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

Offshore rant - Sick of it

Posted: Jan 21, 2011

With workloads running low, wouldn't you think the companies would end offshore transcription and give the work to American MTs? The only thing that keeps me from bringing this up to HR is that I genuinely like the company I work for and I like both my accounts. There is just this one thorn in the side ...

Why would they do that? - no1joe

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One of the reasons workloads are running low in the first place (besides the "seasonal slump" we hear about) is that MORE work is being sent overseas. It's cheaper!! They're not going to stop. As I posted below, the only effective way that I can see to make it in this industry is to start to collectively demand more money for fixing the junk that offshore, VR, and inexperienced cheaper hires produce. That's the talent we have, and that's the talent that is going to be in demand. Offshore, newbies, and VR cannot successfully edit within TAT... it takes experience, fluent/native speaking English skills, and good solid knowledge of medical terminology. Again, most of us were duped into the low pay scale for ME because of false promises of being able to produce more and hence make more or at least break even. We can continue to accept the low pay and continue to go broke as we scramble to find a new career or start demanding more money for the skills that we have.

Again, you can call me crazy, but IMO let offshore, VR, and the inexperienced have the MT portion... pay us more to fix it.

The more work goes to India & VR, the more we editors - should organize and demand more money.

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All the sloppy foreign transcription and hysterically funny/bad VR transcription isn't going to get better, and it isn't going to edit itself. It's the foot in the door we've been needing for a long time towards organization and fairer pay practices by employers.

Yeah? Well, good luck with that. - nm

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x

Good luck with your defeatist attitude and - your 4 cpl, then.

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m

No, they wont give work to US MT cause it US MT cost more - than OS MT. Work is low BECAUSE of OS. nm

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x

Offshore - Sick of it

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If this keeps up, I'll have no choice but to cancel all my insurance. At least then I'll have a few more bucks each month. Next year, I'll be eligble to start drawing on the retirement account I have from my first MT job. Thank goodness, I'll be able to retire in about 3 more years. Just have to get from here to there.

Our politicians have sold out most of the jobs in America - so we are on the way down

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We used to be the ones who jumped in to help other countries when they needed it. Now our own people, in almost every kind of work field, need help. We can't help anyone else because we are now needy.

It is sad really, BTDT, and probably will again. - USMT

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I too have lost work due to OS. In fact, the company I worked for told the clients themselves that if they did not like it, they would have to take their business elsewhere. I had 10 years in with that company before it was bought and torn apart. I had a great many benefits that my family relied on in addition to the income. I also had 4 weeks PTO that I really miss. How can companies expect to find and keep good, experienced and skillful MTs who are reliable when so much of this goes on.

Just about every MTSO who does not want to OS is now going to VR. That is the only way to compete. It is not good for the MTs in many cases, but they have to do this to stay in business.

What is so sad is that it is not just the MT business. So many factories, call centers, IT jobs, customer service positions, and half of everything we could make jobs have or are leaving this country. We don't even have to be invaded to have this sort of economic crisis, we (US) have willingly sent them our jobs!!!! There has got to be a better way.

We cant be isolationists. It is a global economy and a very tiny - world. Get used to it. nm

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x

It's only a "global economy" because America keeps - selling itself to the lowest bidder.

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Great portion of US, companies, manuf, etc, is foreign owned. - Dont need to be invaded, they own us. nm

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x

We better brush up on our Mandarin, because China - will own this country outright, and SOON.

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Great, I love their oranges. - nm

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x

Have you considered moving there? - Might be a good fit for you.

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.

Ummmm, no - xmtso

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The POINT is price. So if they are getting more work done for less, where's the logic that they would give it to American MTs? Just wouldn't make sense and totally defeat the purpose of them using offshore labor.

MTSOs are the bottom-feeders of the world. - They prove it every day.

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Often times it is client choice to have US or offshore MT - do the work

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It's not necessarily the MTSO making the choice. With hospitals trying to cut costs, if they are given the option cut costs by using the offshore option an MTSO has,they will take it.

It's all about competition.

But suits dont know the TRUTH about OS. They dont care poor - quality, just hear "save money." nm

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x

Which is why we should be getting paid LOTS MORE - to edit all that low-cost gibberish.

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No, I don't think. So many lack money for adequate - anon

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patient care. OTOH, for-profit institutions exist to make a profit off sick people. Either way, offshoring is not going away. So why keep going on and on (and on and on) about it? Or maybe just for variety go after the Canadians. I know they're mostly white and speak English, but we don't even get to claim their work isn't as good.

As for going on and on and on and being isolationists, - IMO

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In the first place, that is what this board is for. It's called "Offshore Concerns." That is why people post here. DUH!

As for being isolationists and "get used to it." This attitude is at the very root of the economic problems in this country. We HAVE gotten way to "used to it." Consider the number of jobs that are off-shored from this country for just a minute. There are estimates, but no one knows for sure because companies are not willing to fess up as to just how many. I am not just talking about MT jobs, and we can guess at how many that is, but it is only a small portion of the total number in all industries.

Now think about the unemployment rate and the UE benefits our government pays out nationwide. Think about the amount of money that could be saved in UE. If our jobs were not off-shored, think about the revenue that would be created by payments to social security and state and local taxes, not to mention the government having to pay for welfare or other assistance programs due to lack of work.

I wish there was a mathmetician who could calculate what this is actually costing us and the funds these employers are escaping in taxes for this practice. I would be willing to bet it would go a looooonnng way toward economic recovery. However, just like healthcare, it has become taboo to tackle this problem because of the people with the purse-strings. We have gotten so "used to this" that we no longer sell much, make much, or do much but we sure do give away plenty. I think as everyone gets "used to this" and our economy sinks even lower, one day a light bulb will go off in someone's head and realize saving our jobs is a step in the right direction for so many financial reasons (not just for MTs). I get so angry when I hear of another tax increase for any reason whatsoever. Bring our jobs home and the government would receive a big fat tax increase right there.

As for going on and on - Lee

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You are so right. The gov does not get it and does not care. Everybody at the top is benefitting from outsourcing. When they talk about economic recovery, it is like outsourcig is not even in their vocabulary. I wrote my representative about this problem, and have been ignored.

Shoulda, woulda, coulda. This is our world now. - It is not going to change. And yes, I SM

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agree its that upper level that got us here and it is they who are going to keep us here. Better start thinking in a global mind set. Also, so much of the US is foreign owned, even the company that oversees the safety of our ports, for gosh sakes. US concerns might be willing to bring their few jobs home (not that they could afford to-they have to stay competitive) but what about the thousands, if not millions, of jobs that are run by foreign owned concerns? Things CANNOT go back the way they were, you had better figure out how YOU are going to be successful in a global economy.

It has become a vicious circle. - OSing affects everything.

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Sure many of our companies are foreign-owned, but if there was no OSing, at least we would still have jobs. So the problem is not how we figure out how to survive in a global economy, it is for the government to figure out that there is a domino-effect. With the few jobs that are left, there are just not enough to go around, and it has an economic impact on everyone, even the people still employed.

At one time you might have considered it safe to be employed in public service, fireman, cop, teacher, etc. Not so much anymore. With the economic downturn, these people are laying off and cutting pay as much as any company. It is my opinon that the OSing is bleeding us dry. Yes, work is done cheaper but who benefits from that? Only the company, not the workers and certainly not our economy. When so many people are without jobs, the government is lacking the state and federal tax funds, and there is so much less being paid into SS, with more being paid out for government assistance, how on earth do we stimulate the economy? This feeds on itself and unless a stop is put to it, we will be known as Third-World America (which I think we already are). The baby-boomers are getting up there. They had less children than their parents and grandparents. How are they going to be expected to produce enough tax revenue to support children, social security, social programs, government taxes, etc.? There just will not be enough tax-paying earners or jobs to accomplish that. OSing adds to this dilema by volumes, and I believe in the not too distant future we will start hearing campaign promises made about this very fact because there will be no other answer than to change it.

What matter taxes? We are so far in the hole, we will never - get out. We are not going to bring the SM

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rest of the world up to our level, the rest of the world is going to bring us down til we all meet somewhere in the middle. And you can be mad and yelling no fair but things are not going to change. I remember 45 years ago my dad going on about how becoming open to the world was going to be out downfall. Even then, I knew this was a glimpse into the future and we would never go back to the '50s.

What matter taxes? What do you think this company operates on? - ????

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Where do you think a portion of your pay goes? What happens when it becomes 50% or 75% of your pay? What matter taxes? I don't even know how to respond to that statement!!!!! Someone help this poor soul, please.

What do you think supports a family of 5 small children when one of their parents die? What do you think supports people who are disabled and can not work to earn a wage such as you or I? What do you think supports the majority of medical treatment and medical for the elderly, or supplements their retirement because unless you come from very rich, you can't do it on your own. Not to mention, social programs, roads, schools, mail, and nearly everything else you touch every day!!!!!

What matter taxes? Someone has to pay into that kitty BIG TIME, and do not even have enough as it is!!!! Too many dollars are being wasted on off-shoring when we could desperately use it right here in the good ol' USA. What matter taxes??? Why do you think OSing got started in the first place.

What matter taxes? The lack therefore could cause this country's economy to collapse!! Not to mention that the jobs are necessary for basic needs. Did you even think about what you posted?

Sorry - misspelled. What the COUNTRY operates on. - nm

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x

This country's economy IS going to collapse, question is when. - We could pay more or less taxes, SM

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it wouldnt matter. We are living in a house of cards and the wind is getting stronger and stronger

Yeah, but I think tax $$ from OSing would at least prolong that to give us time to think about what - to just sink with the ship. NM

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x

I just don't know how to respond to that mentality. - Perplexed.

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So why vote? So why work? So why plan for anything? I respect your opinion and you may even be right, God forbid, but there is a good possibility of that.

Once this stagnant economy, loss of jobs, no health care, lack of tax money and those to pay into it, and simply a failure to thrive affects enough people, maybe the U.S. will reach out in all directions to save us, and putting a stop to off-shoring would certainly be a tremendous help. Never say never. What we considered a necessary evil has come back to bite us and it will become a bigger and bigger issue. The lack of those funds has a big impact on our economy; banks, real estate, education, auto industry, and every business. We can't spend what we don't have, and we can't "have" it if there are no jobs.

Yes, mentally it is hard to grasp that we are on a downward - spiral and there is no way to stop it. nm

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x

You're right about the Third World bringing us - down with them. One thing that - sm

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illustrates this point quite well is an experience I had in high school biology class. We students sat six to each big table. Until midway through the semester, I was getting an "A". Some at my table had a "C" or "D", and one was failing.

So gool ol' Teach decides to combine our grades, so "everybody passes". From mid-term on, each table would receive a group grade. That brought the "F" student up to a low "C", but it dragged my "A" down to a "C+". I remember my parents were absolutely living about it, but there was nothing they could do. So, I got a "C" in biology, which brought the rest of my grade point average, which badly needed that "A", down as well.

The United States is the "A" country being dragged down by all the "C" and "D" countries in the world that we feel it so necessary to send all our jobs to.

Sorry - I meant "LIVID", not "living"! (LOL!) - nm

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.

Did they take the grade issue to the school board - and media?? nm

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x

School board, yes. Media, no. - nm

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The world is "not going to change?" It did, and it has - many times over. And it will again.

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It would be nice if the average joe in America had a little more say in how things go down, because then, maybe next time the "next big thing" comes along (and it WILL), things might work out a little bit more in our favor, and less in favor of the overstuffed CEOs of big corporations. It's really a shame the US saw fit to bail out and save Wall Street. Now there's something that definitely needs to die - the STOCK MARKET. The stock market helps nothing, and nobody. It's a giant pyramid scheme that makes a few people rich, and screws everyone else. Wall Street has ruined most corporations, and as a result, has ruined America. We should have let it die, and learned once again how to do business (HONEST business) without selling shares of everything to stockholders.

I meant it is not going to change back to the way - it was. nm

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z

No, but it's still possible for it to change for the - BETTER, if we become involved.

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Depends on you definition of better. - nm

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x

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