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

I wonder how the new Health Care Bill will affect our jobs? - Scooby-Doo

Posted: Nov 08, 2009

I.e., how will Medquist use the new bill to their benefit?

Some links about your comment AND FROM INDIA - Whoopie

[ In Reply To ..]
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_President_Obama%27s_new_policy_says_about_Medical_Transcription_in_India

Well (sorry for a traditional start). FIRST OF ALL, I would like to assure whatever may happen, it will not happen overnight. But, it seems Obama's regime is not going to be a golden period for outsourcing generally. As far as medical transcription, i.e., health care bpo is concerned, it is not as hot as other platforms of outsourcing such as software, etc. (replace etc. with whatever you know, they outsource almost everything). And moreover, health care bpo was not and is not going to be a concern in an unemployment point of view there since they may not want to transcribe it seems? as it is a low profile job (so sad) and stressful too (is it?). Still, a few (article is mandatory here since it will go negative without it) near revolutions may happen as far as health care is concerned. Instead of multiple insurance companies having tie-up (hyphenation required?) with the patients and providing services, it may happen under a single roof monitored strictly by the government. It may require some standards and formalities to hear "the patient is a..." from there, and for sure it is possible for giants and not for mushrooms (sorry for country example). Anyway, quality work sustains and we will for sure (I hope)!! Generally, it is nice to be ready to handle whatever the situations you face even if you are forced to dictate!!! (I hope we will dictate crystal clear). LAST OF ALL (why first of all is more frequent than last of all here? no one wants to stop talking? Indians??), improve your skills (buy an LOM right now!!, it is not a dangerous abbreviation). Just keeeeeeeep on transcribing, you will hear everything (other than what doctors say!!!!). All the best.

ANOTHER ARTICLE FOR UNITED STATES

http://blogs.mtoffshore.com/?p=124

One of the key upgrades over HIPPA is the billâ��s proposed ban on the sale of protected health information in electronic medical records and limitations on marketing such data. This is because the sale and use of personal health data by health care vendors and providers has long posed a strong risk to patient privacy. With the new proposal, patient consent before using their information would be a minimal requirement for hospitals and physicians.

Another major change mandates that all health care providers and others using health care data disclose in a timely manner any data breach involving the unauthorized acquisition, access, use or disclosure of protected patient health information. This new
federal rule is similar to several state laws that require the prompt disclosure of the loss of financial data.

The HITECH bill would also hold business associates â�� such as billing and medical transcription services â�� to equal security and privacy standards as the controllers of health care data. The new bill gets rid of the many loopholes that let providers evade similar HIPAA restrictions. It also calls for seriously penalizing or imposing fines on third parties, found to be neglectful in protecting health care information.

This is quite contrary to the earlier negligent cases of HIPAA violations by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services despite the many complaints lodged by patients. The proposed law also calls for HHS to uncompromisingly audit health care firms and their partners, and to keep audit trails of all patient transactions. The proposed law would also mandate that all patient health data be encrypted.

Although the provisions are definitely a step forward to HIPAA, it does have some limitations. For one, HITECH doesnâ��t allow individuals to take legal action against health care firms. The legislation would let patients file complaints against providers to HHS. If the government fines a health care firm on the basis of that complaint, the individual would receive a percentage of that amount.

Moreover, the new billâ��s restrictions on who can access health care databases are unclear as there is ambiguity on the degree of the patientâ��s right to control of their health care data. While the new provisions would ban the outright sale of patient data without consent, in many cases it allows health care providers to continue sharing it with third-parties.

Another important concern is that health care lobbyists may have a degree of success in convincing legislators to ease the proposed security and privacy controls, especially those related to breach disclosure and a provision that would require health care providers to segment sensitive information at the request of a patient.

Wow, thanks for the research! - Scooby-Doo

[ In Reply To ..]
It sounds like there are numerous issues which I'm sure Medquist's lawyers are poring over right now.

I have 2 humble questions: What does BPO stand for, and what is an LOM?

BPO and LOM Also found another link, India MT's make 5,000 a month? - Whoopie AKA: MAVERICK

[ In Reply To ..]
BPO I guess is known as Business Process Outsourcing. Must be used overseas a lot. Also this BPO seems to be related to Obama. Seems like the new health care will all be related known as One World Health Care. I heard we can now go to other countries and have surgeries performed, etc. Before you know it, we will be One World Government too!!!!

LOM known as Language of Medicine. Wow, again used by Indians.

THEN I CAME ACROSS THIS ARTICLE WHILE LOOKING UP LOM'S. I THOUGHT BASICALLY MEDICAL INSURANCE WILL PRACTICALLY BE GONE BECAUSE THERE WILL BE NO MORE PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS AND NO MORE CAPS ON OUR HEALTH CARE. READING THIS ARTICLE MAKES ME REALLY QUESTION IF WE WILL HAVE JOBS SOON.

http://www.chillibreeze.com/articles/MedicaltranscriptionandIndia.asp

Medical Transcription and India: The Current Scenario and the Future

India medical transcription trendschillibreeze writer â�� Dr. Kalyani Nair

Medical transcription is an interesting, challenging and paying career and one of the fastest growing fields in healthcare. Medical records dictated by doctors (or their secretaries/nurses) into a tape or onto a digital voice processing system are accurately and swiftly transcribed i.e. converted into a word document, by the MT or MLS (medical language specialist). These records could be clinic notes, office notes, operative or consultation notes, discharge summaries, etc. The document is proofread to at least 98% accuracy before being â��uploadedâ�� back to the doctorâ��s office or clinic.

In the US, the entire healthcare industry is based on insurance. Therefore, detailed medical records are needed for processing insurance claims. As a result, MTs are in high demand there, and the cost of getting the job done is also very high. India is a very good locale for outsourcing this work due to a number of factors. We have a huge mass of English-speaking and computer-literate people in this country. Moreover, the difference in time zones between the US and India, makes it quite easy to return documents within the usual stipulated time frame of 24 hours.

A transcription service could range from a small home-based business to sophisticated, high-tech corporations, which employ large numbers of transcriptionists, proofers, quality analysts etc. Athough the clientele is mostly in the US, British and even Australian doctors are beginning to consider India as a possible source of getting this work done â�� done quickly and well, at a fraction of the cost incurred in their own countries!!

India witnessed an â��MT boomâ�� a few years ago, with innumerable training institutes mushrooming all over the place. Lack of proper training and understanding of this new concept led to an almost total closure of these institutes. Those that have remained in the field are today flourishing business enterprises, offering this new job opportunity to thousands.

To be a good MT one needs good listening and language skills and knowledge of medical terms (also called Language of Medicine or LOM). Fluency in English with understanding of the American way of speech and accent is a must. A thorough knowledge of the AAMT (American Association for Medical Transcription) rules is also needed. A full-fledged training course would impart all this. Throughout his/her career an MT needs to keep up with changes in medical terminology, medical procedures etc. and have the ability to detect medical inconsistencies in dictation and fix poor grammar and syntax. One also needs patience, as the work tends to get monotonous and repetitive. Regular continuing education programs, which are comprehensive, are therefore essential to be successful in this field.

In the metros and major cities of India, many big business names have ventured into this field and are flourishing. Most of these companies have in-house training programs so that the trainees are assured of a job at the end of their course. As a rule, a fresh MT starts with a salary of Rs. 5000 per month. Incentives are based on the amount of work done (called â��line-countâ��) and the accuracy maintained. A really conscientious and skilled MT would earn a pretty decent salary. As the work can be done at home, it provides a wonderful opportunity for young, educated mothers who would otherwise have to put their careers on hold while their children grow up. Retired persons, the disabled, or those who simply do not wish to venture out of their homes for earning could all thrive in this career.

In short, the future looks bright for those in the field of Medical Transcription.

My comment to paragraph above: ONLY INDIA MT's.

That is 5000 rupees (Indian currency) which - Scooby-Doo

[ In Reply To ..]
which is equivalent to $126 dollars a month. The article says a "fresh" MT (presumably India's way of saying newbie?) would then make $126 dollars a month. That is about 78 cents an hour. I'm assuming their cost of living is less than here in the U.S., but honestly, if that pay rate is what MQ has in mind for us Americans, it looks like all those "disabled and retired" Indians have their work cut out for them.

Thanks Scooby-Doo! - Whoopie

[ In Reply To ..]
I cannot believe 78 cents a line. I laughed when you stated If that pay rate is what MQ has in mind for us Americans.

Thanks for the info!!

Why I chose "Scooby-Doo" - Scooby-Doo

[ In Reply To ..]
I've been going by the name, Scooby-Doo, ever since one thread on this site made me laugh so hard. They described the increasing numbers of ESL dictations they were getting and one in particular sounded like a talking Scooby-Doo. Whenever I get an ESL, Indians mostly, that I just can't decipher, instead of pulling out my hair, I just repeat their dictation like Scooby-Doo. Gotta have a sense of humor working for MQ.

5000 a month - old mt

[ In Reply To ..]
I wondered when I saw 5000. So let's say the average US transcriptionist makes $15 an hour (average folks). That save them over $14.00 an hour! No wonder they are dumping us like hot potatos. I even heard some McDonald's drive throughs are rooting their ordering through India - this is true folks don't laugh! Well we can all be greeters at Wal-Mart....... This is so depressing and so unfair - but who ever said life was fair.

5000 a month old mt post - old mt

[ In Reply To ..]
Meant routing folks - can you tell I was hissed off.....

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