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

Article about low wages in transcription - Rainwoman

Posted: Mar 22, 2015

Interesting article in the latest For the Record, the AHIMA magazine, about the low pay most companies offer.
http://www.fortherecordmag.com/archives/0315p18.shtml

TRANSCRIPTION - CINDY

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Read the whole thing. Really liked the part about the CEOs of some companies saying things like it may be because the transcriptionist doesn't have enough experience. I guess 30 years is not enough. Well anyhoo, they all realize there is a problem, but nobody is going to pay their employees what they are worth.

I wish they would have gotten more of transcriptionist's point of view instead of the CEOs of the company. To really let them know what is going on.

Keystrokes CEO claims some MTs make $45 an hour??? - Casey

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Also has the nerve to state that we should search to find a company that will pay a living wage. Unbelievable!

I agree with Cindy. They should have interviewed as many transcriptions as they did CEOs to get the truth.

Find the best transcription company - CINDY

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Really good of keystrokes CEO to say its up to us to find the best company. How do we know who the best company is until we work there. First of all, I am sure that that best company doesn't have enough openings for all of us transcriptionists to get hired there. So that is just ridiculous. We are not in control of which company decides to hire us. The best company we could all work for would be the hospitals that we used to work for before MTSOs took over. In our own local cities with those great hourly pay and benefits. But that's not an option for us anymore.

The most important part of the article to me is - what has been said here over and over again.

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Nevertheless, according to Vance, MTs hold the biggest wildcardâ��whether they will continue to work for what they deem unfair wages. "Refusing to work for substandard compensation is the best advice I can give," he says. "Many MTs struggle with taking a stand in this regard, either due to a fear of losing their jobs if they refuse to accept unreasonable compensation, a lack of confidence in their own abilities, or other factors which may come into play."

Vance admits the thought of becoming unemployed is frightening, but stresses that MT service owners are unlikely to change current pay standards as long as MTs are willing to accept substandard compensation.

Looks like for the most part we are our worst enemy. Hospitals could care less if the work is done overseas, they are aware and are okay with it. Article is pretty accurate about our profession as far as I am concerned.

Vance comments - disgusted

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If that's the way Vance feels, then why the heck doesn't his company pay more?

Contractors - MTinTexas

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The article touts better benefits, but the author failed to realize that there are actually fewer companies that pay benefits now because they hire contractors instead of employees. Then they pay the same amount as they did before, leaving the MT to pay for computer, internet, books, health insurance, SS tax and all those things that were covered when we were employees in a hospital.

They want to blame MTs for not having enough experience and blame Health Care Reform for dropping costs, but they missed the most significant factor - overseas outsourcing has significantly affected line rates. Why was I paid 8 cents a line as an employee with full benefits 20 years ago, but as a contractor I'm expected to work for 6-7 cents a line. I guess they think the cost of living hasn't risen for MTs in the past 20 years.

Doesnt that rag have a letters to the editor section? - MTs should write in and give their side SM

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of the story For The Record, if the article is to be honest and accurate. But, I guess honesty and telling the MTs side of it is too much to ask for if this rag is in bed with AHDI, AHIMI, whatever their acronym is now.

IMHO, the only viable solution to the transcription wage - MNM

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issue is to pay MTs a base hourly rate with a daily minimum production requirement and an incentive package for working above and beyond. The base hourly rate should reflect the individual MT's experience, education, and skill level. Skill level should be based on how well the MT tests during the interview and screening process.

The base rate should begin at least $3 above minumum wage and build from there with years of experience and skill level.

This is a pipe dream, I realize. The CEOs of the MTSOs will NEVER pay an hourly rate. They are too busy lining their pockets with our blood, sweat, and tears. And can I just say how completely disrespectful this article is to the MT!?!?!? To cite Jay Vance or any other MT company CEO as sources worthy of comment on the plight of the MT is just obscene. I don't know the other people they quoted, but I've met Jay Vance and he's an effing weasel!

I have tried for years to figure out a formula for paying us differently - 30-year MT

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Your ideas are the best I have seen.

Thanks!

Wages - sm

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...pay MTs a base hourly rate with a daily minimum production requirement and an incentive package for working above and beyond.
...........................

In my experience, this is how it used to be. Then the incentive was taken away, with a "Thank you for all your hard work."

I never had another transcription job which offered incentive pay, though I was able to get on later shifts and add to my base rate with shift differential and call pay. Work was abundant then, so call was guaranteed.

When that job vanished I found a home-based full-time hourly job, and I knew I had found where I wanted to stay as long as possible. Stayed there till the ship went down.

Ugh How does Jay Vance continue to slither his way into sm - acuteMLS

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so many jobs? He is the transcription industry's "used car salesman".

acuteMLS - Nick

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"Used car salesman!" You have a (true) way with words. Brilliant! Kudos.

Don't know why the OP didn't post the a clickable link. Just adding to - make it easier

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Link:

the link is there - sm

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The OP did post the actual link. Just highlight it and right-click on it.

Just an observation - Old Pro

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After reading the article, I think perhaps the CEO should be paid $15 an hour. I wonder how he (and you can be sure the CEOs are HE's) would like that?

Old Pro, love your idea...SM - Old Anon

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I'm now contemplating how to approach my MTSO about making my editing rate such that it equals minimum wage in my state at their lph miniumum. It now falls $0.85 short of that. Of course, they are probably going to say just produce more lines (which I do). When I started with them, it was $0.55 more than minimum wage. Something to think about is working toward making sure that line rates at least equal minimum wage in states that are higher than the Federal minimum. After all, we are paid on production; and our time is calculated when we are keyboarding or pedaling. Time to upload/download, stop to research, quick proof, etc. is not counted. Essentially, we are present and working more than 8 hours a day in order to accumulate those 8 hours a day. In a way, it is similar to how waitstaff are paid with a lower base rate plus tips. These people must work more quickly and efficiently to serve more happy customers in order to make minimum or more with their tips. I think the same principle is at play here in the MT industry. The only difference is there are laws regarding waitstaff but not MTs. I think there is a legislative solution, and I am going to start looking into it.

Old pro - Disappointed

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I've had the same issue with making min wage in my state once the state min wage went higher at the beginning of 2015. My supervisor told me what you said they would say.....I've got to produce more lines. I suggested they give me a raise to avoid that problem and was met with resounding silence !

When minimum wage rises, it is supposed to be a raise! - Tired

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It is NOT supposed to be a license for them to tell you to "produce more lines." $15.00 an hour at 0.4 cents a line would mean having to produce 375 lines an hour, or 3000 lines a day. I would think they wouldn't be able to get away with that. THEY are supposed to pay more, not say YOU work more.

Are you kidding me? I would think $15 an hour would be great! - sm

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I know I would give anything for that GUARANTEED hourly rate.

How do you post a clickable link? - anyone know? (nm)

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nm

Posting a link...SM - Old Anon

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In the Post A Reply window, put the link in the bottom box where it says URL/Link. I'm glad you asked because unclickable links are one of my biggest pet peeves. I never look at them.

Thanks! - nm

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nm

this is a symptom of - our instant-gratification society

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if it annoys you to have to bother to highlight and then click, rather than just click.

Or it could be - xx

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an issue of courtesy on the part of the person asking others to read and comment on something. It would show more consideration to the intended audience to make it as easy as possible for that audience to do what one is asking them to do.

I agree...SM - Old Anon

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make the link clickable, especially since the Post A Replay window is set up to do that. Sometimes unclickable links are posted with pretty much no explanation of what they're about. I'm not into instant gratification either, jeesh.

highlight and click - vs click

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This is the least of our problems, nothing to get worked up about. Either way is fine with me.

They should have said that it is... - Depressed

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8 cents a line for straight transcription AND 3 to 4 cents a line for editing, and that editing is about 90% to 95% of our work.

The article will attract newbies. - Casey

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With the CEO of Keystrokes stating she has MTs making $45.00 per hour. Amazing that the reporter included this in the article without any investigation to find the truth!

Another way MTs get the shaft - SM

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The MTSOs don't seem to think that experience matters at all. Excuse me? I have 32 years experience and you want to pay me the same as a newbie with no experience at all? Think about it! It's like I have been going to school 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 32 years! I have learned anatomy, pharmacology, oncology, internal medicine, ophthalmology, every surgical specialty there is, radiology, laboratory, GI, GU, infectious diseases, and on and on and on. I can zip through those reports like nobody's business because the knowledge is right there in my head. Don't they get it?

Uhh ... if you know all that, and I do not doubt - that you do ...

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You can seriously put that knowledge to work in coding. And eventually in CDI. See the link below.

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