A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry
The abuse won't stop - Until we make it stop
Posted: Jul 03, 2012
No one is going to do it for us. There is wage theft, minimum wage, changing of timecards, disrespect for our knowledge, ridiculous working conditions, bad management, and no communication.
MTs have been left completely out of the conversation, and they are the MT in MTSO. How bizarre is that?
I think everyone should just walk away from their keyboards. We won't know what the result of an action like that will be until we take it, and hold a positive intent on behalf of MTs. Nothing will change unless we take massive action.
What would it take for us to change our working conditions? Say outloud "I deserve 4 cpl." Then say "I deserve 10 cpl." Which one feels more truthful? "They are right not to pay me for demographics and research," versus "I should get paid for demographics and research." Which one of those statements makes you feel lighter? Which one makes you feel heavy? A truth will make you feel lighter. A lie will make you feel heavy.
The longer we sit here making 4 cpl the worse it gets for us. We will end up at 2 cpl. The MTSOs will take it all away until there is nothing left, but we really are already there. There is nothing left to lose.
What is more frightening, the thought of having to look for a new job, or the thought of continuing to do this with no change in sight except for the worst? Their changes to our jobs involve thinking of ways to steal another penny from us. We pay their salaries, and steal from us.
Leave loudly, bombard with letters, email, phone calls, or leave quietly. Let's do something.
Oh, I left my job at an MTSO and weeks later I got a phone call wondering what was up. Found something better. Really, anything is better.
I heart this post - literally. It speaks to the heart of the matter. - Time for some shutdown cake or maybe slowdown pie.
[ In Reply To ..]I am sick of companies that do everything possible to find ways to under-compensate the people who earn them their profits.
I am sick of companies that do everything they can to shift the cost of doing business to the people who earn them their profits.
I am sick of all the messages:
Work harder-harder-harder!!
Work faster-faster-faster!!
Work longer-longer-longer!!
...and I'm sick of being told that the client is mad at ME because they and the MTSO put processes and site specifics into place that could not be more counterproductive if they had sat down and tried to make it impossible to complete a job.
I'm tired of working for companies managed by business amateurs - and no, I don't care if they have an MBA, they're still rank amateurs because all they know how to do is to compete on PRICE, rather than competing on VALUE. And of course, when compete on PRICE, someone has to bear the burden when it means they have to cut more and more COSTS, and guess who that has been for the last 20 years? You betcha! The MT.
God, this is a rotten industry, run by stupid, greedy people.
History of labor strike - Do we have less backbone than
[ In Reply To ..]70,000 Southern California grocery workers strike Safeway to protect their health benefits and stop imposition of a vicious two-tier wage system--2004.
yeah, but the difference is - sm
[ In Reply To ..]they were there in person and could see each other and know that they were being backed up by their fellow associates. As MTs, we only know our coworkers through IM or email, and there's no way to prove that other MTs have walked off the job, so who would want to take the chance of being the only one.
Then The first step is to get organized and united! - I wonder...
[ In Reply To ..]what AHDI thinks of these uprising-type posts. They say "AHDI works to advocate for workforce development and credentialing in allied health and the critical role of the technology-enabled documentation knowledge worker in the electronic health record (EHR)."
Workforce development they say. I am not a fan of AHDI because in my opinion in the past they have thrown MTs under the bus, yet they still have the above statement posted on their homepage.
Their most recent task was coming up with a new name for us: "New Title Established to Reflect the Broad Range of Expertise, Skills, and Services
Performed by the Evolving Medical Transcriptionist."
I have news for them. Expending time and energy on a name to call us is exactly how out of touch they are with with reality and/or how deep in bed they are with software companies.
So that leaves just us in an electronic environment. Do you want to keep getting run over by the bus or take a chance and trust your fellow MTs (or rather your fellow healthcare documentation specialists)? Does 4 cpl sound like something a SPECIALIST should be paid?
The definition of specialist: A person who concentrates primarily on a particular subject or activity; a person highly skilled in a specific and restricted field.
From that, you can gather that AHDI promotes MT as HIGHLY SKILLED and with HIGH SKILLS comes the RESPECT of being COMPENSATED FAIRLY.
you guys want results? - Snow Bunny
[ In Reply To ..]Travel around the country saying just what you're saying. Gather hundreds of thousands of home-based MTs across the country to refuse to work until things change. Demand laws be passed. Turn on your GPS and get directions to The White House.
Nothing else will work.
Certainly not expressing your grievances on this board.
Actions speak louder than words.
Unity and action is required! Others before us have done the same. - In a world with media
[ In Reply To ..]available at our fingertips in seconds on multiple different platforms, we live in the age of the greatest technology, yet we are sitting wringing our hands over our voices being heard. Makes no sense to me.
If we all added 1 line to the top of every report, all of us on the same day, that we were united and going to stop working then I bet that would end up in the nightly evening news.
20 years too late. - OldieButGoodie
[ In Reply To ..]The time for organizing and uniting was 20 years ago.
That said, even back then it would have been difficult if not impossible. That's because MT's have a "every man for himself" attitude, and you can't unite them on ANYTHING -- not even to protect their own interests. Trust me, I have tried as have MANY others.
Thanks for that pearl of hope. - nm
[ In Reply To ..]x
Yes, I could have lied to you. - OldieButGoodie
[ In Reply To ..]Sure, I could have lied to you just to make you "feel good." But,
A) I'm not a liar.
B) I don't believe in providing false info to others upon which they will base decisions.
if you can't live on 4 cpl - how
[ In Reply To ..]will you live with zero cpl?
Since I often ask why someone stays with companies that pay lousy wages, and am told because they need a job, then wouldn't walking away from that job they need be counterproductive to their lives?
The only way wages are going to go up - isn't by walking off the job (which is irresponsible in my view and I was raised in a union family), but by REFUSING to take the wages. If you work for someone who is paying you illegally or whatever our angle is going to be today, then you find another job. And if you can't find an MT job that will pay you what you need then find a job somewhere else.
Just telling someone to walk off the job really has no positive impact anywhere.
It's called courage and conviction and pride. - nm
[ In Reply To ..]x
4cpl - Roda
[ In Reply To ..]there is a way to start the end of all of this poor pay and disrespect for our expertise. In fact, there are several ways we all can go. First, there are class action suits against the Speech Recognition companys and/or hospitals involved. Second, is direct communication with physicians/PAs and associations, as well as healthcare regulators. Third, which is why were all so scared, is taking on our own employer with a suit. Another is the IRS, where some of our wages are in direct violation of wages/salary requirements and regulations. Fourth, are state regulations on wages. Fifth, is healthcare regulations that govern the existing or potential and dangerous practices that impact patient care. I am willing to organize such a class action suit and interview/consult with attorneys to see what they have to say and can do, then get back to you. However, I will only do this if enough of you respond with integrety and good intentions. We do not have to wait for our representative organizations to pat and plea their way through the complicated delicate political system. You may respond at any time, I am here and waiting.
count me in - all for it
[ In Reply To ..]Tired and weary... got nothing to lose.
What would be the legal grounds for this class action suit? - Most MTSOs are NOT doing anything illegal.
[ In Reply To ..]Not saying there aren't some wage or other issues with a few MTSOs, but you can trust me on this one: Most of them have lawyers who make sure that they're skating just INSIDE the legal limits.
Regarding the low line rate: Since anyone has the right to work or not to work for any company that pays any given line rate, then as long as it's possible to earn at least minimum wage at 4 cpl or whatever, you have absolutely no grounds for suit there.
Is there some labor or employment contract - either explicit or implied - being violated? No, there isn't. (Some IC's might have a case here but most "contracts" - cough - have enough wiggle room for the MTSO to squeeze through.)
As for communicating with physicians, they happen to have their own worries right now with the diminished payments for Medicare/Medicaid services along with increased numbers of these patients - and increasing malpractice premiums to boot, everything costing more, etc. They're desperate to reduce their own costs any way (can you say, transcription among others?) they can. While they might sympathize I'm very doubtful they're going to rally behind us.
A job action is really the only option, IMHO.
Roda's first response is the golden ticket.... - SM
[ In Reply To ..]"First, there are class action suits against the Speech Recognition companys."
This above response by "Roda" is by far the most powerful approach that will pack the most punch. Many continue spinning their wheels in useless misdirected anger at the MTSOs who are the secondary byproducts & bottom feeders of the much larger metastatic VR software giants currently monopolizing this industry, "Nuance & MModal." Start hacking at the head of the snake & the tide will start to change.
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