A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

why we should be making more than minimum wage - cryingshame

Posted: May 09, 2015

If our skills are valued the same as fast food workers, then why do they require at least one year's experience as an MT to be hired? Why do newbies have to have gone to school? Why the lengthy testing before being hired? Any 16-year-old with no work experience can be hired at Burger King, so why not as a medical transcriptionist? I don't understand the reasoning behind lowering our income to minimum wage and making it next to impossible to advance beyond minimum wage, even for people who have been MTs for decades. I don't know who's crazier, them for doing it, or us for letting them.

For one thing, they are paid hourly and you are paid for production - anon

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Take it from there.

good point! - cryingshame

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But it doesn't explain why I am making the same line rate as I did when I started as an MT 25 plus years ago. Name another production job that hasn't had an increase in the rate per unit in 25 years.

I can only guess at the reasons - anon

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But I will say with relative certainty that failure to keep training the speech engine is a large part of the problem. And anyone who has first-hand experience with Dragon NaturallySpeaking will understand that. The companies selling the product either don't explain that to the hospital and/or service, or the hospital doesn't follow through. If the speech engine is well trained, you will not have difficulty earning between $12-15/hour, which I do. I'm able to knock out an average of 300 lph because it is (employer is Imedx).

Another reason, I think, is because MTs are accepting things as they are ... willingly or because they feel it's either that or public assistance (i.e. medical reasons you cannot work outside the home).

Two more of many ...

Unfortunately as transcription costs became a HUGE budget item - for hospitals companies came

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up with the pay for production (line rates) as a "fix" to these budget issues. They went many steps further though and in order for them to make profits and receive their gazillion dollar bonuses they decided to rely on workers in India and other foreign countries where the cost of living is much less. Unfortunately, hospitals allow this (all they want to see if bottom line $$). With so much healthcare regulation going on though and healthcare being the big concern, they need to start looking at these executives and what they are pulling in in bonuses and other compensation packages all off the "little peoples" backs (us). Sad situation all around.

Probably us for allowing it. - nm

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For many of us it's all we know.

Agreed - Deedee Farris

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Yes, we're idiots for allowing ourselves to be treated like garbage. But I'm 63 years old, MT is what all I've done for the past 25 years, too old and too tired to start with a new "career." So basically I'm stuck, as so many of us are.

not necessarily - anon

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I'll be 61 this year and if there's flexibility with respect to earnings (i.e. you're not the sole supporter) then you might see if you can get office work from temp agencies, i.e. Select Staffing, Kelly, OfficeTeam ... some of the assignments last weeks and some last months. I made $12.50/hour last year doing data entry for a health company where my MT knowledge was a must.

We were put into direct competition with low-wage workers. - Tired

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We have been in direct competition with low-wage workers around the world for our work. That is why our pay has gone down. Eventually, when the economy gets better, I would imagine most of us will quit. So that is probably why Nuance is hiring 3000 more people to work in India. It wouldn't surprise me if they anticipate all of these quits and are going to replace those who quit with workers in India, especially since they now must also anticipate the QA's quitting too, after cutting their pay this week as well. They are moving to get to the point where hospitals who don't want to have their work done in India are going to have to. It will then become a "take it or leave it" situation, and Nuance will make even more money than they do now on cheap labor. What they don't realize is that the Indians are unhappy with their pay, too. I hope that translates into their quitting as well. I don't think the hospitals care where the work gets done and I wonder if they even care how accurate it is. I still think that Indians cannot possibly have the command of the English language that we have.

Don't get stuck in that thinking.... - sm

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I am 58 and have done this since I was 18. I am tired and burned out, but do not believe this profession will last the few years more I need to take retirement. I am not passionate about leaving home after all these years, either. I have to believe a hospital, doctor office, or other healthcare related field will hire me AND pay me what I am TRULY worth, OR I will go flip burgers or greet you at Wal-Mart and not have this every day stress of is my job going to India today, tomorrow, or next week?

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