I know the feeling here and that is what concerns me. nm

In my previous post I was and am trying to stay hopeful, as I really enjoy working with MDI like you, when I talked about possibly changing to another account.  In reality, I feel as you do, that I just don't think there will be enough work on straight MT side to provide that.  I just don't understand why such a great company like MDI is offering such a pitance for VR when most other companies are offering 4-5????  Just don't get it.  Again, I'm trying to remain hopeful and would like to believe what the leaders at MDI told me about tripling the line count, but seriously, in reality I really KNOW it is just not possible. 

Does anyone have any ideas about anything we can do?  Perhaps approach MDI/Dorothy as a group with our concerns??

Many MTSO's are hiring only ICs now with no no benefits given.  Now given these are mostly smaller company's.  But why don't the hospitals form their own and contract out.  That's basically what some of the smaller MTSO's are.  They use the hospitals equipment.  I work for a small rural hospital as an independent contractor.  I worked inhouse for 2 years doing their Basic 4 and radiology reports.  For family reasons I was planning to leave but they offered to send me home to work.  Since my husband had medical benefits, I did not miss the benefits at the hospital.  But this situation worked out fine since I had a sick child that I was paying daycare for when he was not even there but home sick.  Ten years later, I am still working at home for the same hospital.  Hospital's work has grown and I am not willing to work so much now.  The hospital thought about hiring a MTSO but decided not to after they found out what they charged.  Which was about 3 times what I did.  They hired part-time Transcriptionist themselves to cover what I could not do.  So, to all those below who thinks it wound not benefit the hospitals, here's one story where everyone benefits. 

Any fellow Transcenders have knowledge of how the company handles not meeting line requirements, especially if low to no work on your account.  Are there warnings given or do they just pink slip you immediately?  Anyone had ANY experience whatsoever with this....Thanks so much.  Am worried. 

QTer so I have seen lots of changes.  Not that I expect anything, but we've always gotten something for MT week and this year not even a card and the whole stink over Christmas.  The IRA thing doesn't have me really concerned.  From what I understand they only hire ICs now.  I know they've had some long-term people leave who might have been employees, so it might not be cost efficient to continue the program.   I haven't had a raise in several years and these days I'm just glad to have a paycheck.  I don't know how much of the work is being offshored, but you would think that would free up some $$, unless they have had to hire extra QA people.  I like not having lots of e-mails/phone calls, but I also would like to know what is going on.  I denied for months they were offshoring, but when I got proof it was a slap in the face and I felt like we should have been told about it.  There seems to be plenty of work on my account so the offshoring hasn't  affected me directly.  So far the checks are always on time and have never bounced. 

Things have definitely changed and I don't think for the better, though I've interviewed with several companies lately and haven't found one yet that is better than QT.  I just try to do my lines and be thankful for a paycheck and just accept the fact that the company will never be what it was. 

Every OTHER medical field, nursing, therapists, techs, etc. are all experiencing the yearly salaries going up.  Transcription compensation is not increasing. 

While they may increase the RATES the ability to make the more money is not there because of VR, taking away the header allowances, more difficult accounts, more ESLs, stricter QA, etc., etc. slow platforms that require information inserted that you don't get paid for and anything else that lowers your salary.  If hospitals are looking to slash their transcription budget, they are going to pass that onto the service and the service will pass that onto to the employee. 

I know transcriptionists that were making 45-50K in 1987 working 40 hours and now they are making 35K and often times working more than 40 hours to make that lower amount.  Or I hear people say I can make the same money but I must work much harder and longer hours.  I think wow...you have to work harder and longer to make what you made in the 1980s. 

Other occupations have gotten consistent raises without the need for more hours and I don't think employees would put with up it.  Imagine a well qualified R.N. being offered a 1987 salary?  The hospital would have a hard time hiring nurses.  But the transcription service environment is so competative if they can offer the work cheaper and cheaper while guaranting accuracy they will get that contract.  So in order to stay in business they have to find a way to pay the Transcriptionist the least amount of money to see their profits which they need to stay in business. 

Of course if transcription is all you know and you don't to work in an office or get a job at Starbucks you keep going and accept the pay because we really have no control.  You have to work with what they offer you. 

to bed, take a bit of time to figure out what KIND of experience you have.  Yes, near 20 years is nice, but with what kind of work?

Has the majority of that time been in a teaching facility of more than 500 beds with a high # of ESL dictators?  Trauma?  Complex surgeries?  Procedures that aren't performed everywhere?  Experimental procedures?

That and the willingness to continue doing that kind of work is what allows these MTs to make the high line rates.  The work is more complex, difficulty level is high and a higher line rate should be paid to compensate for that.

I must add one more, the illegal aliens that equal 84% of the emergency room patients, causing the hospitals to have to save money and cut us out entirely.  They use VR around here, if the doctors cannot speak properly they will have to learn or edit their own reports.

Our president is pushing for it also, but I don't see the cost of healthcare going down.  And when the microchip technology is in place, I just don't see the use for a transcriptionist.  Patients will be in and out, they'll read the microchip on your arm, all your info will be on a computer and they'll input anything new.  What little transcription is left can be dictated into the system.  To each his own, I'd rather be prepared.

Since the MT admits to basically having no real experience in acute care, there is no telling what those five reports may have looked like.  Like someone said, transitioning from radiology to acute care is a VERY BIG STEP and I would think nearly impossible to train unless you are working inhouse.  There's just too much to learn with acute care, I have been doing this for over 25 years and I STILL learn something new every single day.  Even if there were only formatting errors, that could still be a pretty big job - if you have no idea how to do your medication instructions, etc.  Just that is a lot to learn right there.  It sounds like the account manager may have felt there was just going to be too much training involved.  After all, I don't believe any companies offer to train from scratch do they?

I am feeling so stupid for being a part of this industry. I am envisioning the owners of my company sitting back with their cigars and brandy, and chuckling about what a good scam they have going.

We have all of these faceless entities working their asses off for us, we keep paying them less and less, and they still keep going, like little hamsters going round and round as fast as they can in their little wheels!  All for us!!  Go faster little hamster, go faster, I want to buy a new boat. Do we have the best gig going or what?

I have finally come to realize that this industry is one of those work-from-home scams that everyone warns us about! 

the number of times I haven't helped out when they have gotten backlogged, usually without being asked with never a thank you, but an e-mail or phone call asking me to do extra the next day and then the next.   I've always pulled my share and then some.  I don't care about a gift or even a card, but if I do my 40 hours/committed line that should be enough.   They aren't paying me when there isn't any work.  

Ultimately it comes down to they don't care if I'm sick or I have a life or not, they just want the lines done.  They didn't used to be that way, or at least they would offer incentives, which they rarely do now.   I can't stand threats about losing accounts.  If isn't my fault if they lose it.   If another MT is not doing her share don't ask me to pick up the slack.