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Looking to start typing medical transcription at home - Mrs. B

Posted: Jun 21, 2013

I am looking to start doing medical transcription at home. I have 8 years experience in a family physician's office. How do I get started? What is a fair wage?

well check the job seekers board - for starters

[ In Reply To ..]
but you might to well to keep your office job, if you still have it. The services don't pay very well. It's a little more complicated to get your own clients, but not impossible.

Mrs. B. - xxx

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm sorry, but I am afraid it probably won't happen. At the company I work for there are about 600 applications (from strong, well-trained MTs who can do virtually all specialties) for every one who gets hired. You might be able to get some work from private docs, but not for a company.

There's probably - no such thing

[ In Reply To ..]
as a "fair wage" for this job any more, mostly 4 and 8 cpl for editing and typing respectively and these include lots of free work, demographics, copies, etc. I would look at job seeker's board and take some tests to see if there was any interest and maybe not exactly lie on resume, but make it sound as close as possible to what I was applying for. A lot of us are desperately trying to escape MT (myself included) once and for all, so there may be more need than you think. Good luck!

Don't be discouraged - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
By some posters here. To get started you need a good resume and start applying. Most companies require you to test with them. A fair wage? Well, that depends on what you consider fair. It seems like the going rate is 7.5 to 8 cents a line for straight transcription and 3.5 to 4 cents a line for editing. It could be more depending on your experience, or even less depending on the company.

Be sure to check each company out and make sure they are legit before applying. MModal and Nuance are large companies and are legit and pay on time. It seems like they are buying everyone else out also, so going to work for one of them might be best. lol.

I have my issues with working for a large company from home and I don't see myself doing this forever. Right now it's great because I'm a single mom and I'm able to be here more for my daughter than with an office job.

A downside? I'm looking at getting a second part-time job to help supplement my income because of the inconsistent work. I think most of us have to do that :(

At least I'm at home doing working though and not away from home.

There are pros and cons for working for a company out of your home. You won't get rich. Be sure it's what you want to do :)

Transcription experience - Leaving MT

[ In Reply To ..]
You wrote that you have 8 years' experience in a family physician's office, is that specifically as a medical transcriptionist? It might be hard to find work at home as an MT if the experience is not specifically medical transcription.

The going rates are 4 cpl for editing speech drafts and 8 cpl for straight typing. I personally will not edit for 4 cpl, which is why I am transitioning out of MT altogether. I have a great MT job currently and do straight typing only, but our work is starting to really slow down, so I decided to transition out rather than stay in MT and struggle with editing for such a low rate, which is where MT seems to be headed. I am very glad about my decision and will be graduating from a program at my local technical college on August 7. I feel that I have a much brighter future ahead of me than I would have working at home as an MT, but I understand why being at home is so enticing. It has been great for me with working and going to school. I actually love the work, but it no longer is a viable option for me since I want to work for more than just a little spending money.

Also, keep in mind that a lower line rate might not mean lower pay. There are so may variables that go into how much one makes in a productivity based environment, such as efficiency of the transcribing/editing platform, how good the dictators are, how much "free work" you have to do (demographics and research), percentage of ESL dictators, use of expansion software, and also how many accounts you are assigned to and the number of different dictators on each account. The more dictators and account specifics you have to learn, the less productive you will be for a while.

Good luck to you.

getting started - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
Seems the best way to get started would be to apply to one of the big companies and take their tests. I think most companies want MTs who can work on all types of accounts, are familiar with all specialties.

You might want to ask yourself if you are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to work at home as an MT. Most MTs, myself included, have periods where there is no work. Could be 10 minutes or several hours. Companies will hire MTs to work a set shift, but most expect you to "make up" time when you are out of work. So if you are expected to work an 8 hour shift but have 3 hours of that shift where there was no work available, you would have to stick around the computer and make those hours up when work comes in. If you want to definitely know you can clock in and clock out at a certain time, to tend to family stuff or social activities, working at home as an MT may not provide that.

I do straight typing for 8 cents per line. If I could have steady work, I would make good money. But work is not always there even though I work on 8 different accounts. Seeing all the jobs going overseas and the other changes with MT, I'm in school to get out of this field. I've talked to too many MTs as well as doctors who see this profession as eventually becoming almost obsolete. It's not what it is cracked up to be, and it is almost impossible to budget finances since I never know what my paycheck will be. The uncertainties are driving me out. You should really consider what working at home entails. It's possible to get started, but I wouldn't want you to get a rude awakening. Just my opinion though.

Question for Mrs B - Wondering

[ In Reply To ..]
If you have 8 years of experience in an FPs office, you should have enough understanding of office documentation, diagnoses, medical procedures, records, and administrative procedures to do other office jobs related to office management, billing, and especially coding.

You certainly understand them well enough to do them with a little review of an office procedures and reimbursement book or two. And you can certainly turn yourself into a physician services coder with a little more effort.

It may be that you just don't realize how close you are to this, or it might be that you did not see anything at that office that appealed to you, or it might be that the office did not employ an actual coder, or that the coder was a consultant whom you never saw.

I mention this because those options are probably more accessible to you -- even with training time -- than a job with an MTSO. Coding, in particular, will pay better and offer better long-term job prospects.

You would be a lot better off to avoid getting on a doomed ship. If you do choose to get on it anyway, you really do need to start building a life raft ASAP. Find another career and start training for it.

Physician services coder - Mrs. B

[ In Reply To ..]
I was thinking that mt might be a thing of the past.
Are there physician services coders that work from home?

Yes, there are - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Any kind of coder can work remotely, but coding isn't a "work at home" jammies job, if that is what you are asking.

Comparatively few coding jobs offer remote possibilities and they typically require significant experience, along with credentials that can include an AHIMA RHIA, RHIT, and CCS.

If you are only looking for at-home jobs, coding is not it.

To Mrs. B - see msg

[ In Reply To ..]
You don't say if you were transcribing for the FP or doing clerical work. Either way, if your only transcription experience is for family practice, I don't think you'll pass the MTSO tests--they require at least multi-speciality. You also don't say how recent your 8 years experience is. "I have 8 years experience in a family physician's office."

If that's recent experience, it still won't qualify you for working from home in anything other than family practice, which is getting lost to electronics.

I think you may want to rethink this?

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