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

line rates/spaces - Elsa

Posted: Aug 11, 2012

Does getting paid for spaces add about 2 cents to line rate? I was getting 10 cpl for an account (not paid for spaces) and then lost that to offshoring. The new account pays 8 cpl, but paid for spaces, so they say that's equivalent. Does that sound right? Is that the average rate now?

Interesting article just stumbled on: http://mttoolsonline.com/2011/01/26/medical-transcription-theres-just-no-money-in-it/

I got a job not paying for spaces, dumb me sm - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
didn't ask before I took the job and they didn't tell me until I was trained. I am losing about 1 dollar for every report, depending on how long the report is. It is easy to figure out. Take your line count and do it w/o spaces at 10 cpl and then do it at 8 c;l with spaces and see. I am losing approximately 100 dollars a week w/o spaces but staying until I find something better if that is possible.

It works out to about 18% of the characters on a - FBL

[ In Reply To ..]
a 65-character line being spaces. I did a comparison for about a half day recently. Still finding it impossible to meet the line requirement without working at breakneck speed through the entire shift every day, which I am just too old and tired to do. Besides, I figure as soon as most of us do meet it, they will just raise the bar (and lower the pay rate) again, giving all the credit to their wonderful new VR technology.

so fortunate - amn

[ In Reply To ..]
Reading some of the posts about line counts and rates and reading your posts, I realize how fortunate I am! I am a subcontractor and charge at the least 11 cents per line. I get paid including spaces/65 character line. I just recently took on another account at the same line rate. I feel bad for transcriptionists...especially those with years of experience, who have to settle for less than that with companies. I know because of EMR, my jobs will probably come to an end with the exception of one of my docs who says he will never go electronic. I am looking at other career options in the meantime, but I would never transcribe for less than 10 cents a line including spaces. I know people have to work and so that's what makes it hard to turn down jobs, so it's really a hard position. Honestly, if I were offered 8 cents a line (and I have been for on line jobs), I would just turn it down. I have 25+ years experience and it offends me when I am offered less than what I know I deserve.

and it is not easy landing your own accounts these days... - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
as so many physician's offices are outsourcing to the bigger companies due to EMR and promises for a great TAT. So many physicians are in bigger clinics now, and not as independent as they used to be, and the clinic is the one who chooses who will transcribe their dictation, not the physician's themselves. yes. you are indeed fortunate! If I could find a physician who would use me as a subcontractor as opposed to some of the larger MTSOs, I would be extremely happy! count your blessings! but I admire you, as well as envy you.

thank you....and - amn

[ In Reply To ..]
I live in an area where there are still a lot of independent, small doc's offices and a couple of them are fighting the transition to EMR tooth and nail. There are other options for transcriptionists though...I also have done transcription for deaf and hard of hearing students in local colleges..the pay is 20 to 25 dollars an hour...I am looking into doing broadcast captioning and you can also get paid (apparently not sure because I'm just now finding information out about it) to caption videos on line. There are pros and cons to my situation...I do get paid well, but I don't have benefits, paid time off, and just recently two of my docs went on a two week vacation and I get no pay, but honestly, I make decent enough money the rest of the time, that I can kind of prepare for those times. There are only a few transcriptionists in my area that have experience, and we look out for one another.

Without spaces is about 0.015 less than with - sm - XXX

[ In Reply To ..]
I had a job w/o spaces for a while, paid 0.09, which would have been about 0.075 with spaces. It is not 2 cpl difference, more like 1.5, so in your case 8.5 cpl with spaces would be equal to 10 cpl w/o spaces.

Spaces - Elssa

[ In Reply To ..]
Thanks for clarifying that.. So I've got yet another pay cut with this new account. I work as an IC for a somewhat small MTSO, and they've cut out all our PTO days in the past two years and cut down on the incentive bonuses. I've been an MT for over 25 years and with this company about 10 years, but I'm afraid to speak up. When I have in the past, they just say they can't raise the rates because our accounts will just be outsourced to India, and sure enough my main account with this MTSO (huge hospital in NY) is gone to India now. I also lost a private 10 year cardiology account to EMR a few years ago.

Well, is 8 cpl (+ paid for spaces) the average going rate these days? Seems like some companies like Sten-Tel paid 9 cpl (and paid for spaces) when I worked for them for a short time a few years ago, but they force you to also do the VR work part of the time, which I absolutely hated, so I quit that company. I believe they paid 9 cpl + spaces, though. I don't think they're hiring now... Anyone know what's going on with them?

Thanks again.

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