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

From 30K per year to Slave Labor - mt2coder

Posted: Dec 03, 2012

Good morning fellow MTs,

Well our hospital just outsourced a huge part of our transcription. I am seeing this trend and it breaks my heart. When you go from a good salary and benefits with affordable insurance to a company who pays you barely minimum wage - it is WRONG! Is there any one out there who thinks that these companies OWE it to us MTs who have been in the field 20+ years to pay us what we are worth? And not by the line???? I am so frustrated and angry that these companies are making all the money while the MTs are paid "slave wages" and constantly changing their work types making it impossible to earn a living. Any thoughts on this?

Welcome to todays MT world - nothing you can do about it

[ In Reply To ..]
Either work for minimum wage, or move on. Yes, that is harsh, but it is the reality now (as sad as that is).

I am going to go back to school for Medical Assisting, hopefully can start summer classes.

30K per yr to slave labor - mt2coder

[ In Reply To ..]
Yep you are absolutely right! Actually I am a medical assistant and a certified coder (CPC) - but I absolutely LOVE being a medical language specialist. I feel so badly for people who do not have other alternatives. Education is KEY - but I will say that I have limited experience (2 yrs) coding and it has to be account specific that they are looking for - and it is not easy to find a job. Medical Assistants make around 10.00 to 11.00 an hour to start. Wish you the best!

Maybe only 11-12 to start, but that is guaranteed and - raises are handed out!

[ In Reply To ..]
Plus, I have 26 more working years, at least.

That is what medical assistants around here pay. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Receptionist positions start at $11.00 if you're lucky.

Coding specialists make about $15.00 but you need to be certified and have a few years of experience before you can make that.

no they don't owe us - sorry

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm so sorry you lost your good job! You had yours longer than most of us. We all know how you feel, but no, the companies don't owe us anything. The industry is changing, and fast. We have to take charge of our own lives and find new paths for ourselves.

Take charge of our Futures! - mt2coder

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree with you as far as us taking charge of our futures. I recommend Coding and billing. Or as one girl posted - Medical Assistant - but if you really want to go for the gold - go to school to be an RN. So sad that such an amazing industry has gone away. But I guarantee you SOMEONE in these outsourcing companies(not MTs) are making a whole lot of money!

frankly some of us are just to old to go back to - school and change careers

[ In Reply To ..]
those of us who are over 60 are looked at as "unemployable" because they feel we will be retiring soon and it is a waste of their time and money. Many of us are stuck here until the ship sinks completely and then will have to trust in God to get us through, I guess. ICs have little to no options as far as UE and entitlement programs to rely on. How they consider SS an entitlement program is beyond me when we have paid into it for years with our tax dollars. This is something we earned and paid for, not an entitlement! (sorry for the rant. that just exacerbates me!)

I am currently over 60. I went back to - school

[ In Reply To ..]
a little over two years ago to become a physican assistant. I completed the program this summer and started my new job managing research projects at the VA in October.

Not every employer rejects the "mature" worker. Nearly everywhere I interviewed, I was told that they considered my life experience to be an added benefit. I had my choice of jobs.

If you believe you will fail, it will certainly become a self-fullfilling prophecy.

and what exactly am I supposed to "live on" - financially if I go back to school

[ In Reply To ..]
and what exactly am I supposed to use for money to pay for the schooling with? I have no spouse to rely on for support. he is dead. You are also probably in an area where there are such openings, as well...I do not. Everybody's circumstance is not like yours. I do not believe I will fail...I have come this far by myself, and know I can do whatever I set my mind to doing, but there ARE situations in life that are not conducive to continuing education at age 64 and having no other source of income. I work three jobs as it is now, and it is still not enough to even live on, much less pay for schooling that will take 2 years to finish.

at 64, why are you not eligible for partial SSI?? Have you - tried applying? My mom is

[ In Reply To ..]
on partial SSI. You are allowed to still work, you just cannot go over a certain income level and in your situation, I would certainly think you qualify.

Beats working 3 jobs.

because what I would get from partial ss - would cover my mortgage

[ In Reply To ..]
and absolutely nothing else! I am barely making it with the three jobs. I cannot take any more of a pay cut and going on SS would be a definite pay cut! My mortgage is $750 a month, HOA dues are $160.00 a month, ss would give me $791 for partial retirement...plus I heard that amount will NOT go up to full benefits when I reach full retirement age, either. Just cannot do it.

Your HOA dues for a month are outrageous - PR

[ In Reply To ..]
I pay more per month for my mortage but my HOA is yearly and is $450.00 for the entire year. I sure hope you get quite a lot for that price you pay each month.

"outrageous"? - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
"I pay more per month for my mortage but my HOA is.."

I'm not the poster above, but you do realize HOA fees have nothing to do with your mortgage, right? Fees vary and depend on what part of the country you live in, condo or house, whether it covers maintenance, amenities, etc.

For example, we live in Arizona in a single-family 3100 square foot home and ours at about $100 covers items like community landscaping and maintenance of playgrounds and picnic areas in our neighborhood. Friends pay $200+ a month, but theirs include a water park, pools, clubhouse, gym, etc. OP's might be "outrageous" to you, but normal in that area.

Would hope I have not lived this long - PR

[ In Reply To ..]
not to know the difference between your mortgage and HOA. I live in a community with HOA. We have playgrounds, 2 swimming pools, clubhouse, picnic areas and the like also. I guess I am lucky mine are not sky high, my HOA fees, that is.

outrageous??? hmmm - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
I live in a community of 32 condos, small, by most standards. All outside maintenance is taken care of by the association. We have no amenities like swimming pool, basketball courts, recreation area, gym, nothing like that. We are the lowest in our city for association dues. Some are on average of $400 a month that do have the extra amenities. I do not think they are "outrageous", but at this time in my life, being an extra expense over and above my mortgage, it is something I wish I had thought about more seriously when I purchased my condo, and was employed in a more secure position. not to mention...younger.

outrageous - mt2coder

[ In Reply To ..]
Wow! I am in shell shock! After a mean divorce, I am so thankful I own outright a 16 x 80 mobile home on a friends land which I live for free, well water, country living. Feel very blessed in these uncertain times not to have a big mortgage; although living in a mobile home is scary when it comes to storms. However, it is a paid for roof over my head - and if i would have had a big mortgage 2 yrs ago (when i was diagnosed with ovarian cancer - now in remission) - i would have been in big trouble. Things will work out if we just keep moving forward.

I simply used my experience as an - example

[ In Reply To ..]
that age is not a barrier to employement. Actually, unless you already have a 4-year degree that included the necessary science prerequisites, it is unlikely that you would be a candidate for a PA program.

HOWEVER, that does not mean that some other program might not be suitable for you. There are many semi-skilled jobs for which training is only a few weeks or months and for which it might be possible to get a grant or other financial assistance.

If you continue to waste your energy looking for reasons why you can't do anything to improve your circumstances, you will get your wish and nothing will change.

That's why I'm skeptical about going to school to learn - a new field. Working full-time - S/M

[ In Reply To ..]
concurrently, it would take a couple of years to get certified in anything. By then I'd be 65. And then what? As it is, most jobs that I'm perfectly capable of doing NOW, put a barrier in the way by saying you must have worked 2-5 years in THAT specific capacity, in THAT specific field. I'm sure they'll have even more barriers to those over 60 in a few years. What little hope I had of changing careers and staying afloat in my 60's and beyond is going down the toilet - FAST. I may have no option in the future, once the savings and income are gone, other than to make a little head-on "appointment" with a bullet-train. Provided one gets built in time.

they do owe us - not sorry

[ In Reply To ..]
We are the ones doing the work. They would have nothing to steal from us if MTs did not exist. They created their whole business and culture around stealing our pay.

well I suppose that's so - sorry

[ In Reply To ..]
I know what you're saying is true, but te bottom line is a business and they can get people to work for less. They have no need to pay for "experience." They just want the work done. If the work I have seen transcribed by India is any indication, quality doesn't matter in this industry. You know what I'm saying? If that work is good enough for them, it tells me that transcribed medical records are not as important as we would like to think.

Like someone else once said here... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
pimps and hoes. All they do is skim off of our actual labor.

I don't begrudge super-rich people their super-richness just because; for example, those in the entertainment industry who earn it from people *voluntarily* buying their products. But it irks the heck out of me when someone attains untold wealth by mainly taking advantage of others, like we're being taking advantage of.

I was making 40K - Paid on production

[ In Reply To ..]
One used to be able to make plenty when we were paid a decent line rate and had a couple of good dictators thrown in here and there. I was making 40-42K, depending on overtime and such. And that was on acute care hospital transcription.

They took it all away with this ASR nonsense and pay us less per line. They should be paying us MORE per line for this crud.

Anyway, I took charge and took a small office job. No more MT for me.

It's happening every day. - see message

[ In Reply To ..]
Hospitals are outsourcing their transcription departments to cut costs and in turn, places like MModal and Nuance turn around and outsource the work overseas.

Then there is voice recognition - The going rate for that these days is 4 cents per line, but more and more I am seeing companies offering MTs 3 cents per line to do VR.

Straight typing rates still range between 8 to 10 cents per line, but you are lucky to get any straight typing at all; 98.5% of the work is voice recognition.

I use to make close to $40,000 a year, but I was outsourced a couple years back myself. Now I have to work a part-time job along with the fulltime MT job just to stay a float and I'm one of the lucky ones who still manages to make 6 cents per line Voice recognition and 9 cents per line straight typing.

Second job - calimt

[ In Reply To ..]
It's not just MTs loosing their jobs in this healthcare economy. Rad techs, registration, lab, and other employees are purposely being replaced by per diem so they can avoid paying any benefits and in the future there will be a lot more of them. Even when employees are lost through attrition, the positions get replaced with per diem.

I agree with the others about a second job. I work for the IHSS (In Home Supportive Services) in my county and help seniors and disabled people take care of themselves and their homes. I cook, clean, shop, bathe, and help care for them. I'm sure every state/county has their own form of IHSS you can find to supplement your income. The work is easy and rewarding. I brought one of my clients home for Thanksgiving this year because she was all alone. Sure, sometimes I don't want to go and would rather stay home and curl up in front of the TV, but afterward I feel really good knowing I helped someone less fortunate than myself. When I get home and walk in my own door and look around I am a lot more grateful for what I have and even feel a bit guilty that I have so much more than they do.

I had to attend a 3-hour orientation and pass a state federal search and I was working. My county only pays minimum wage but others pay $11.00 an hour if I wanted to make the drive. Working graveyard, I choose to stay here and make a little less and get to bed earlier.

Anywayâ�¦..it would seem that if you want to be an MT in this day in age you need at least a part time second job to make it. I choose one that might not pay so much, but was rewarding to me.

Check with your county support services and see what they have to offer. Clients are very understanding and grateful for the help and will work around your hours. You make your own schedule and choose clients that fit it.

County service programs donâ��t discriminate against age. The other woman who helps my client is 72 and still working! So there are still jobs out there where the need is so great they are happy to have you no matter what your age.

By the wayâ�¦.I LOVE the snowflakes!

Thanks for your post - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I enjoyed reading your story. It's great you found something rewarding and find joy in giving back to others.

I'm currently in school, wanting to make a career change. The field I'm entering may not make me a boatload of money, but it is more rewarding that being an MT has become. I feel the MT field has been demeaned. Because of that, I no longer find it rewarding in any way, and the respect for us is almost gone.

I'm happy for you and your new job. Best wishes for the holidays and keep up the good work.

Second Job - Great Post!! - I agree about IHSS, where I live its called...

[ In Reply To ..]
DORS, not sure what it stands for though. But its the same kind of work. You help the elderly and mentally challenged doing all the things you named above, cooking,cleaning, shopping, taking them to appointments etc.

I did that years ago when I worked as a CNA, only I did it through a home health care company, but its basically the same thing only you do not have to be a certified nurses aid to do it and it makes for a great part-time job, helping those less fortunate than you and I agree that its rewarding.

No doubt you are going to remain an MT in this day in age, you have to have a part-time job on the side. And for those 60 and older, have you tried applying for supplement disability? Its an idea, just thought I would throw that out there. Also, your local churches may have some part-time positions available. The church I attend is huge and they have on staff paid positions, as there are constant activities and events going on.

florida - wonder what its called here - part-time job

[ In Reply To ..]
i like the idea of helping out the elderly. when i looked up IHSS its only California. I wonder the name here in FL? any clues?

IHSS County program - calimt

[ In Reply To ..]
Go to your county website and see if they provide an in home senior services. I did a random search of counties in FL and choose Palm Beach. Each county will have their own form of senior services. In Palm Beach FL it was called (HCE) Home Care of the Elderly.

I work my MT job and do IHSS....when the work is low as an MT I can pick up another client and add a few more hours. Works for me and it's an easy job. Sometimes JoAnn wants to go shopping and we go to Sams Club, Wal Mart or wherever she wants to go. I get paid for my hours of shopping, putting away her groceries, and fixing her lunch AND she personally pays me 20.00 to take her. You are not required to take clients anywhere which is why they agree to pay you extra for your time and gas.

Itâ��s all handled by each individual county services program, so check the county you live in online. I get to do my shopping also so it saves me time too.

It cost me nothing to do this except my time for the orientation and the fee to the Sheriffâ��s Office for fingerprinting and the search. I think it was 48.00 here in Cali.

http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/communityservices/programs/seniorservices/inhome/homecare.htm

thank you so much. - floridaMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Thanks for your response and link. Prior to this i had only looked on pbcgov page and it was a volunteer position. I will check this site out after work. or during work. haha. actually busy today. doing all i can before it goes away. hub is away anyway at son's ball game.

The next time I need medical care I can't pay for, - I will look around and find a hospital - S/M

[ In Reply To ..]
outsources its transcription to one of the biggies - like M*Modal or Nuance. Then, since they're saving so much by opting for 3rd-rate transcription, and selling American MTs down the river by doing so, that I will have no guilt whatsoever for stiffing them on the bill.

outsourced - sunflower

[ In Reply To ..]
Same thing happened in our hospital and then I went to Doc office and then it happened there.

I went from 30K to nothing now, unemployed.

I hear you...

outsourced - mt2coder

[ In Reply To ..]
oh sunflower i am so sorry!!!! life is just not fair for us right now. the only saving grace i have is some coding experience and my certification. I just landed a job - but it is doing medical payment posting. we will see!

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