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

ex Axolotl/OptumInsight/Ingenix/UHG MTs please read - ME

Posted: Jul 10, 2013

2 MTs are filing a TAA petition. 3 are needed to apply online ourselves.

It is just a petition, nothing against the employer and, if nothing comes of it, at least we stood up to let the federal government know we are losing our jobs to overseas and due to technology. You would think we could get some help as IT people, auto industry, and many others do get assistance when their jobs are lost.

It would be an interesting statistic to see how many MTs in this country have actually lost their jobs due to this. I for one would like a percentage, because, if MTStars is any indication, weren't there over 40,000 MTs at one point coming to the site? That was a figure from years ago, where they now boast some 20,000.

Please consider joining the petition.

Trade Adjustment Act includes:

The Trade Adjustment Assistance (Trade Act) Program is a federal program that provides a path for employment growth and opportunity through aid to US workers who have lost their jobs as a result of foreign trade. In order to be determined entitled and eligible for Trade Act you first must be covered under a certified petition. To file a petition you can follow the link below, and file on line or go to your local One Stop Center, where a TAA Counselor can assist you. The link to file a petition online is: (https://www.etareports.doleta.gov/petition/index.cfm?reset=true). "

PS - ME

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From the website: Once a petition is certified by USDOOL you will need to file an application with NYDOL and be determined entitled and eligible for Trade Act.

(I am in NY, but I guess it means your own state DOL)

Question.. Would this also apply to those of us - who have decreased

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pay and less available work due to outsourcing overseas? Or only if you job has been eliminated entirely?

it would seem only if you lost your entire job - ME

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...you could always email them, because I got a response immediately.

TAA - Tess

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Four years ago MedQuist MTs were covered under this. Good luck to you.

medquist mmodal still has an active petition - scoundrals

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Nm

supposedly at mmodal some have gotten it for - decreased work or pay

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I think every MTSO should have a TAA petition as they all have cut pay and decreased our work volumes due to offshoring.

decreased work - agree

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I agree. It seems that you can be eligible if your work has decreased because of outsourcing or technology. Nuance needs this.

good, I hope so - - ME

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that would be great for all those MTs as well. There is no harm in trying...

I'm for it. I hate having to start over!~ - Pollyanna

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I'm willing to do it. A lot of us invested quite a bit of time with these companies that do that, and I spent a lot of time at Axolotl/Ingenix/Optuminsight/United Health. I truly believe if the company had not been sold to a huge company that has absolutely no transcription department other than Axolotl then the company would be doing okay. What would a company as large as United Health Group want with a small transcription department? It's a sad fact, but I definitely would like to petition. On the petition, do you have to have the info of the other ones who are petitioning? Email me if you would like.

Sent you an E, and also am meeting with my TAA rep - ME

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on the 12th. She left a message we will file so that is good news. I will find out more info also at that time...

TY to all who responded!

petition - xx

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So, do you have the 3rd one? According to the instructions all 3 must be on one application. All others can be petitioner #1.

3 application names - xx

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I see under the FAQ that if you cannot locate 3 workers then the person at your local DOL office can file on your behalf.

my TAA representative is working on it - ME

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she will be getting back to me within 1-2 days. I'll post here what happens.. .

ME - xx

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Do you work for Nuance? I work for them and want to get the petition submitted to as I am over 50 and could use some help.

No I am sorry, do not - ME

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but if you can get a USDOL representative to help you, I dont think you need 3 people. Perhaps there are 3 others, however, where you work who would be interested..?

Interesting... - A MT

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Do you need to prove it was due to foreign trade? or technology? What if it was just the fact that the company lost large accounts, for whatever reason they left? Good Luck to you all, whatever comes of it. Hope you can benefit.

well, my reasoning is basically we all lost work - ME

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or hospital accounts because they most likely went with either companies that outsource overseas for cheaper rates, or due to technology.

this is only a petition anyway, I mean it has to be certified by a judge or someone who could find it not justified.

but if we file, it makes a statement to the government. perhaps they might stop continuing to have Medical Transcription on their list of courses the Department of Labor will tell you are still supported. I was even offered that in Workforce Development (?)

I am all for making a statement to the government! - A MT

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Again, good luck.

according to their website - xx

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It is reviewed and then investigated by contacting the company and perhaps even other employees to verify in fact that work is being outsourced overseas and/or technology is replacing workers, etc. Not by a judge but by the DOL. That's what I got out of it anyway as I quickly read the process of the petition.

Great, thank you for clarifying. - ME

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...keeping my fingers crossed.

ME would you please continue to post - A MT

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as your petition progresses? It may be valuable information to those who are still with the company but may, in the future, be laid off. In this business, the future is never secure.

Certainly. . . - ME

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whenever I get some information I can pass it on.

once a petition is filed, it is posted at the USDOL site for anyone to see anyway.

filed today. No indication one way or another - ME

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. . .it just has to go through the process. everything gets investigated -

I am not very hopeful really, but you just don't know if you don't try, right?

Thank you for the followup (nm). - A MT

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nm

she's got the whole world in her hands, she's got - the...

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-

ME--re TAA--filed used 3 people, me, myself and I!!! - anon

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I would say that this 'team' who is handling this new department has heard about this field now. I had a nice guy call me back the same day. He said that the program is that you have had to have been separated from a company within the past YEAR. I told him how all the hospitals have laid off their departments to save money. He listened to everything, but too confusing to a lay person as to how the services make it so that you are terminated and you cannot prove that you were let go because of work being sent overseas. Maybe with Nuance or Medquist. Hard when they terminate you because they say you cannot do their 1500 lines and 200 per hour when you are having to look everything up that is considered "nonproductive time." And you have had an hour of training and have to read the manual! He did say that they are not looking at anything other than the company. He said it has nothing to do with performance and they are looking at the companies themselves. He said it was all on if the jobs are lost to technology and work being sent to foreign lands. But, these companies have been doing this for years now. Hope that this sheds some light on the unfair labor practices.

if it's not what they're looking into - then it'll go no further. - besides s/m

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what you told him, when I read it, comes off as MTs not good enough at what they do to handle the position in the first place.

farce.

question - did they record your call/interview? - passing through. NM

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v

He did not tell me he was recording. So, a government worker - would not lie

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Who knows. He seemed to listen, but he could have put the phone down also, for all I know. He said his job was to review the company and not the worker. His job was to see if the company. Like I said, the word Medquist and Nuance were names he seemed to know.

lol. they have to record anything they plan to follow up on and they need your permission. - its going nowhere. NM

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!

we were let go for 'job elimination' - ME

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perhaps that is different from your situation?

as I mentioned, it probably will NOT go in our favor; however, if they have enough complaints, they will be investigating all these companies - and it does mean something. Maybe not for us, but for future healthcare workers (?).

My rep said it was similar to the Ford plant - why would we be any different. the entire profession has been changed from outsourcing overseas and technology..

You would think we are the same but not. - MMI

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Yes, I was always wondering how MTs fit into the scenario, as here I WAS told when we were laid off from the hospital that it was "good business" to have a service. The services get a kick back also because they call it keeping the 'foreign trade going.'

I just told him what I knew and how I thought it applied, but he said because I was laid off like 6 years ago, but that ALL hospitals in my area have no departments and they have all gone over to services and that most of them have Nuance, Medquist or Keystrokes.

He seemed to be aware of the names, so I would say that there have been a lot of others who have filed. He told me it did not apply since it has to be within the year. He told me that it also applied to the servies and that should I lose my job at the service, to resubmit. I explained to him my confusion yet I have over 40 years and worked many years in-house so how come now with the services it is such a huge hurtle. Naturally nobody understands, so maybe I just enlightened him for everyone who now files. They seem to be aware of some of the problems. They surely will know some of the names and maybe some of the dirty labor practices that are going on. The seed was planted, if not for me, maybe for some others, or the job itself.

Heard that there is monies to go back to school and learn something else. That would be a huge help also, and I think that is what this is all for.

I cannot agree with the assumption that because he knew those company names - a lot others must have filed.

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OMG, really? With the scope of Wall Street and the size of these corporations to whom transcription is a drop in the bucket on their vast menu of business services they provide, not to mention the monopoly of businesses acquiring other businesses (MT or not), yeah, he must know the names of these from the Weebles that wobble but don't fall down. Right.

and you're not in Kansas anymore Do'thy.

wasn't changed by outsourcing, choose your words wisely if you - are going to take it to the big boys sm

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it was changed by technology. Technology made sending overseas possible but without techonology it would not have been an option. Government welcomes this. They do nto condone companies moving off shore to use cheap labor, however.

I know you get it. But these people you are dealing with will probably see you as not knowing your A, B, C's, and then not credible on anything you bring up.

Umm...Ford didn't have their cars built online. BIG difference. Wondering myself now about your overall 'interpretation' of things.

firstly, the rep wasn't really interested in the details... - ME

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...she is only filing. then an investigation will ensue, in which the company (and anyone involved I supposed) will be investigated.

basically, the only thing I was able to tell the rep was that my pay and benefits are less than half what they were before outsourcing overseas and technology.

whether or not it is due to technology solely is going to be up to them.

of course, I am NOT going to be as smart as all the lawyers these companies have access to. I am the little guy, the 'nobody'.

but when we stand together:

http://empirewealthbuilders.com/little-fish-eat-big-fish-in-my-money-making-pond/

we are the little fish eating the big fish, because together we make a HUGE fish.

big fish

I'm not interested in any of tihs, certainly no longer impressed, so bye. - overallhappyinagoodplacewithlife .NM

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and that is an opinon - those are not open for debate.

good for you - - ME

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I am not sure why you are even posting. have I missed something here?

good luck to you, and continued happiness...

yes, you missed something here. holy cow. - NM

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zzzzzzz

I missed something as in - why do you bother posting - ZZZZZ

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zzzzz

please stalk someone else and go tell them what to do. - Thanks! NM

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luv ya, mean it.

disregarding some of the silliness posted here... - ME

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as an update, the investigation has started.

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