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

Flat 4 cents a line starting Feb 1??? - Kiki1

Posted: Jan 15, 2011

Noticed in the MQ MT "rewards" plan (wow I can't even type that w/o laughing), that as of Feb 1 the pay will be a flat 4 cents per line for ASR. It does say this applies to new hires only; however, it says if hired prior to Feb 1 the editing rate will be "equal to the greater of 60% of the transcription base rate."

What does "equal to or greater of 60%" mean exactly? Does that just mean 60% of your regular straight transcription rate like it is now? Equal to or greater of 60%?? WTH does THAT mean?

That will be when I turn off the computer and send it - back. The ASR and FTR

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underhanded pay cuts have been bad enough, but I will quit if they cut me to 4 cpl.

So quit. It WILL come to 4 cpl and probably even less. It is - fine to stand on your principles but nm

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your principles wont pay the bills and they wont pay the bills of the MT waiting in line for a job behind you. You dont want that 4cpl? No prob, there are MANY waiting to work that job.

Oops, above should be SM, there is a message above. - Reading optional. nm

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Thank you for your concern for my bills. - anon

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:)

nm means no message - fyi

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.

Did you even read the post under that one? Are you one - who butts into conversation with no clue SM

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as to what is being discussed or what was just said before you walked up?

whichever is greater - 4 cents or 60% of trans line rate - nm

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For me, 4 cpl = about 45% of my traight transcription rate - ...

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I'd give my left foot to get paid 60% of my straight transcription rate for ASR. I've been with Q for about 3 months now and I'm up to 98% ASR.

To all those still being paid 60% of your straight transcription rate for ASR, please threaten to leave. Maybe that will scare MQ into keeping you at 60% and raising me to 60%.

P.S. I'm in no way a newbie to MT. I have almost 15 years of clinical and heavy acute care experience, including 3 years of heavy ASR/VR experience.

Something's wrong - Anon

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You should be getting 60% for ASR. If you get 10-cents for transcription, you should be getting 6-cents for ASR. If you're not, something's screwy.

Wrong? Absolutely. But it's a fact. - ...

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...

There is nothing anyone can do that will change how MTSO business is - done. You better figure out how to SM

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the status quo work for you as it is cause it aint gonna change.

This business is going to find the lowest wage that ppl will - work for. When they try to go 1 c lower SM

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they will get no takers, so will go up a fraction from that point and that will be standard industry pay. The industry wants to pay the lowest wage and they dont care who works for it. And this is the definition of free enterprise/free market. Welcome to the new global economy.

The new "global economy" may very well spawn - the next World War. (nm)

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nm

And who is going to fight this next World War? Whom against who? - Can you even defend this statement? nm

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A big statement for one not big enough to support it. You - are just flapping your fingers. nm

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Above for should be from - nm

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4 cpl for ASR - so discouraged

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My heart is with you guys. I just gave my notice at MQ after having been there for about three months. I have been a transcriptionist for 22 years, so I am by no means green. I kept thinking it just takes time to get fast and improve, but when I realized that the vast majority of my work would be editing and that the most I would ever possibly earn is $10 per hour at 4 cents per line, I had to give up. I figured my time would be better spent looking for a job than working so hard for $10 per hour, especially since I could go to McDonald's down the street, start out at a higher rate, and probably be a manager within a year. I, too, am older (51) and I am not sure what I will do now because I thought this job was going to save me financially, but it obviously has not.

The one thing I will say is that the people I worked with at MQ, i.e., CCM, QA person, HR people, training people, were all wonderful. When you think about it -- they are people just like us who need their jobs and are trying to do the best they can, just like we are. In some ways, you can't really blame the company because it is the nature of the industry. Our jobs are not going to exist at all in the next 10-20 years and these companies are doing what they have to do to keep up with the technology and maintain their businesses. It's awful for we transcriptionists because we are losing our jobs or working for peanuts, but I really don't know what the solution is. I do know that I have spent a better part of my life trying to do a good job, caring about what I did, and being proud of the profession I was in, but now I almost feel useless because it has become so clear to me that, little by little, we are being replaced, and they are paying us virtually nothing to train the software that is replacing us. I don't know what the answer is.

I really wish there were a way for all of us transcriptionists to band together and make the government realize that voice recognition is bad for patients. From what I have seen, it is downright dangerous. That's not to say that it can't be very good, because if the dictator using VR is very good, the software will become very good at identifying what was said, but when people like us are working for basically nothing, I can see how desperation can set in and the people editing may give up caring about whether what is transcribed is accurate or not. I for one would not want my notes transcribed by VR, nor would I want my medical information sent out of the country, but I have no rights in either case. In all honesty, HIPAA is a joke. They can't possibly enforce HIPAA rules when dictation is sent out of the country, and with VR, so many people are looking at these notes that it is absolutely ridiculous.

Well, there, I vented. I feel badly for all of us and, again, I just don't see an answer. Good luck to all of you who are struggling with this. There are more of us out here than you know.

This went into effect Feb 1,2010 (last year) sm - Fossil

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effective 2/1/10, new hires paid 4 cents/per line for ASR.

Those hired before that date will continue to be paid 60% of their straight transcription rate.

Sorry, but this not new news.

Oh, okay, 2010. Feel bad for those starting within - Kiki1

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the last year. I feel bad for us all actually, bc I am sure they will slowly buy surely get to the point where it's a flat 4 cents across the board no matter how long you've been here. Then MTs will quit in droves, which is what they actually want, but it has to be on their timing.

MTs will quit in droves? I dont think so. Many are happy - to get that and will continue to work for that. nm

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Not me -- no 4cpl - anonymous

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That will make the +++ MTs behind you very happy. - nm

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Hopefully the 401k I have been contributing to - for a hundred years will

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be enough.

I seriously doubt that! - NM

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You doubt which? - anon

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Oh really, sounds like management. - Happy for 4 cents HA!

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Thank you -- they were acting like I was some kind of - ingrate for wanting to make

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at least minimum wage! Have spent my fine "day off" looking for another job. Nothing promising in my neck of the woods.

I have gotten 4cents for a lonnng time -- sm - ververyoldMQMT

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It does not mean I like it, but I accept it because I have to and will due to no jobs in my rural homeplace. I am part time due to my health, and did that also a long time ago and knew I was taking a cut to go ASR and lost my medical benefits. With mostly ASR it is simply not possible to make above minimum wage, so I get that. My question is why threaten termination for them having to pay us minimum wage, when if I stay within my hours and production it is less than minimum wage. So okay, pay me minimum wage. Of course, my state has a low minimum wage compared to other states, especially California. I guess that is why a lot of old time California gals and guys have been "squeezed" out. I will, and have, kept the 4 cents. Don't bash me. I have no other choice.

I would never bash you for staying; I also don't - understand why they have

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to be so snarky when I don't wish to do ASR for 4 cpl. Why not just wish me well? My husband has a decent job. I have lived frugally before. I would rather do that than work my heart out for $48 a day (1200 x 0.04). I am not even liking doing it for $72 a day now. I think it is obscene for the amount of work and the experience and technology it takes to do the level 3 work (heart caths, transplant operations, nuclear medicine, etc) for $72 a day when people working for McDonald's here make $64 a day.

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