National Certification for MTs
Posted By: Desparate on 2006-02-02
In Reply to:
Can someone refer me to a website or something so I can get certified. Finished my course with a college and they don't of course deal with the National Certification. Anyone out there done the certification part. Please help. Thanks
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Do what you think is best. I just left a major national, went to another national but after
6 weeks found it did not fit. Just happened to luck into another smaller national and things couldn't be better. There are other jobs out there.
Certification
My company pays more for that. And while it's only a penny per line for the credential, over a year that really ads up. With someone with minimum production, it equates to an additional $2500 for the year. They also reimburse for passing the test so no one is out of pocket for the cost of the test once they pass it. That $2500 is if you only type 125 lines per hour. Clearly if you do more, the additional income would be more than that. I've never found that getting and keeping my credits cost me more than that, in fact, it has always been much less.
Coding certification
First I would encourage you that if you are serious about coding, do NOT go to a course that does not allow to test for NATIONAL certification. There are only 2 organizations in the US that do national certification. AAPC (the first) and AHIMA. With AAPC there are numerous companies that offer their course. The cost runs between $1200 and $1600 for a three month course of 8 hour classes plus your proctored exam and membership to AAPC, or you can do the self-study course for the same money (I chose to be in a classroom setting so I could have questions answered on the spot). You can opt to take the course for hospital coding CPC-H (which few hospitals will recognize as official) or the doctor/outpatient based course - CPC, which is widely recognized.
I don't know the cost of AHIMA's testing but it is as intense as AAPC's but it is mostly taken by people who either already have AAPC certification or are already working in a medical coding setting. Both organizations offer apprecentice programs if you are not already in a coding setting until you can clock some coding hours. I think you need references to enter either program as to your character - remember, if you make a mistake the penalty could be monetory and/or a jail term.
Now, can you get a job and is the money worth it. Most hospitals want AHIMA's inpatient certification and 1-2 years OTJ experience, unless they are hiring for their outpatient clinics and/or ER (which they will then accept the AAPC's CPC). Most of these positions pay between $15 and $24/hr plus bennies.
It is very hard to get into the coding industry. It's just like trying to get into MT without any experience, only harder. I would network, join both organizations as a member and go religiously to the monthly meetings to network and learn. Both certifications require a high number of CEU's to be earned each year. It is easier to get into a physician's office setting as a CPC. Most of these jobs pay $9 to $18/hr depending on geography, but again you'd have to be very, very good and have good references from certified mentors to help you get a job with no experience.
Most jobs are obtained by word of mouth. If you are very good, you could skip working in a hospital or doctor's office and become a consultant and/or instructor without any working experience (more $$ for the instructor's certification). It would be like working as an IC. You would have to hustle to get clients and build a reputation. I was lucky and got a job with a hospital in their outpatient clinic side at $19/hr with hospital bennies and had an offer with the people whose course I took to become an instructor and consultant for them even before I got the results from my test score (but I had prior coding experience). My job was basically consulting, doing audits and giving feedback and education to doctors on how to maximize their reimbursement, how to document charts properly and be available for their coding questions. I loved the respect I got from the doctors. It was totally unlike what I get directly from doctors as an MT. They are eager to learn, listen to what is being taught, are interactive, friendly and recognize that you are there to help them succeed.
If your MTSO is also adding a coding department to their company, that would be an easier way to get into coding as it could be done from home with access to electronic medical records. There are a number of tools available to coders that help to electronically code and flag potential errors, hopefully your company would pay for all that because it can be quite expensive.
I tried to portray a clear and realistic picture with discouraging you. It's a lot like going into MT without someone being realistic with you, so the fact that you asked is a good sign.
good luck,
d~
eScription certification?
I work on eScripiton too, but have never heard of any kind of certification, much less advanced. Where would I look to find out about that?
I don't know either, but I will never get my CMT. It is ridiculous to want that certification.
x
We need licensure, not certification, to be an MT sm
If you look at other professions where people are licensed, there is minimum education, minimum skills and sometimes even levels of licensure.
In my opinion, a CMT is worthless. I know many who have passed it studying to pass it, as in studying for the test to pass, but still can't do an OP note or any cardio, 2 things that are on the CMT exam. It is like kids in school learning to pass a standardized test, not what is important or creative.
I know I could pass the CMT if I sat down and took it in 10 minutes and I would pass with no problems. The typing portion of the exam is on things I do each and every day and have for years. My CMT would be the same as a CMT who studied only for the exam!
There has to be something and I think licensing is it.
Some union contracts have more pay for certification. sm
At a facility I worked at for about 11 years, we had that benefit - $1.00 an hour for certification. You would have to find a unionized hospital and see how their contract reads.
Why I refuse to renew my CMT certification
This is from http://mtindia.info/news/latest/heartland-information-services-spryance-inc.-merge.html
(see ALL CAPS in second-to-last paragraph)
Heartland Information Services, Spryance, Inc., Merge Written by News Editor
Wednesday, 15 November 2006
Combined Companies Create Premier Outsourced Transcription Provider Heartland Information Services has merged with Spryance, Inc., forming one of the premier offshore transcription providers in the United States. Spryance shareholders will fund the purchase of Heartland Information Services from HCR ManorCare. The new combined company will be marketed under the Heartland Information Services brand.
Headquartered in Boston, Spryance provides transcription service to more than 175 hospitals and clinics across the country, utilizing 1,200 MTs in India. Heartland’s corporate headquarters is located in Toledo, Ohio, with work centers in Bangalore and Delhi, India. By combining companies, the new Heartland will have over 2,500 medical transcriptionists providing service to over 200 hospital and clinical customers.
Dennis Paulik, General Manager of Heartland, will become the President and CEO of the new combined company. Raj Malhotra, CEO of Spryance, will become Chairman of the Board of the combined companies. Joining Mr. Malhotra on the board will be Gene Barduson, Chairman and CEO, Alteer, Inc., Dennis Byerly, former CEO Third Millennium Healthcare Systems, Inc., Mahendra Patel, formerly with DEC, David Beecken, Partner, Beecken Petty O’Keefe & Company, and Thomas Schleisinger, Partner, Beecken Petty O’Keefe & Company.
“Combining the two companies creates synergies that will add value for customers,” says Dennis Paulik, President and CEO of the new Heartland Information Services. “For example, Heartland provides industry-leading quality and customer support and Spryance provides capacity and scalability.”
“The Spryance investors, led by Beecken Petty O’Keefe & Company and International Finance Corporation, provide the financial strength and resources for the new Heartland to grow rapidly,” adds Mr. Malhotra, Heartland Information Services Chairman of the Board.
...
American Association for Medical Transcription, in association with Prometric, announced the Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) credentialing exam – a newly developed global ‘level-1’ credential in the arena of Medical Transcription. This program is aimed at helping the existing talent pool to scale up and meet the global standards and quality benchmarks. THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS ALSO ANNOUNCED A SPECIAL 'INDIA PRICE' FOR AAMT'S EXISTING CERTIFIED MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONIST (CMT) EXAM (emphasis mine).
Medical Transcription is a booming industry with exponential growth prospects and opportunities for committed players. While globally the industry potential is around USD 30-33 billion, in India it is around USD 300 million. Currently, there are around 18,000 medical practitioners in the country and this is expected to almost double within the next 2-3 years.
I cut myself off :) Experience should be considered always in lieu of certification. nm
x
At times with Webmedx...no matter what your experience or certification...sm
Have many accounts, QA grades that are over 98....so maybe it depends on your supervisor...I don't know...have only been there since about 11/2007.
9 cpl, national, 10 yrs exp.
Unless you are an I/C then 9 cpl is good.
Which national is that?
nm
You are less apt to do it with a national!
More apt to do it with your own accounts or land a great paying job with someone who is not using the internet MTSOs, the internet robbers!
They pay you crap and suck the life out of you! Go independent.
Can you get a job at a national
with going to a community college for your MT education? Thanks!!
Which national is the best for...
flexibility, clinic work and fair pay. I have about 17 years of experience, looking for STEADY part-time work for now. If it works out with a company, I would consider full time. Who is the favorite national here? TIA
at the BIG national I get 7.2 CPL for ASR
but I have been an MT for 26 years.......
4 CPL??? Unheard of in my world....actually....sorry
I used to be AC at a national for $32,000
//
Pay with National
I made 41K last year with very little overtime, and this included incentive pay. My account is going to SR shortly, though, and this kind of money will be a thing of the past. For that reason, I will be moving on soon to a company where I can do straight transcription and be paid a decent wage for it.
The national I work for does not do that. sm
If low on work, they do not take away benefits. 
you work for a national....nm
x
Forgot to say that was with a national. NM
x
When is National MT Week? TIA
They were the first national I worked for, and sm
Giselle had a wonderful personal touch with the employees, and swore they would never outsource their work overseas, and it was pasted proudly over their website. The accounts I had were sucky and I left, but with no hard feelings. Now, I see their web site no longer says anything about them not keeping everything in the US -- sad.
Small national
Try - www.milnertranscriptionservices.com
No other national beginning with "M"...
I worked for Cymed and stayed with SPi. I hate it. Absolutely. TAT is so tightly controlled that there is almost never any work. It totally sucks. And they don't give a damn about us MTs. Just in it for the money. A HORRIBLE company.
in my first year of MT at a national
I was making $130 a day with my main account...then the rug was pulled out from underneath me and my company lost the account (would not say why). I have not made that money since and that was 7 years ago.
national company
I have been with a national for about a year - was on one account for about 6 months - then all of a sudden the work load dropped and then was told the hospital went another direction. I waited it out for a month, as they told us that they would place us on other accounts - they finally did - now some of us are being moved to another account - which I don't mind - other than the downtime in learning it - and this is supposed to be helping out another service. I learned today that the reason they lost the first account that I transcribed was because they outsourced it to India and the hospital had specifically had in their contract that their work was not to be outsourced. Why would a company take that kind of risk - and then lose a very large account? Plus lose good transcriptionists who could not wait a month to be reassigned to another account? I now have spoken with the company who has my original account and hopefully will be hired. They know I worked the account for 6 months, so I could just pick up where I left off. How many nationals do this, though, contract for US work and then outsource? I also heard of a company who is hiring only editors to QA and edit work coming back directly from India - now that is a job I want nothing to do with.
Pay is much much much lower than any other national
/
TT is my favorite national so far
NM
Is it possible to make 35K/yr with a national?
employee status
The national that starts with an S.
I am wondering if the message regarding Spheris, stating that should they want an MT to go, sabotage of their work may take place, could be elaborated on.
It is important that I stay with this job. I have BC and ins. is an issue and honestly, I love it. But, it is very stressful for me to work under these conditions.
If I thought that there was a possibility that the more hostile arm of my management team could retype my work to include an error that would place the patient in jeopardy, just so they could get rid of me, I would take action now.
I would like to know if ex employees who left with heavy hearts would e-mail me confidentially and anonymously to let me know how they came to the conclusion that the sups were brutal and ruthless.
I work FT for a national,
and a few hours a week as an IC for a local doc, whose transcription I have done for nearly 11 years now. The full-time job is 32 or more hours per week, and includes benefits. The IC gig might take 3 hours a week, but the line rate is a LOT more than for the national, and in fact is keeping me alive.
Is this normal for a national?
In my 12 years, this is my first IC position with a national and I'm spinning my wheels. Just wondering if this is normal stuff I need to get used to?
Things like, their field codes sometimes are there and sometimes are not, so if not, I have to go back and put in say the patient's name or DOB by hand. Ok, so that's not too big deal. But most of the referrring doc addresses are not in their system. So I have to look up in their info or search internet, enter into their system, but if there are no codes, have to go put all that in each document by hand. Their templates are mess, IMO. They don't have necessary spaces and some even have grammatical errors. But the worst...sometimes at the end of a report that has a lengthy template where I've had to delete some of it because it wasn't what he said (for example, they have a limited number of templates so maybe I have to use a stress echo template for a nuclear test, so I have to delete much of doc's canned words), it gives me a NEGATIVE LINE COUNT for that report. They have told me they can't fix this, that all in all I'm doing better in the course of my shift by getting paid for the templates, i.e., that it all equals out.
Their system is very slow, bogs down, all this click and point stuff I'm not used to, and I can't produce more than about 150 lines an hour. It's just a part-time gig for me, trying to make some extra money in these crappy times, but it's getting frustrating. Have I just been pampered with awesome MTSOs and docs all these years? Or should I jump ship? Sorry so long, thanks for your input.
National Disgrace?
I don't think I would take it that far, but I do understand. The way things are getting outsourced, some news media would certainly get more physicians and groups to start hiring local ICs instead of making use of the big name companies. I talked to one physician a couple of days ago (Tuesday I think) when I took my son in and she said she has to call in her dictation to the medical group's line and then one of the big companies takes it to transcribe. The last year or so she gets the files back and they still need a lot of editing by her because neither the Transcriptionist nor the QA person could understand her. Now, I've done per diem for her when they get backed up or she needed something back that day, her dictation is very clear as are most physicians in her group. They speak slowly – but not overly – and they enunciate very well. She will even pause and say: instruction - put that in bold: or something like that so you know it doesn't need typed, just done. There is really no reason for this much QA to be done by her.
She is working with many other physicians in the group and they are trying to get approval to hire in house instead of this stuff. I think that if attention is drawn to the fact that physicians are paying the same amount per report, and the reports are being outsourced with very poor quality, that more CEO's of these major groups will pay more attention and hopefully get their heads out of their rears and stop outsourcing. CEO's only see the bottom line and that is very bad for patient care!
Bottom line, when a company is screwing their employees most people immediately think union - but that is kind of hard to have in this field. I have printed some of the posts from this site and taken them to her. They are gathering for a meeting the first of May to discuss this with the group’s CEO and CFO and VPs. I am hoping they succeed. They hire their billing and coding in house so why not their transcriptionists. After all, they had to setup the dictation system, so they could use IC’s as well as in house to do their dictation without much change in the structure that the physicians use! Yea, it would be a bit more expensive to start, but the end reward would be significantly improved! Let’s cross our fingers that this works out and that other groups (Kaiser Permenente, etc.) follow suit!!
The national out of GA, cannot find anything on the
the other one. At least that is the one I am talking about, and from the other posts on here, it seems that everyone else is too, the over-kill with emails, low work, changing time sheets. I would steer clear of them.
10.75 cpl National; 11 cpl smaller MTSO. 25 yrs exp. nm
x
14.5 cpl National, 16.0 cpl small MTSO
Happy, both accounts are California accounts which is a higher pay!!!!
cascas: what national is offering 11 CPL?
thanks 
Yes - it's the 2nd largest national, begins with S. :) NM
x
Medquist. No other national compared that I sm
worked at Transcend, Spheris, MDI-FL, Webmedx. I work for local doctors and get paid by the hour.
I have never worked as an employee for a national. Can someone tell me what you do at MQ when you
have no work and obviously if you get a huge report at the end of your hours you dont dump the report to make sure you dont go over your set hours so I dont see how set hours can be set in stone.
National Transcription Services - SM
Disorganized is an understatement. The company is run by people who have absolutely no experience or understanding of the transcription business. They work on ChartScript.net, SoftMed's web based platform. There are numerous complaints on this site in regards to this platform.
Not necessarily, I'm paid better by the national right now. -nm
x
When I worked for a large national, they
had a gal from New York using a steno machine. She consistently turned out over 20,000 lines every 2 weeks/pay period. So if you know the steno machine, you can make megabucks in transcription. She always won awards at this biggest national.
Would a national company hire me?
I have several years experience working for a very prominent healthcare institution doing acute care, clinic, and hospital dictation in every specialty and subspecialty imaginable. We were never assigned accounts, so my exposure to all of the specialties and dictation by hundreds of physicians at our institution was extensive throughout the years.
Over two years ago I had to take employer-paid disability and have yet to return to work. I have hope with my latest treatment that I will be able to return to work soon and have contacted my MT department head, but did not hear back. Although my reviews were always exemplary, my attendance did suffer slightly prior to my taking disability. I say slightly only because I still attempted to work a portion of each day even while ill and the actual amount of days absent was not that high; however, working at a healthcare institution our attendance requirements are necessarily strict.
If my department head is unwilling to take me back into the department, I don't know what I'll do. I love MT, have great skills, am highly accurate, and don't want to give up on this career. If worse comes to worse and a position will not be available for me when I return to work, do you think a national company would hire me with over a two-year lapse in my work record?
Does anyone have any advice or ideas in this regard? I desire to stay with my current employer, but don't want to leave medical transcription. Thank you.
Is Keystrokes owned by a big national? How many MTs do they have? sm
The information I can find seems to be from just a few nay-sayers and cheerleaders and realy offset each other. Anything new? Who are they owned by?
The biggest national MT company....nm
Is this the big national in Florida with hundreds of MTs? nm
nm
Surely they pay incentive as well if it's a national.
Doubt they are responsible for your every event such acct assignment, workload. I would imagine they have mgmt do that.
Lighten up. She was just trying to give helpful advice to some.
Ever tried counseling? lol
Experiences With National Companies
Can anyone tell me their experience with national companies? I have been in the transcription business for a long time, but I have never been so confused by vague instructions by national companies! I thought it would be as simple as going to a site and picking up my work and then E-mailing it back! Is there any company that works like that? I'm spending so much time trying to fit into a format, going to different places, loading the work, etc., that I'm actually losing money! Is this just from being inexperienced with a long distance company or do they all operate that way? Please e-mail me with your opinions.
You're not workin for a National, are ya? :) nm
nm
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