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

Can we agree - to do this?

Posted: Apr 25, 2012

I love MT when I am paid well. When I am offered poverty wages, I don't like that.

Can we agree to stop accepting these low wages for editing and transcribing? Being offered 4 cpl for editing and 6 cpl for transcribing is ridiculous. If you are offered a job, counter with a higher cpl. If you are employed, demand a raise. If you are an IC, tell them your rates have increased.

I am not going to attempt to counter all the arguments that people are going to proffer after reading this. We all know them. I won't respond to the mocking either.

This is a billion dollar industry. How did we get out of the financial abundance. We are the ones they need.

I agree, but the problem is - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
It appears that MTSOs have lowered their standards, sadly. For all of us who refuse to accept those wages, and I would be one of them, there are newbies or less experienced MTs who will accept it. That is just the reality of it when you look at saving perhaps $20,000 per year in gas and child care.

Personally, I would accept a job offering 4 cpl VR and 8 cpl typing ONLY IF the VR dictation actually belonged on VR, and there was very, very little correcting to be done. The problem is that because that wage is so low, the MTSOs try to put everything on there. Depending on the account, I could make a good enough living typing for 8 cpl if QA did not nit-pick over punctuation and such, and I was provided plenty of work for the same 25-50 doctors day in and day out, with backup if I run low.

If the companies would actually listen to the MTs, and what would make them happy and more productive, they would see big changes themselves. First, they need to stop over-hiring, but they are in a sense forced into this by non-productive and unreliable MTs. We should all have plenty of work, with backup accounts if we run out, but they should try to assign MTs a certain number of physicians (25 or more) when they can. This would allow for better transcription of ESL reports as well. The VR reports have got to improve. I am all in favor of VR if it is used properly. It beats off-shoring American jobs, but they have to stop putting anything and everything on there if MTs are going to be productive using it.

Hopefully in the next 3-5 years, MTSOs will wise up if they have turn-over too big to be profitable, and hopefully off-shoring will no longer be an option by that time.

I agree with you about the wages, but I do not think the answer is a strike, etc., but some way to get the companies to improve upon the flow of work, VR and typing, so that it is profitable for the MTs as well as them. Now how we go about doing that, I have no clue. I guess time will take care of it if these problems become obvious to them.

Good points - Can we agree to do this

[ In Reply To ..]
You make some very obvious, clear, and insightful points. Too bad they won't read your post and figure it out, and that it doesn't taken three to five years.

What you state is so obvious, how come they can't figure it out. We not only got out of financial abundance, the MTs who should be running the show are not, when they should be.

Still think 8cpl is too low. There is a job posting on the board right now offering MTs 3 cpl. Utterly ridiculous.

Can we do this - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I think MTs should voice concerns to anyone offering 3 cpl, but you gotta know somebody is going to take it.

The problem here is not just the MT industry. If I had 2-3 small kids, and 30-45 minutes to drive to work, where am I going to get a job that will pay me enough to run a car, buy clothes, pay for gas, and pay for child care?? There just are not many out there. Thus, they look to the MT profession and working at home. Even with the low pay being offered, they still come out ahead. Some people do this as a second job because of a low-paying job in the first place.

What I would love to see is the management of any company contact all of their MTs with say 10-20 years experience, high producers, and ask them to submit proposals directly to their management on how they can become more productive and cost efficient, the company and the MT.

If you are management, you immediately throw out the submissions of "give me 10 cpl, let me work when I want, change the client specs, more pay for ESL, I want to work part time with full benefits, etc." However, if they would take serious suggestions and documentations by the MTs on how to make a hard situation work, it would be a win/win for everyone. Heck, I would not even ask that they increase the VR pay, just take all the crap off of there that does not belong there, and leave the rest to us. They would not even have to answer our e mails, just consider implementing changes where they agree is necessary, cut out all the waste of money, over-hiring, and being so afraid of sending crap dictations back to the client with blanks on it.

I don't think I will be around (but retired), but one day in the not too distant future, what goes around, comes around, and successful VR MTs will be in high demand. It is not going anywhere because it is the answer to off-shoring. They just have to make that 4 cpl produce 500-600 lines per hour, which is very good pay, but you can't do that if you put dictation on there that does not belong. How do we make them understand this? Beats me.

I agree, and I, too, will not answer the mocking that will - follow. Well said OP. SM

[ In Reply To ..]
alternative answers breath of fresh air.

I have a job, but even if I was looking, I would NOT respond - to an ad offering 3cpl. Where I work now I

[ In Reply To ..]
Make more than 4cpl and I honestly dont see how anyone can live on 4cpl. I think these companies realize this and that is why you are finding places like Accentus who are willing to pay up to 6cpl for editing for qualified MTs.

Too bad this is not an industry wide thing. Some places dont even consider raises.

I agree. Hate to post this, but..... - Flame Away

[ In Reply To ..]
Not all companies are as described above in the PRESS RELEASE. Yes, they are out there, but people choose to work for them.

I make 9 cpl typing, and 6 cpl VR, averaging about $20 per hour. The company has grown in clients and MTs, and they are profitable. They require serious and reliable MTs, flexible schedules, PTO, and benefits, with a ridiculously low line requirement. No, this is not an industry-wide practice, but they are out there.

I do not post my name, answer e mails, or give my company's name. They are hiring, but they get much bad press here at times because, as a poster said on the company board, they do not play around with your reliability, quality reports, following directions on client specs, etc. The brutal truth is that there are 2 sides to every story, and there are many very bad MTs out there who thought this job was going to be a gravy train. I have been cheated and taken advantage of by companies, and lost work through no fault of my own. I had to help myself by being motivated to find the right job for me, not just whoever would hire me, because no amount of whining, complaining, or seeking miserable company was going to help me.

This board is no place for happy and successful MTs because those who are unhappy, whining, complaining, and too lazy to look for another job call us suits or liars rather than be open to what we do, how we are successful, learn from us, and learn how they can help themselves. No, it is not easy but if you are motivated and ambitious enough, it can happen.

While this is true - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
MTs have got to come to a fair understanding of what they are worth. When I made 7.5 cpl years ago, I turned that into $37,000 per year working 7 hours a day. Not enough? I think it is.

Who is to say what an MT, client, account is worth? We are never going to see plentiful jobs at 10 cpl anymore. Personally, I would say 8 cpl is fair, depending on the account, and how much you can turn that into.

Those who claim they are only making around minimum wage, you gotta make a change girls. The grass is certainly greener than that on the other side of the fence. You would be doing yourselves a favor, and just maybe, eventually, the whole industry a favor.

Your first - two paragraphs

[ In Reply To ..]
were fair. I think $37,000, even now, working 7 hours a day, would be good, and it certainly does depend on the account.

Your last paragraph, however, was just a kick in the pants. There are too many variables to say why someone is struggling, but the obvious one is low cpl.

another variable - is

[ In Reply To ..]
Unethical MTSOs. GEEZ, what a kick in the pants!

I don't - know why

[ In Reply To ..]
you would post a complete putdown of MTs, who are not all unmotivated, lazy and unambitious. I know that being treated badly and paid poorly can be tremendously unmotivating.

You could have stopped your post after the first paragraph, where you advocate that ever quit their job.

I am not putting down ALL MTs. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I have been around the block many times and have seen both good and bad. You may even be surprised at how many bad, who claim to be soooo experienced and worth so much money.

If you are struggling, I am sorry. I doubt it is your fault, and I have been where you are. What I am saying is that it is very possible to overcome it if you don't accept just any job offered to you. Do not let any company cheat you out of the money you know you can make. It will take some investment of your time, but it is very possible to improve your situation if you are a good MT who wants to stay in this profession.

Easier said than done... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Meaning, if you have the luxury of time & financial means to invest in finding that right company that every good MT deserves, however, many don't have that luxury while the daily demands of life's financial responsibilities affords them no such thing as "time," to pursue anything but a JOB, let alone a career in this economy.

Easier said than done. - Well.......

[ In Reply To ..]
If you simply do not have the time to invest in a better job with a higher income, what can be done for you if you cannot do it for yourself? This is a competitive industry and you have to be willing to compete. It pays off in the long run.

Yes, there are higher incomes than what is considered the industry norm, but it takes the time and effort, and much research to find it. No, it is not easy, but it is possible. You say that you do not have the time or financial resources to improve upon a bad situation. Does that mean you took a job that you are not satisfied with but keep it anyway? Hmmmm.... not sure how you can be directed.

Accentus DOES NOT pay up to 6 CPL - SM

[ In Reply To ..]
They rearrange the figures, dodge a number here & there, slick willy up the #s to make it sound pretty...but in end it all washes out to be the same and equal to around 4-5 cpl which is the industry norm for the MTSOs.

and 5 cpl is pushing it for an MTSO - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
4 cpl is really the industry MTSO POS norm. Nuance sits at 4.13, MModal right next to them, and so on...

It is the industry norm, but some make more. - They just dont post about it.

[ In Reply To ..]
*

Similar Messages:

Mar 16, 2010

This is a long sentence, but I think the punctuation looks right?? He does have some tenderness particularly in the area of a transverse incision at the left lateral aspect, which he said was the site of a draining sinus, after 1 of his many surgeries, for years. Maybe a comma after "tenderness" ? Seems like a lot of nonessential phrases.... ...

Apr 06, 2013

...complaining on how bad being an MT is. I noticed most of thOSS saying that have been doing this for 20-30 years. The MT field is not dying it is changing and people don't want to adapt. They refuse to do VR because it pays less but if you learn the short cuts & stop using the mouse you can make good money. I've been doing both straight transcription & voice recognition. My point being there will always be a need for editors!!! I too hate the work going over seas & ...

Dec 20, 2011

technology poor sound quality of dictation should be a thing of the past; however, that is now my #1 problem. I have put a notation in the QA notes several times lately of the poor audio quality. I think dictating on a speaker phone or cell phone (I don't care where --- office, home, bathroom, ballgames, convertibles, motorcycles, airplanes, or outer space) should be MT-outlawed and if a dictator does it, the report should be trashed and he should have to dictate it over (y ...

Apr 23, 2012

I agree in spirit with the May 1st protest, but realistically I cannot spare the day off unpaid. Also, I work for the Wal-Mart of transcription otherwise known as Nuance. Resistance is futile. I honestly believe 80% of all US transcription is going to end up going through Nuance. They should just let the government take them over....then we could all get a big pay raise when we become government employees. LOL The reason I agree with the protest is this: 180 LPH ...

Nov 30, 2009

nm ...

Dec 24, 2013

like if you agree dislike if you don't agree I'm blaming it on indigestion of a bit of bad potato. Bah Humbug! ...

Sep 18, 2014

...in case there is more than one, in particular I am referring to one on the LG supe team? Is it going offshore soon? Wondering why I was moved. Not alot to do. Very curious. ...