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

Meridian Healthcare pay cuts - Readytochangecareers

Posted: May 18, 2011

Is this common practice? I've worked for them for 7 years and now they are cutting our pay? I havent had a raise in those 7 years, and inflation just so happens to be raising all my gas bills, grocery, clothes, and utility bills... but i should take a pay cut?

Is there ANY good company to work for out there that will pay 11 cpl or more ? I mean for heavens sake, I've got about 15 years experience... i'm not asking for more than mere chump change, but they want me to live on Cardboard box change.

What a slap in the face !

seems all the companies are cutting wages. You can thank ISR for that! - stinks for sure

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nm

what is ISR? - Readytochangecareers

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let me guess.... India ?

No nothing to do with India. It is speech recognition. - no message

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00

somehow, i doubt it has "nothing to do with India." - Readytochangecareers

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but i'm sure you're right it has also to do with speech recog.

Message in wrong place, sorry. - NM

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x

Slap in the face is so right on! - OhioMT

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I have almost 40 years of experience; in my heyday of MT I was pulling in 50K a year; now I am barely making minimum wage, but as you stated, everything else keeps going up in price except our wages. I am 56, have never done anything else except wait tables for a few years after a divorce, couldn't physically handle that now if I had to due to every bone in my body aching; not sure what I could go back to school for and get hired in maybe 4 years with a degree at 60. Who is going to hire a 60-year-old in a new field with no experience. I feel like I am stuck with this job. I once loved doing this type of work; now it is all I can do to plow through by 8 hour shift and since my company doesn't pay OT for extra hours, I don't give up any of my weekend hours for them at all. I could use the extra money but I find when I work even one day on the weekend that my production drops drastically on Monday and it just isn't worth it. I guess I should be glad I have a job but it is one that I hate and I am more depressed at this point than I have ever been in my life due to work and especially on the day my check arrives...

Hey OhioMT! I am also an Ohio MT! and 56! - Sad Ohio MT

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I could have written your post. I have had the same thoughts. At our age we don't have the same choices available to us as we once did. It's so depressing!! My company just lowered our wages yet again, and it's almost more than I can bear. I also feel stuck and hopeless. This industry is sucking the life out of me. I pray and pray that one day I will no longer be at the mercy of my soul crushing MTSO. I just want to feel normal again!

Readytochange - Alexis

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11 cpl? You must be dreaming. I made 11 cpl in the 80s, am now making 9 and thankful to have it.

not dreaming... - Readytochangecareers

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not dreaming at all. I've been making 11 cpl with them for the past 7 years, right up until this month.

Before that, I made 12 and 13 cpl for the prior 6 years.

Agree - me

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I was made 12 cpl right up until last Jan when MDI merged with Transcend. It was all downhill from there as far as pay, step by step - the "forseeable future" came up very quickly, by May I was outa there. Personally, I think many companies are gearing back towards using US MTs only - they are now starting to even post it in the ads they place that US MTs only should apply. It may be awhile, but I think the rates will slowly go back up - maybe the trick is to get in your contract that if your work quality is good, you re-negogiate your line rate after a period of time. JMO.

What are they cutting you down to? - mt

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I work for Transcend and get 4 cents per line for edit and 7 cents per line for typing. I can make decent enough money typing, but those jobs are few. Editing is the way Transcend is going. 4 cents a line hurts big time. But it seems the standard now is 4 cents edit, 7-8 cents typing. Sad but true. :(

no idea yet, they wont tell us - Readytochangecareers

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isnt that rich? We have no idea ... i am just sick.

Consider yourself lucky. I have been working at my company - for over 14 years .... see message

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and have worked for 9 cpl the whole time. NEVER got a raise.

I wish I got 9cpl - mt

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I've been with my company almost three years now. No raise. 4 cpl for edit, 7 cpl for typing. I work second shift and saturdays. No differential pay, no weekend pay. No extra pay for the ESL docs that slow me down. Kinda crappy, but seems to be the biz now. I don't know why these places don't believe in raises. The cost of living has skyrocketed. Guess they would care if there pockets started to look as empty as mine, but since I know most of these COO's and up make at least $800,000, it'll be awhile before they know what empty pockets feel like.

Me, too! - Old and Tired MT

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I have over 35 years experience and I only get 8 1/2 cents per line for regular transcription-- however, there is hardly any left, so I make half that doing VR. Yeah, experience really pays off!

7 cpl- if you continue to take jobs like this, you will never change the rates - no name

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if everyone would refuse to take jobs at this low rate, they will only hire newbies. they will learn to appreciate the ones with experience more and maybe come off the bucks. but if you keep taking the jobs, they dont feel like they need to change the pay. I know it is hard when you need a job, but seriously if the pay keeps getting lower, we may as well get a job as a waitress or wal-mart... just saying to think about it. I have passed up 3 jobs this week due to low pay and refuse to take 7 cpl when that was what I made when starting out

That's not so easy - Old and Tired MT

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If you live in a huge city where there are a lot of options for other jobs, that's OK. However, there are those of us who live in rural areas or small towns and we don't have any other jobs available, so how are we supposed to live if we turn down the low paying jobs? Unfortunately, the services know it, and if you complain, they will just send it overseas. Nothing like a rock and a hard place! I just wish I could afford to retire!

I'm in OH, 56 with 35+ years also... - cindyoh

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small world. Hanging in there, hoping my account won't go to VR but have this forboding. We start town hall meetings next week, a first as far as I know for my account. The work has fluctuated wildly lately; used to have mandatory OT but some weeks barely 40 hours. I'm a second shifter and not sure what I'll do if I have to go through the 1/2 salary stuff again or the job hunt. I'm putting some feelers out there, having job openings sent to my email to check the prospects, hoping my wanting to work second shift might help keep some doors open. Yup, too many years left to retire. Just want to hopefully pay the mortgage off. I'll keep you in my prayers, Old and Tired. I feel old and tired, too.

7 cpl - Varesa

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Agree completely. I was offered one a few weeks ago at 7.5 cpl to 8 cpl and they contacted me today and said it's 7 cpl. I said "no thanks". They can pay 7 cpl for someone with absolutely no experience and train them. With years of experience, the starting cpl should be at least 9 cpl.

Unfortunately, there will be people they can find - mt

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That will take that kind of money, whether new people or overseas people (who obviously get paid less). The MTSOs really don't care. They will always find someone that will take the pay. I started at this rate with my MTSO because I saw they were all offering the same pay across the board. I don't know how to change it, but it is not realistic for me to look for another job. I have five kids and daycare is not an option. So I just have to deal.

consider yourself lucky - a1typist

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I too have worked for the same large company for 11 years at 9 cents a line, which would be fine if I ever got any straight typing, everything now is voice recognition at 5.4 cents and no way around it. Your real typing rate might be fine, but when they cut for voice recognition it all goes to pot, as it takes as much time to correct as to type, but you are not getting paid for it. What really matters is what they are paying for editing.

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