barely puts change in your pocket for mid-range producers. Only rewards high producers.
SPHERIS: Incentive is base on each week's production (Sun-Sat). So you can have a really bad week and only get your base and then next week have a great week and get incentive. Once earned, incentive applies to ALL lines typed and ranges depending on FT or PT status. FT: 5200 lines start at 0.002 and increases up to 7000+ lines getting 0.015 cpl incentive. PT: 2700 lines = 0.001 and increases up to 7000+ lines = 0.015 cpl. Whatever incentive you earn that week is applied to ALL LINES PRODUCED THAT WEEK. Spheris also has special teams that pay higher base rates.
SHIFT DIFF:
MQ: 11pm-7am = 0.01 and 3pm-11pm = 0.005
SPHERIS: 4pm-8am CST daily = 0.005.
NO WORK AVAILABLE:
MQ: This is not specifically addressed per se; however it is not listed under downtime definitions at all. I doubt MQ ever pays for no work situations.
SPHERIS: Has a policy: "MTs will not receive compensation for "No WOrk Available" situations. If an MT runs out of work, the MT should immediately notify their Supervisor or follow th eout of work situation guidelines for their team."
Hope that helps.
Psychiatric work or long reports
Does anyone work for/know of any companies that are hiring for psych work or any other long reports like memory disorders, or compensations? I have three years working with these and acute care. I would like to find long reports to do all the time.
Please write to my e-mail address
Thanks!
one last comment for me, then I'm back to work. sm
Consider that someone (lets say Magdelena) is Buddhist (or whatever) and Jesus is "just a nice guy" in her opinion.
Then lets say she led an exemplary life, servitude to others, love of mankind, everything "good".
Then lets say Jesus was THE only path. Would Jesus, a man of his magnitude, deny Magdelena the kingdom of Heaven if she lived her life with Jesus' principles but didn't believe he existed. I think not. He would say, pleased to meet you and come on in!
Frank, I will go get back to work as soon as I
fix my makeup and put shine serum in my hair to look beautiful typing today for you.
sending back work
I have made it a point to learn the *hard* doctors, cause they are sent to me quite a bit, cause MQ knows I can do the *hard* doctors..Its crummy having to learn them and knowing you are losing money in the process but once you learn the *hard* doctors, you know the ones who are ESL or English as third or fourth language (smile), you can do them and then it is no big deal. Yesterday, I got a half transcribed report with at least seven blanks for Q/A..I was able to do the report with no blanks cause I have learned this doctor, who has what I think is a Middle Eastern French accent..He is quite hard but I can do him as I have learned him over the years (since 2000). Practice makes perfect and the way transcription is going with voice recognition, I think the only transcriptionists who will be left in the end are the ones who can do the ESL, mumblers, speed talkers or speech impediment doctors, the ones who voice recognition cannot do.
Made more back then, did not work
for a large service, had my own business and also worked for a clinic, better pay. Services are stingy. I hard one complaining because half their expenses were MT salaries. I asked him why don't you just get rid of the MTs, then you won't have to pay them. Cheapskates.
Not! They are why I went back to work for a hospital
to work
Going back to work after c-section
I returned to work two weeks after my c-section working 6 hours per day. I however made sure to get out of the chair frequently so as to not get so stiff from sitting for so long, which does happen so soon after a c-section. I wouldn't go back to soon though, as it can be very stressful with a new baby and a job to tend to on top of it all.
Tell her NO exceptions, work has to be back. If she is not
able to do the work don't give it to her. You wouldn't tolerate it with the other MTs and I sure which I had an account that wouldn't drop me if work was that late. Send her (if you haven't already) a form where you state TAT and ask for her commitment on a monthly basis. You can state in the form that failure to meet TAT could/would result in termination. She is taking advantage of you but only because you allow her too.
Maybe only give her work 2 days a week and give her only an amount that she seems to be doing currently. If you give her less work maybe she will be able to meet TAT.
I have work going back years - sm
others keep it a month or two. I have one doctor who sees patients on a yearly basis, I pull the previous report so I don't have to retype a lot of it, as he basically repeats the old one with a few changes, I'd have a lot more work to do otherwise. I have another account that constantly misplaces their work, I have to retrieve work from months earlier because they cannot find their copy. I can either pull it from my stash, or the MTSO has a FTP where we back up all our work just for this purpose, she keeps it all there going back years. I have no idea how often she cleans it out, but she hasn't in the almost 2 years I have been with her. On another note, I only keep the sound files for a month, then I dump them.
yes, when all that overseas work comes back
after it becomes illegal to outsource work with our personal information. I am hoping that day comes soon.  
bringing back the work!
In addition to doing MT, I also work as a coder at a very large teaching hospital and academic facility with 160'some clinics. Our transcription is outsourced and recently started going overseas. Guess what - our hospital is bringing it back to the States AND will not accept voice recognition! Too many errors that affect coding, AR days and, thus, reimbursement. Our dictation will continue to be outsourced but will not be allowed to go outside the US and can only be done by a real MT. Too bad it had to be the reimbursement that was the only issue that will bring the work back and not simply the fact that the quality is just not there but..at least there is something that will keep the work here in the US and keep it from being doing by VR. I just thought someone might like to know this is happening. I am hoping other hospitals get the hint.
I did work three jobs for quite a long time. Then it dawned on me that
(1) I was always tired (2) I was never finished working (3) It wasn't worth it.
I quit EDiX, and I quit my hospital job, and I've never looked back. I usually have what money I need. I work about 5 hours a day plus a small weekend job recently that's no more than 10 op notes.
I'm a long-time Monrovian. Wouldn't work anywhere else. nm
nm
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