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Oops! No, I wish, but I get .065 cpl for a line consisting of 11 words. Sorry for the confusion!

Posted By: ch on 2009-04-30
In Reply to: Is that 0.65 cpl really 65 cents per line? ..nm - Isthatright?

nm


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Line count questions/confusion/upset

I would like some line count pros to help me figure this out, please!  During the recruiting process I specifically asked how I would be getting paid and I was told "per line which includes 65 characters including spaces, footers, headers, and any norms pulled into the report."  I downloaded the FlashCount program from this site and started comparing this line count against the company's.  So far, It "appears" that I'm getting shorted about 100+/- lines/day and they are using more like 74 characters with spaces.  What is the difference between cpl and gross cpl?  How would you interpret their explanation for how I would be paid?  Is the FlashCount program accurate enough?


Thanks!


it's 11 words to a line

Fivecharactersandakeystroke.

Oops ... forgot to include the space bar.  


Lots of 'em, but use a Lab Words, Sted's Ortho/Rehab Words, & Tessier's Surgical Words most
s
And if you average it out to 10 words a line, that's
s
Oops! it is .06 per actual line
Thanks
OOPS - put too much in subject line - let me try again
Hold down control key on keyboard then roll mouse wheel forward which will increase the font size. Roll the mouse wheel backwards to reduce the font size. This will also work on some web pages.
Was typing fine and now my words are coming out red w/line through them. How do you get rid of that?
x
re: How do I convert total words to line count?
Based on 65-character line with spaces, I think.
Line padding is also adding extra words. See inside.

Doc says:  "General. Alert and oriented, no distress. HEENT:  Eyes clear. Lungs:  Clear."


MT types: GENERAL EXAMINATION:  In general, the patient is alert and oriented. The patient is in no distress. HEENT EXAMINATION:  The patient's eyes are clear.  LUNG EXAMINATION:  The patient's lungs are clear.


I kid you not. And there are companies out there that will defend the MT's right to do so. But, would the client's approve of it? I seriously think not.


 


When is a word only 5 characters. I thought 7-10 was an average and 10 words a line? nm
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any encouraging words for a newbie with crappy line counts?
Today is my 3rd day of "real" work (not school) and I did 482 lines in 5.5 hours. That averages out to about 87 lines an hour.

How many lines per hour did you average at first? How long did it take to get faster?

I accepted an acute care position to get more experience, but now I'm wondering if I should have gone for a company offering clinic notes accounts ...

Please tell me it gets better!
oops! Part of my subject line did not copy. Should read:
OP posted ... etc. etc. as above.
Oops, too long subject line, meant to say on the uncased tape.
We also had one or two real winners who taped things to the tape and then wondered why we couldn't get all the dictation done when the scotch tape tore the cassette tape. Oy vey.
I like drug books even though you can access sites on line. A lab book, the Sted's Ortho Words, a
s
confusion
confusion is the name of the game for them -- they don't want the MTs to figure it out, but I do think that MTs do have some intelligent snap or else they wouldn't be MTs, but that's kind of hard to get across to someone who constantly puts the client first and tends to ignore or take forever to listen to MTs concerns - like the speed on the system that you can't slow down to figure out the garble that 99.9% of the docs throw at us.
Confusion
I believe there is a misunderstanding -- I had said 6 cpl for her, 2 cpl for me. And true, I sure would prefer to earn 9-13 cpl, but have not encountered a situation yet which grants me as much freedoms and a good working relationship as I currently enjoy. Thank you for your input and I sure will keep you all posted on our progress.
confusion..sm
I have added entries to my *test expansion* (auto correct) and I have also created macros for numerous addresses for doctors envelopes. I want to save both of these, so I can reformat my hard drive without losing all of this valuable information. Again, BOTH macros and auto text.
I think the confusion is that there are two flames!
One: A flame picture shows up to the left of a *hot* post or one that has been viewed I think more than 200 times.

Two: To be flamed, is an expression, like if you post something and a bunch of people post back in disagreement etc. It has nothing to do with the other.

I got a kick out of the fact that you thought you were being *flamed* (flame #2) for your post!

I'm pretty sure that's accurate and hope it helps!
grrr - more confusion
I tried calling HP and they recommended Word Office Suite 2007 (another $400) - but I think I read somewhere that 2007 is not compatible... ??   and that Transcriptionists are going with Word 2003 ?? 
normal.dot confusion... plz help!

Surely someone else has encountered this problem.  Well, we got a brand spankin' new Dell XPS 420 to our door yesterday!  It is wonderful... I just have a slight problem.  Had Word 2007 loaded onto it and now trying to figure out how to convert my normal.dot from Word 2003 to this.  Any help?  It is loaded with a ton of info that I REALLY need. 


TIA


Whoops! DH gave DD the car (sorry for the confusion)!
What happened was that I thought a second hand car was fine and she should pay for it like I did in high school but he said, "Are you kidding? You bought your own car in high school in 1975 when it cost a couple hundred bucks. If she bought her own car now she'd need a loan for the friggin' thing. It's just not possible anymore for kids to buy anything like that from a minimum wage job at the Dairy Queen, plus if by some act of God she was able to it would be a piece of junk and unsafe."


Word Expander Confusion
Okay, I am not a veteran transcriptionist, but not new either.  I have never been taught the use of increasing productivity by word expanders, macros, etc.  I have been doing some research, downloaded some trials, but I am still very confused.  What is the difference between purchasing an Expander or just adding words to autocorrect already built in the computer?  What is the best program to get?  Can anyone take the time to enlighten me?  Thanks in advance.  If once taught, I think I could really catch on, but I am confused!!  Jill
Hate to add to your confusion, but have you ever given thought to working as a SE ??
I know there are very few companies offering such but, in my opinion, it's like having the freedom and flexibilty of an IC with some of the benefits of being an employee. I am a SE and have the stability of a company that offers me more than enough work and the freedom of when I work with a 24-hour turnaround time. I don't have PTO, but between the increase in pay I received when hired (after being stagnant for 12 yrs with prior company) and the fact that they withhold Federal & MedCare taxes for me,I'm able to put the X-Tra money toward my own PTO, insurance,or increase my payment on credit cards.

After reading that PTO for employees at my former company is now having to be used when there is no work - I do believe I made the right decision to seek a company that offered SE status. My "stash" of PTO will be used as "I" see fit.

FYI - I have been with this company for 1 yr & have experienced only one slow-down of work which occurred over the past Fourth of July holiday. Other than that, if I've wanted to work 24/7,the work has been there.

Just something I wondered if you had ever considered. I just feel I have the best of both worlds. Just depends on you and your needs.
You'll need a lab words book and maybe the Derm and Immunology Words..nm
s
To add to the confusion, a black widow is a creature of the underworld. (nm)
x
My service told us to use mg/dL...as well as mL instead of ml, "to avoid confusion." nm
x
Stedmans Med $ Surgical Equip words, Path and Lab words, and Tessiers Surgical Word book (3rd
edition).  I never buy drug books anymore.  Waist of money in my opinion.  New drugs come out so often, it's best to use the web.
The Sted's Ortho & Rehab Words is probably my most used book and then the Lab Words book. GL! nm
s
A gross line is anything on a line is a line. A line set at 65 characters means it sm
has 1-inch margins on each side. The maximum number of characters on that line would be 65 and that includes spaces. If there is 1 character on that line it is a line.

A standard 65-character line usually consists of 65 characters with spaces unless, of course, the employer does not pay for spaces and then it would be 65-characters without spaces.
Anything on the line makes up a line even if just one letter or number. Every line of print is a
s
Gross line = each line on page counts as a line, even if it's only 1 word. nm
x
MQ motto: Confusion To The Enemy. (MTs are the enemy)


How dare we expect to be paid.  We are their subservient women working "from home" (how dare hous fraus want to be paid money for sitting around in their PJs)


Have I got that right yet?


Forget that this is hard work, takes many years of training, and lots of investment of our own money just to be able to do it.


I need some coffee, brb


Gross line means anything on a line is counted as a line.

You can get an idea in the difference using documents you have already created, assuming you're working in Word. Simply open a document and check the properties. Click on the statistics tab and you will see the number of lines as well as characters with and without spaces. If you're currently getting paid by the line and a line is 65-characters with spaces, do the math and see how that number of lines compares with the number of lines in your stats.


One thing to keep in mind: if you have a blank line between paragraphs, instead of hitting the enter key twice, format your document to give the appearance of blank lines between paragraphs.


Gross line, also including blank lines because my line rate is so low. It all works out in the wash.
x
$.06 gross line / .70 = approximately $.0857 cents per 65 character line.

A gross line is anything on a line versus 65 gross characters per net line the other way.  You make more money working for the gross line than for the 65 gross character line, as long as the line rate's OK.


A gross line is any line with typewritten characters on it - no matter how long or SM
how short.  So your gross lines may be longer than 65 characters, but you get credit even for a line as short as "Sincerely,".  If your gross lines are not being counted that way, then you are not being counted on gross lines and are probably getting screwed.  I'd look into that if I were you.
Yes if gross line or 65 character line with spaces....Good Deal!!! nm
x
1) do you have a contract stating line counting and line rate,sm
if you look at the IRS website it's pretty clear what constitutes IC versus SE versus employee. You might want to photocopy that along with a copy of your contract with your next invoice and also put on the invoice any monies due from past invoices they "changed"...maybe catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Good luck!
New England, 16.50/hr, 8 cents a line after minimum line count..
full benefits available with general contribution by the hospital before you start paying for them, retirement, 403b, all benefits, and working at home as an employee, BUT, you have to live local to the hospital.
I changed my line to a business line, talked to a supervisor sm

at SBC, told him what I was using the service for, and got the okay to use it -- $49/month unlimited. 


I have also used The Neighborhood, and their unlimited is truly unlimited.  I also explained to them when I signed up what I was using it for and their comment was "unlimited means just that -- unlimited, no matter what."  I cannot remember how much they were, but it might be worth checking into for you.  (www.theneighborhood.com)


 


Good luck!


What is the average line/hour for a 65 character line with spaces? NM
.
Curious, do most IC's usually charge by the gross line or 65 character line?
Thank you~
it certainly is not pay worthy at 4.5 line or 3 line. I know the companies cram it down our throats
nm
That still is not a paid line rate. If your base is $0.10 per line, it will be $0.08 cpl.
Considering other companies pay 4 or 5 cents per line for VR - you are still making out.

Question about what is PAID for a line and what is BILLED for a line
Does the MTSO actually bill for headers, footers, and other things the transcriptionists are not paid for?  I worked for a company a while back and their copy of what each Transcriptionist typed the day before and our copy was a lot different, about 30% different.  Their copy was the billing copy. So, double their enhanced amount and subtract our 9 cents a line, it comes to a bigger profit than what I thought.   
What's the diff between a gross line and a 65-char line?

Mebbe just got my first OWN ACCOUNT YAY!  He said to charge him the "going rate" since I pay him that.  This could be the start, baby!  (I hope)



A gross line is any amount of characters on a line

for instance...


MEDICATIONS:


Effexor


Prevasid


 


A 65 character line without spaces is black marks on the page only and 65 w/spaces is everything... tabs, spaces, numbers, letters, bold, etc.


 


 


that should be "up .02/line" NOT up "to" .02/line. geez. nm
x

Gross line versus character line....Sm please

I am thinking of taking a job that pays by the gross line and not a 65-character line.  I have never worked this way.  Does this literally mean if there is one little word on a line you get paid for it?  I have not pinned her down on a line rate but I am just thinking I am going to be comparing apples to oranges and am wondering how to accomplish that. 


Thanks for any help!


gross-anything on line counts as line,even one word
xx
Two words -
If she pursues this matter, I'd have a DNA test done immediately to determine whether your son is financially responsible or not.  It's worth the investment.