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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Total # of outsourced jobs? More less the population of 3 entire states!

Posted By: CC on 2009-03-20
In Reply to: True! Computer techs are all foreign. Used to be a good- - paying job in the US, but now those that- sm

Try to calculate that economic nightmare!!!


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YES, it's true, funding for schooling to replace outsourced jobs...sm
my husband is a machinist (was a machinist) in Illinois where manufacturing took a hard hit. They sent home a piece of paper with his pink slip about getting funding for schooling if the company was identified as having lost jobs due to overseas outsourcing. His company was too small to qualify but I went on the list and found many companies in the Chicago area that qualified. I even posted the info on the boards here about six months ago.
Microsoft states "We're better off moving jobs out of US"
It makes U.S. jobs more expensive,” Ballmer said in an interview. “We’re better off taking lots of people and moving them out of the U.S. as opposed to keeping them inside the U.S.”

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?!?! 
Our tax returns are outsourced. Our credit history is outsourced. Our employers know everything
our age, our residence, our credit (if they want it), any criminal activity, etc.  What is new here?  You apply for health insurance and your employee knows your health background.  What is new here?  Privacy is long gone.
We are 4.65% of the world's population
You don't see anything wrong with that? Bush thumbs his nose at the Kyoto Protocol and then you wonder why "one country is singled out"? Of course, it's a political issue, we are not the only country on this planet but we sure do act like it! What kind of world are we leaving for our kids and grandkids?
If being gay was normal, the population would die out soon
The one thing nobody has mentioned is that gays cannot reproduce-- they have to recruit, so if it was a normal thing, they, too, would be able to reproduce. Whatever your thoughts and feelings, you will have to answer for your lifestyle someday---.
and at least 71 percent of population
out of 300,000 million!!!  Speaks tomes!!! 
Our deer population is enormous, too.
I know of people who have been killed or permanently disabled from hitting deer.  I don't like the idea of shooting a deer.  I could never do it, myself.  However, it's a lot different than the process used to butcher cows by meat processing plants, more humane.  It's one thing to kill an animal to feed your family.  It's something else entirely when it's done for "sport".
They're trying to put a second WalMart in our city with a population of 55,000.
They already have one super WalMart and a Sam's Club. Meanwhile, all of the Mom & Pop grocery stores and gas stations have closed down. I'm ready to move.
outsourced for sure
nm
I was outsourced and went to VR
because it was the same place I have typed for for over 15 years now. I am retirement age and really do not have to work as much nor do I want to work as much as I did years ago on straight, VR or anything. Having said that, VR on the work I do is like taking candy from a baby. I average about $25 an hour and only work part-time with my having cut my hours back. I am happy camper.
Is it possible that teaching can be outsourced?
the date is 2014, It a nice day. You drop off your kids to public school to for them to watch a huge plasma screen that has a teacher in it. And guess what... Its via Satellite, from India. Im getting goosebumps.... Arg. Its also outsourced. Oh im having a nightmare. I hope its its just a nightmare.
Must be a outsourced Company
Is that for real? Thats still 1750 lines
being outsourced to TRINIDAD!! NM
.
How many of those outsourced MTs have even seen snow??
:=
Department outsourced
After going through this 2 years ago I feel your pain. Though there are some positives to working at home it is a whole different ballgame. Personally I miss my coworkers and just the general atmosphere of the hospital. I keep hoping more hospitals will realize they still need some in-house staff, at the very least to do QA on what a lot of the services are turning out. It seems to me it has become nothing more than churn and burn with the emphasize on turn-around time, not quality. When I look up old reports in our system I am appalled at some of the stuff that goes out, and I am on accounts that require American MTs. It is really sad what this "profession" has become.

Just because work is outsourced, unless
you have access to the entire medical record, not all personal info is available, only what the doctor chooses to include in his dictation. MTs do not necessarily have access to the entire record with the billing info and such.
hospital outsourced...
Believe me I didn't leave by choice! I had a great job with amazing benefits, however our hospital started outsourceing 5 years ago and slowly but surely all the work dried up and our department faded away...

I avoided Focus Infomatics due to their offshoring, but now, I don't know, they are sounding pretty good. I just want eScription back. Anyone hiring? :)
They don't have in-house anymore - it's all outsourced.
I know because the service I work for does their work.  
An Outsourced Life -- anyone see that on MSNBC?

I didn't know whether to laugh or be disgusted, so I have decided to do both.


Just saw a story on MSNBC about some jerk (an American jerk, looks like the biggest geek in the world) who has outsourced all his worries to a Pakistan company and a young, pretty Pakistani girl named "Honey" takes care of answering all his emails for work, for home, for his family, etc.  Hired a second Pakistani woman, a middle-aged woman (forget her name) to handle his WIFE.  When his wife is upset with him or he with her, he emails this Pakistani woman and she handles it -- emails the wife and argues FOR this jerk.  Even picks out the gifts he gives his kids and wife.  OMG. 


What a stupidman for doing it and, I must say, a stupid woman for putting up with that. 


How's that for Americans outsourcing everything and sending it overseas?!



Is work continuously being outsourced?
I'm just starting on a medical transcription career. But it sounds like too many companies are firing American workers and outsourcing to other countries. Is this common? Maybe I shouldn't pay for my training and try something else. Thanks.

amelia
I suppose all the work that is outsourced
Makes no sense.  What do they expect for 7-10 cpl?
I wonder why when a department is outsourced/offshored sm
the physicians never have a say in it even though most of them don't like it?  They are the ones who bring in the revenue, after all, so why shouldn't they have a say in what goes on as regards patient care? 
That's because Dell's customer service is outsourced to India. sm

The guy probably answered yes, yes, yes to all your quesions and didn't understand a single word.


Sorry to hear that. All the hospitals that outsourced on me went with US-based companies and we were
nm
I'm there with ya! I worked for a hospital that outsourced overflow to a very large, VERY SM

well-known service.  The quality of the work was shockingly bad.  There's no way to describe it except to say it was painfully obvious that the MTs on our account had no business being MTs.  They didn't even have the very basic skills for the job, let alone the medical terminology.


I had the opportunity to read through the contract, and there was a paragraph in the contract that clearly stated that not only did the service promise to adhere to a specific TAT, but also promised high quality, proofread reports.  Basically saying that they employed a highly qualified QA staff that insured nearly error free reports.  That's the OUT clause as far as I'm concerned.  I started a file of every report with errors from the service, every ridiculous error.


A new supervisor for our department was hired and her first order of business was to cut the flab out of department.  She told us that the service doing our overflow was being paid something like $60,000 a MONTH!  The hospital was paying the service 45 cpl.  Now do the math!  The service gets 45 cpl and pays you and me 7 to 8 cpl to transcribe for them or even worse pays 2 cpl for an India-based MT and 3 cpl for an American QA person to edit and correct it, so that's only 5 cpl they end up paying.  That's quite a profit.  I vowed the day I found all this out to NEVER work for a national service again and especially not THAT service.


The new supervisor was against outsourcing which was good news.  She set out to renegotiate the contract or drop the service all together.  I threatened her with breach of contract and that's where my little file came in handy.  Needless to say, the service backed off and we not outsource overflow to a service local to our area and a much more reasonable rate.


My advice to you is start your file and keep track of everything.  Tell your boss to reread the contract, especially those paragraphs that speak to what the service promises to provide for the inflated line rate!


Good Luck!


In 5 years there won't be any transcription departments in any hospital. All will be outsourced.
Same thing happened to me and if those HIM hags who control our destiny think it's a good thing they are so WRONG.  Life has been hard since having to work at a service, and I refused to work for the Monster MTSO that took my job as a matter of principle.  I think we should all write to Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Amy Klobuchar (the MT in MN can write to her), etc., and express our strong needs to  have MT jobs and American information STAY in America with American MTs.   
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?
I was told that Healthscribe outsourced and when acquired, that Spheris would be bringing work
And this is information came to me from the inside, given to me when I was hired and in training.
Check all the brands in other stores. It's all outsourced. Nike, Rebok, Liz Claiborne.
It leaves our country in the hands of the politicians who sold us out in the first place.
What an ugly thing to post. Your job could be outsourced tomorrow, sweetie. FYI...Job security
x
Several jobs on Monster & CareerBuilder for inhouse office jobs down there through an
s
I did 3 jobs for a while about 3 years ago, you burn out quick, I was doing 3 MT jobs though...after
10 months I cut down to 2 as I don't like to have all my eggs in one basket.  But I am considering going down to 1 in September for my sanity, its a good steady job so financally it should not be an issue.  I have 2 right but have not worked the 1 in about 3 weeks due to some problems at their end, supposed to learn a VA account but not sure if I want to pursue it right now or not, they are waiting to hear from me at this point. I still have a lot going on with chemo, etc. so am mulling things over.  But if you have a full-time day job, then I would just go with 1 part-time MT job at night, unless 1 is during the week, and the other weekends only, then of course you will be working 7 days a week, very tiring I know.  I have been working 7 days a week for 3 years now but I do slack off now and then of course to recharge and get sleep etc. But burnout happens fast and I doubt you want to lose your day job so be careful. Good luck.
Also they have to pay to set up new states
So they might not want to hire from states not set up in already.
Indeed it does, as the letter clearly states
it was a DEP error
here's the entire MQ article
Press Release Source: Medquist Inc.


MedQuist Announces Preliminary, Partial and Unaudited Financial Results
Friday August 19, 5:14 pm ET


MT. LAUREL, N.J., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MedQuist Inc. (Pink Sheets: MEDQ - News) announced today certain preliminary, partial and unaudited financial results. Once the Company completes the financial assessment and review of its billing practices disclosed in the Company's previous filings with the SEC, the Company expects that an independent registered public accounting firm will review and/or audit the Company's financial statements, as appropriate. While, at this time, the Company cannot estimate the total costs of (i) the billing review, (ii) defense of the class action matters, (iii) the SEC investigation, and (iv) compliance with the Department of Justice investigation, all of which have been previously disclosed in either the Company's filings with the SEC or the Company's press releases, the costs incurred to date by the Company in connection with the foregoing have been included in the results set forth below. Because the completion of the billing review and resolution of the litigation and governmental investigatory matters are pending, the Company is not certain whether any changes to the accounting treatment of any component of its consolidated financial statements will be required and, if any changes are necessary, whether any such changes would have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, the financial information set forth below is preliminary, unaudited, and subject to change based on the completion of the financial assessment and review of the Company's billing practices and the completion of the review and/or audit of its financial statements, as appropriate.
ADVERTISEMENT


The information set forth below is derived from the Company's internal books and records. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the information presented below. As a result of the developments described above and in the Company's previous SEC filings, the Company's financial statements have not been audited or reviewed by an independent registered accounting firm. The information contained in this press release also has not been audited or reviewed by an independent registered accounting firm. Such information is not a substitute for the information required to be reported in the Company's Forms 10-K and Forms 10-Q that have not yet been filed. There can be no assurance that the results of the billing review, and resolution of the litigation and governmental investigatory matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's revenue, results of operations and financial condition.



MedQuist Inc. - Preliminary and Unaudited Financial Information (in
millions)

Years Ended
12/31/2002 12/31/2003 12/31/2004

Revenue (1) $486 $490 $456

Operating income (1) 71 61 23

Cash (3) 103 162 196

Debt (3) <0.1 <0.1 <0.1



Quarters Ended
12/31/03 3/31/04 6/30/04 9/30/04 12/31/04 3/31/05 6/30/05

Revenue (2) $121 $118 $114 $113 $112 $108 $106

Operating
income (2) 13 13 7 6 (3) (2) (6)

Cash (3) 162 180 183 192 196 199 198

Debt (3) <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 -

Notes:
(1) Information presented for the twelve months ended
(2) Information presented for the three months ended
(3) Information presented as of the date

Twelve months ended December 31, 2003

Revenues:
Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that the Company's revenue increased from approximately $486 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2002 to approximately $490 million for the comparable 2003 period. The increase was largely the result of twelve months of Lanier operations being reflected in 2003 results as compared to six months of Lanier operations being reflected in 2002 results, as the acquisition of Lanier Healthcare LLC took place on July 1, 2002, largely offset by transcription service volume declines as well as declining pricing from both new and existing transcription clients.

Operating Income:

Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that operating income declined from approximately $71 million, for the twelve months ended December 31, 2002 to approximately $61 million for the comparable 2003 period. The decline in operating income is largely the result of transcription service volume and rate declines, partially offset by the result of twelve months of Lanier operations being reflected in 2003 results as compared to six months of Lanier operations being reflected in 2002 results, as the acquisition of Lanier Healthcare LLC took place on July 1, 2002.

Balance Sheet Highlights:

At December 31, 2003 the Company had $162 million in cash and cash equivalents. At December 31, 2003, the Company had less than $100 thousand in total debt. Other than minimal exercises of stock options, there were no additional issuances of capital stock or other securities for the twelve month period ended December 31, 2003.

Twelve months ended December 31, 2004

Revenues:

Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that the Company's revenue decreased from approximately $490 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2003 to approximately $456 million for the comparable 2004 period. The decline in revenues includes the impact of decreasing transcription service volume from existing and lost clients, partially offset by new clients, as well as the impact of pricing declines attributable to a competitive pricing environment. Additionally, the Company has recognized declines in revenue from its front-end speech recognition products as it transitioned from TalkStation to SpeechQ for Radiology.

Operating Income:

Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that operating income declined from approximately $61 million, for the twelve months ended December 31, 2003 to approximately $23 million for the comparable 2004 period. The decline in operating income includes: 1) the impact of approximately $11 million in costs incurred in 2004 related to the ongoing billing investigation and associated litigation, 2) approximately $4 million in costs associated with separation and replacement of the Company's management team, including members at the executive level and 3) approximately $3 million associated with the write-off of intangible assets associated with products no longer being offered. In addition, the base business, as described above in the Revenues section, experienced a decline in transcription service volume from existing and lost clients and a decline in transcription service rates charged to customers. The impact of the revenue decline was partially offset by several cost saving initiatives including reductions in telecommunications costs, office consolidations and associated staff reductions.

Balance Sheet Highlights:

At December 31, 2004 the Company had $196 million in cash and cash equivalents. At December 31, 2004, the Company had less than $100 thousand in total debt. Other than minimal exercises of stock options, there were no additional issuances of capital stock or other securities for the twelve month period ended December 31, 2004.

Six Months ended June 30, 2005

Revenues:

Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that the Company's revenue decreased from approximately $232 million for the six months ended June 30, 2004 to approximately $213 million for the comparable 2005 period. The decline in revenues includes the impact of the result of reductions in contracted transcription service rates from existing clients, further affected by new transcription business service volume replacing lost transcription service volume at a lower average price. Management expects these pricing pressures to continue and for revenue in the second half of 2005 to decline from first half levels.

Operating Income:

Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that operating income declined from approximately $20 million for the six months ended June 30, 2004 to an operating loss of approximately $8 million for the comparable 2005 period. Operating income includes 1) approximately $16 million in costs incurred in 2005 related to the ongoing billing investigation and associated litigation, which represents an increase of approximately $11 million over similar costs incurred for the comparable time period in 2004 and 2) approximately $3 million in costs associated with separation and replacement of the Company's management team, including members at the executive level, which represents and increase of approximately $2 million over similar costs incurred for the comparable time period in 2004. In addition, the base business, as described above in the Revenues section experienced a decline in transcription service rates charged to customers. The impact of the revenue decline was partially offset by several cost saving initiatives including reductions in telecommunications costs, office consolidations and associated staff reductions. The Company continues to strive for improved profitability through service and technology enhancement initiatives, along with other cost reductions.

Three months ended June 30, 2005

Revenues:

Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that the Company's revenue decreased from approximately $114 million for the three months ended June 30, 2004 to approximately $106 million for the comparable 2005 period. The decline in revenues includes the impact of the result of reductions in contracted transcription service rates from existing clients, further affected by new transcription business service volume replacing lost transcription service volume at a lower average price. As noted above, management expects these pricing pressures to continue and for revenue in the second half of 2005 to decline from first half levels.

Operating Income:

Preliminary results indicate that operating income declined from approximately $7 million for the three months ended June 30, 2004 to an operating loss of approximately $6 million for the comparable 2005 period. Operating income includes 1) approximately $9.5 million in costs incurred in 2005 related to the ongoing billing investigation and associated litigation, which represents an increase of approximately $5.5 million over similar costs incurred for the comparable time period in 2004 and 2) $1 million in costs associated with separation and replacement of the Company's management team, including members at the executive level. In addition, the base business, as described above in the Revenues section experienced a decline in transcription service rates charged to customers. The impact of the revenue decline was partially offset by several cost saving initiatives including reductions in telecommunications costs, office consolidations and associated staff reductions. The Company continues to strive for improved profitability through service and technology enhancement initiatives, along with other cost reductions.

Balance Sheet Highlights:

At June 30, 2005, the Company had $198 million in cash and cash equivalents and no debt. There were no additional issuances of capital stock or other securities for the six month period ended June 30, 2005.

About MedQuist:

MedQuist, a member of the Philips Group of Companies, is a leading provider of electronic medical transcription, health information and document management products and services. MedQuist provides document workflow management, digital dictation, speech recognition, mobile dictation devices, Web-based transcription, electronic signature, medical coding products and outsourcing services.

Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

Some of the statements in this Press Release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are not historical facts but rather are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates and projections regarding the Company's business, operations and other factors relating thereto. Words such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "anticipate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this Press Release include, without limitation, statements about the Company's results of operations and financial condition. These statements are only predictions and as such are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions as to future events of the Company's future financial performance that may not prove to be accurate. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in these forward-looking statements. As a result, these statements speak only as of the date they were made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The Company's actual results may differ from the forward-looking statements for many reasons, including any direct or indirect impact of the matters disclosed in the Form 12b-25 filed by the Company on August 19, 2005 on the Company's operating results or financial condition; any continuation of pricing pressures and declining billing rates; difficulties relating to the implementation of management changes throughout the Company; and the outcome of pending and future legal and regulatory proceedings and investigations.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: MedQuist Inc.
Even when they deduct your entire (sm)
report if you make one error that QA doesn't catch and the hospital does?

Seems to me like QA should get dinged, not the MT.

TRS is your typical admin-heavy, treat the MT like a number company, made more offensive by their assumption that everyone in America is "Christian" and will adore prayer requests and other off-topic crap on the company email.


It clearly states in the message that they
regarding the status of the job.
I think this entire season is going to be -
while he is in the hospital and how the business continues without him.  We won't know if he makes it until the last episode.  Gotta feelin' he won't.  The show will die with him.  - 
been this way my entire life ....N/M

Fox is going to show the entire
fourth season this summer. Two episodes back-to-back every Tuesday night. Maybe you can see some of the ones you missed. :-)
document where the IRS states this please? nm
nn
she states below that she did try in the past sm
to bring on another IC but they were resistant to the idea.

She has already tried doing what you suggest, to no avail.

I have been in this situation as well, and while it is very true that we are, in essence, vendors to our clients, there are offices that are truly difficult to work with.

It is a good idea to consider taking an employee position in this case, I agree, but please know that she's already tried addressing the issue in the way you suggest. :-)
Some *states*. YIKES!
.
Working in 2 different states. sm

I know a MQMT who does this.  I don't know the particulars, but she's literally on opposite ends of the map at different times.  It seems to me that there should be no problem doing this.  Of course, time zones, etc. may vary, but things like that should be easily resolved. 


Have fun, whatever you decide!


There is an entire section on this

You have been doing for an entire 3 years and
never made $31,000? OMG, I am so surprised (NOT). Those days when the salaries were really good (except for 1 here and there) are mostly over. Unless willing to work about 24/7, weekends, overtime, etc., etc. you do good now to just eek out a living and many on here complaining about not even doing that.
I work for a hospital 6 states away. SM

I have a physician list and I have a website to look for other doctors. But how can they expect me to know how to spell patients' names? They can't. I have a disclaimer at the top of my log sheet that says common or phonetic spellings will be used where patient name spellings are not provided.


That was the thing that held me up when I worked "live" from home for a hospital. All that diddling around finding out whether it was "Kathy" or "Cathy"  -- I don't do that any longer and you're right, it makes a HUGE difference.


Yep, sometimes an entire dollar cheaper...
x
4 states are taking refugees
The governor of Louisiana has asked four states to take refugees:  Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah.  I know Utah is scheduled to take 1000, starting to be flown in today (call the governor's hotline at 866-873-2437 if you live in UT and want to help), but I don't know about the others.  I would imaging they're taking more since they're closer.  This is being coordinated through FEMA, but the governor's offices of those other states probably would be of more direct help.  If you don't live in one of those states you could try to contact FEMA, but I imagine they're swamped right now.
I agree with most of this, but in most states you can't lock him out. sm
I agree you should get away from him, especially if there are kids involved, but in most states you're not allowed to lock him out of the house. It's his residence, too, and the police and judges will tell you that he has just as much right to be there as you do. Please be sure to check with a lawyer or with the local police before trying to lock him out of the house.