Healthcare and recession
Posted By: Buffy on 2008-11-13
In Reply to: I am seriously worried about it - - Amanda
we have an aging population, I know I'm one of them. Many actually have health benefits and will have Medicare. Healthcare is pretty recessionproof. Some of your slowdown may be due to the economy, but there is undoubtedly some change in management reason also. If people wait to see the doctor, they will not necessarily get better. Clinic work, however, I think will stay busier than acute care until this medical neglect lands people in the hospital.
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Welcome to the recession everyone!
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Recession proof job
In these uncertain times, just curious how everyone sees the outlook of an MT? With voice recognition, how do you see the job market in 10 years? I am an instructor at a local small community college that teaches basic transcription and this is a topic of discussion. Any help would be appreciated!
Recession proof .. ??
I think that you need to tell your students we are in a situation now that eludes all reason as tight money makes us all possible victims of this recession. If hospitals or businesses cannot borrow money in a fluid way then payrolls become a problem. Otherwise, MT is not going away, but it is changing and to stay relevant you have to change with the time and the technology, which drives the train. A dose of realism is often the best way to make a point.
As for recession proof sm
I feel pretty recession proof.
I have 2 jobs and will make more as an MT this year than I have ever have. I don't work as much or as hard as you might think. I am break taker and if I actually spent 8 hours a day physically typing I would be surprised, but I will still come up over $45K this year. It is my speed and accuracy that allows me to be the break taker I am. When I am at the keyboard, I AM ALL IN and when I break, I break.
I am also aware that MT is changing, but not going away. I don't feel taken advantage of and I don't feel I am underpaid. I don't think that corporations are squeezing me or that I have overseas competition. I feel that as MTs go, I am sitting right up there at the top of the heap. If either of my companies start reducing staffing levels, I will not be one of the ones they let go. In the one case, I know I would be the first on the list to be retained. I don't actually worry about having a job or finding a new one when needed. My problem is usually fielding offers and deciding which one to pick.
This is not most of us though and I understand that. I worry for those of you who are not at the top of this profession and will have to worry about where it is going a lot sooner than I shall.
I don't think there is such a thing as a recession proof job... sm
but I sure can tell you this...I have been doing transcription for 13 years. I have done it in house and at home, at home since 1998. I have worked for so many companies I can't even remember most of them from Lanier to Medquist to Spheris to Cardioscribes to Transform. I could go on and on. My three children are young but not so young anymore that I can't leave them alone for a while during the day now. My oldest is in high school now and all I can say is that I have had enough with this transcription bullcrap business. When I tell people what these transcription companies have done to me, their eyes bug out of their heads. I had gone to work for Cardioscribes leaving a very good paying job only to have them tell me that they weren't going to pay me because, as a salaried account manager, they felt I didn't work enough the two weeks before. They decided to pay me for only five days of the pay period instead of 12, took their sweet time sending the check, and then fired me. Now I have a really pretty $400 phone bill from conference calls that I get to pay with no paycheck. I had one company tell me after working 90 hours in a 2-week period and after sending in my timesheet, Gee, quite frankly, we really just can't afford to pay you this kind of paycheck for QA so we are going to change your pay from hourly to a cents per line salary retroactive for the last two weeks. They took my paycheck from $1350 to $500 then fired me two days after I received my almost $800 short paycheck. MDI you ask??? I currently just got hired by them. My training was to start on Oct. 7 and you know what... they don't even have enough work on the account to get me through my DQA training, which lasts for two weeks where you can only type 20 minutes per day, and the liason went out of town so I was told not to bother to type until Monday!!!! However, when they hired me, they expected me to commit to so many lines per day and I had to commit to working at least 3 holidays and one day on the weekend, and this is all as an IC!!! The other company that I was just hired for took three weeks to get me hired and now has sent out 3, either broken or the wrong foot pedals. I have spent these years as an MT hanging around all day waiting for work (sometimes for weeks and months) and some, if not most days, getting no work at all. I worked for Focus Infomatics as a SWAT QA and watched them fire 50 people in a weeks time for absolutely no reason at all and most of those people were just hired within a week who left good jobs to go work for them. I had one company tell me on a constant day-to-day basis that there just wasn't any work available. This went on for three months until they finally decided to put their work into a pool. When I got access to viewing the pool, you should have seen the work available but I sat for three months with no work at all and no paycheck either. I complained to the payroll person about the lack of work and she said she didn't understand because she was processing some really great paychecks and as far as she was concerned, nothing had changed within the company so she couldn't understand why I had no work. I was an IC for that company and everyone else was an employee. The owners knew everyone because they worked with everyone while in-house at a big hospital before the MT manager decided to open up his own MT company. All of the MTs at the hospital decided to go with him so he gave all the work went to them, although I was told by them that my work was excellent. They are now being investigated for cheating the MTs on their line counts, I believe. I have had QA people send screaming e-mails regarding work that I did telling me that the dictator was a truly horrible dictator but that I did a horrible job and that they don't get paid to fill in the words or phrases that I couldn't get. Last year, a month before Christmas, I got axed by CBay as a QA as they eventually ax everybody they hire. I couldn't even buy Christmas gifts, not even one. We had to purchase one gift for each one of our children and we had to put those three gifts on a credit card. I am now extremely overweight, smoke like a chimney because of massive financial stress and the stress of having no life, have absolutely no friends and absolutely ZERO social life, and I am virtually financially ruined (credit score is less than 500). I have had it with this field. It was ok to do this when my children were very young as I had no choice because I couldn't afford daycare for three kids. My husband works very hard but there is no way we could afford $400 a week for childcare back then. The key words here are I had no choice. I do now though I am getting the hell out of this crap before anyone else has the chance to screw me over. It seems to me that the ones who are making more and more money only make it because they are putting in more hours...not because their cents per line has increased. I have read on these boards that MTing is the only job where the salary goes down after years of experience instead of increasing and that is the absolute honest truth AND THAT IS JUST WRONG!!! I have interviews set up, one with a job just about a mile down the street from where I live, and I just can't wait! I can't wait to have a normal paycheck every single week. I can't wait to not be screwed over anymore! I can't wait to make friends again! I can't wait to be out of my house every day and be social every day with human beings and be glad to come home at the end of the day! Maybe this year I can even buy my kids some Christmas gifts. Every person who asks me about MTing I tell them, don't you dare go near MT work. It will ruin your life. As far as your questino about a recession proof job, there really is no job that is recession proof, but after reading my post and hopefully realizing that this can happen to you too as it does so many of us MTing, do you think that a recession is what you really need to be worrying about? YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE DECISION YOU MADE TO GET INTO THIS FIELD!
I don't thing depression or recession has anything to do with it. sm
I think it is because all the work is going overseas and since the companies have that option, they don't care anymore. In fact it is not just our professon but all of corporate America does not care about employees and then they wonder why the employees don't do a good job for them. It is a 2-way street. Just my 2 cents!
We're in a recession. If you want jobs, you'd
nm
My take: They're using the recession as an excuse
justify sending more work out to India. Just one more reason to convince our legislators to pull the plug on offshoring without some kind of monetary consequence for those companies that do it.
SPI Healthcare Doc
I work there now and am very happy. Make a list of questions you have and when the supervisor calls you, make sure you ask them. That way you won't be misinformed by what you read on this board.
Welcome to Healthcare
Healthcare is a 24/7 industry. If you want to work Monday-Friday perhaps you should change jobs.
Meridian Healthcare
Meridian Healthcare used to be PTS. I worked for PTS, and we ran out of work a lot. There was very poor communication when I was there. When work was low, manager wouldn't respond to emails or voice mail.
Hope that helps!
SPI Healthcare out of Tennessee. nm
m
SPI Healthcare Documentation
I heard they only hire ICs for MTs right now but will get employee and benefit package in near future. Payday is 15th and last day of the month. Scheduling is pretty flexible. Everyone I know there is pretty happy. Depends on which account you are assigned to about the extra phone line being needed. Some accts only require 1. Ask the recruiter any questions you might have for further info. Don't rely on this board for everything.
Meridian Healthcare
NM
Need info on SPI Healthcare please.
thanks
Meridian Healthcare
I have been with Meridian for about 6 months now. The account I am on uses MedRite and is a pretty busy hospital account. My pay is good, always right,and always on time. The QA staff is great - I have learned a ton from them.
I have to submit a schedule every week with what I plan to work the following week, but it hasn't been a problem when I need to stray from that.
Overall, I am very happy. The platform is great. The account is fairly easily, though it has a few really tough ESLs, I am getting used to them. I have been able to create a ton of normals, so I am pretty fast. My account requires 12,000 lines a pay period to be eligible for PTO.
Good luck!
Meridian Healthcare
Does anyone currently work for this company or have you worked for them recently? How is the pay? Is the work acute care only? What type of platform do they use? Is there a minimum line requirement?
Thanks for any info.
Presbyterian Healthcare?
My job is obviously losing the Presbyterian Healthcare System account. This account is affiliated with Novant Health and is located in Charlotte,North Carolina. Can anyone tell me who picked up this account and where to apply for a job.
Thank you
ASCEND HEALTHCARE
They pay 6 cents per line. I am training there in QA, but there are a lot of administrative details...
ascend healthcare
Any new information on Ascend? Are they paying their MTs on time now? TIA.
meridian healthcare?
any opinions on meridian?
thanks.
Ascend Healthcare?
Anyone care to share your experience with this company?
Meridian Healthcare Solutions
Anyone here work for Meridian Healthcare Solutions. I'm checking them out (thinking of leaving MQ - gasp!) Any info good or bad would be appreciated. I am looking for PT work. Thanks.
Meridian HealthCare Solutions
If this is the service out of Indianapolis, they are excellent to work for. Many great accounts, work is overflowing, no hassles, no fuss, great pay, direct deposit, great training and hourly pay while training.
Try Virtua Healthcare. They have a few hospitals -
Marlton and Voorhees, and I'm not sure if there is another one. I know that Diskriter is currently doing their account, but the hospital is also looking to hire transcriptionists.
Anyone work for Alliance Healthcare? sm
I saw a job opening for radiology with this company and interested in finding out if anyone out there works for them, what you think, what program they use.
Thanks
Meridian Healthcare Solutions sm
Are there any MTs/QA with information about Meridian Healthcare Solutions? I could not find a website for them and searched the archives and found just a little info. Interested in the salaried QA position they are hiring for at this time. Any information would be greatly appreciated, even just a website. Thanks! 
Anyone hear of Alliance HealthCare??nm
x
Alliance HealthCare, good, bad,
Any information would be appreciated.
Alliance HealthCare Services
Looking for anyone who can share information regarding this company. Did a search on this site but not much available. ANYthing you can share would be appreciated, particularly concerning the timeliness of pay. Thanks!
Meridian Healthcare Services
They had a QA post on MT Jobs. Thanks!
Meridian Healthcare--Beware
For anyone thinking of taking a job with Meridian, you might want to think twice. Their server or the hospital server seems to go down nearly all the time, and they don't credit you downtime when this happens for hours on end. It is very frustrating. They are also now telling those of us with newer versions of Word 2002 or 2003, and Windows Vista that we need to downgrade our computer software to Word 2000 at our own expense, and if we have any issues, we are basically on our own. So we have to cross our fingers that everything configures okay if we do this. Not sure that will solve their issues with the servers constantly going down. How's that for taking care of your employees?!! I personally am seeking employment elsewhere after putting up with these server issues for over a year.
Meridian Healthcare Solutions
I have been offered a position with the above company. I cannot find anything on them since January of 2005. Does anyone have any recent experience with them??
TIA
hld
no, Meridian Healthcare Solutions
Sorry, I should have been more specific. I am looking at a few companies right now and want to get the good, bad and the ugly or indifferent if anyone has any info. It would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance for any info you could share.
Meridian Healthcare Solutions
I work there. I am quite happy. My account managers have been very flexible about my schedule, which is important to me. There are several different accounts and different account managers, so everything may not be equal, but my pay is always right, always on time, and there is usually work. If there is no work, you are not penalized for not having your quota in. I wish my work were a little more stimulating (I do clinic work), but there is nothing else for me to complain about. The issues that are important to me are present at Meridian. They have been a great company to work for. I don't think that the MedRite program that some of the accounts use is technologically up to date, but I have seen worse. From my own experience, I would encourage anybody to work there. However, I haven't seen things from the QA standpoint, and I certainly haven't been on every account or had every account manager. If you are good and an account doesn't work out for you, I'm sure they would work with you to find a good fit.
Meridian HealthCare Solutions
Any info on this company?
Transolutions platform/healthcare
Actually, the insurance premiums are not going up with United (this was highly emphasized). Also, the platform is improving, and with the newest tweak I am now making a consistent 200 lph without any problems at all. :)
do you mean Meridian Healthcare Solutions? (sm)
If so, while I've never worked for them, my mother-in-law has and she was very happy with them. She had to quit due to health reasons, but she did so reluctantly.
The only thing keeping me from trying to get on with them is the fact that their platform doesn't go with Word/Office 2007, which is what I have.
Meridian Healthcare Solutions?
Looking for any current MTs working for Meridian. I have an interview on Monday and I am thinking about accepting this position, but I do not want to get burned again. PLEASE!! if you have any information good or bad, work or no work, bad managment or good management, please let me know.
Thanks
Meridian Healthcare Solutions
Current information sought regarding this company. Pros and cons please. Thank you.
Anyone here work for Meridian Healthcare in Indiana?
How is the work load, do you run out often? Is the company pretty much on the up and up about what they offer in their ads? Any problems? Any good experiences? Please share.
I used to work for a home healthcare agency and we got
one weeks pay for every year we worked there. They were a non-profit agency and so to get rid of any profits made during the year we got bonuses.
You need to read up on Hillary's healthcare plan a little better. sm
It was a fiasco from start to finish and in the end would have bankrupt physcians, insurance companies and hospitals alike. I agree we need reform. No one stopped Hillary at all. It was a bipartisan agreement that her 1300 plus proposal for health care was a giant bomb from start to finish.
Anyby heard of Maxim Healthcare?
Anything at all?
Anyone currently working for Comprehensive Healthcare Services? nm
nm
Excuse me? We are just like any other healthcare employee. Not everyone works on those sm
major holidays. Why would you doust another MTs confidence like that? She says she was excited to begin starting and wants Thanksgiving and Christmas off - 2 of the BIGGEST holidays of the year because she, like many other prioritized MTs, don't or won't work on those very special holidays no matter how much money she could make! It is ludicrous to assume or think that EVERY MT HAS TO WORK on those holidays. You may be and for that I say good for you.
I won't be. I will work 6 or 7 days a week throughout the year at times, but I'll be darned if another MT tells me that should work on those days just because they do. sounds to me like you need to prioritize a bit.
Even companies outside of the home, even outside of healthcare, are paying less and less sm
of the premium. My husband pays $700+ per month to have coverage for all of us, and my sister pays over $500 for her family. My husband is with a Fortune 500 company, ad my sister is in banking. Sad what this is coming to. They are right to call it a healthcare crisis; right now, you are better off on welfare than working in terms of medical care and costs.
Ascend Healthcare info and suggestions
Any info out there on Ascend Healthcare? Any suggestions on a great company to work for when one is just looking for part-time IC status employment?
FYI - Heads Up - Do not Work For "Ascend Healthcare"
Ascend has got to be the worst place in the universe to work for. I am begging you, please do not work for them. They are truly a nightmare company to work for.
Lena
Association for Healthcare Documentation in India (nm)
x
AAMT has a new name: Association for Integrity of Healthcare Documentation.
Medical Transcription has been voted out of their title. 
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