This is why I prefer group over individual..
Posted By: Why I dont do private insurance on 2008-01-22
In Reply to:
The bottom line is that.. When you have group insurance, you have a set rate, along with everyone else, regardless of your health insurance..and when it renews each year, it will only go up based on the group's rate, nothing to do with your personal health history and it is generally better benefits overall. Now, you have a private policy, can only afford one with a huge deductible (major medical)..well, during the year, you had an emergency surgery, heart attack..whatever.. Well, first off you have that preminum which is high, then you have all of that deductible to meet, upwards of $5000..THEN, your shocked at renewal time that they jacked up your preminum about $200 a month..and then your stuck..You can pay that outrageous amount or go without insurance because another private insurance wont touch you will all of your medical claims in the past 10 years. If they do touch you, it won't be cheap. So, your bad to square one.. crappy insurance at a bad price or signing up with a company for okay rates but better insurance.
I thought I was smart not keeping my group insurance through work because it was $400 a month (deductible $1000 etc..) so I went and got myself a family plan through private insurance for ONLY $196 a month.. Yes, then I had a $5000 deductible and come to find out my prescription benefits were only 50% instead of the $10-40 I had been paying. One of my son's prescription cost us $100 a month with that great insurance, and it would have only been $25 on my old group policy. Yes, I was saving a lot of money..NOT. I did check into my private insurance to get a policy similar to my group one.. and imagine that.. they wanted over $1000 a month for decent insurance. So, no thanks. I'll stay with group..It's worth it in the long run.
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I prefer to be off a day during the week so I prefer a Tues-Sat schedule. nm
nm
Since it's a private group on Facebook, you have to click on "request to join group" sm
It takes about a day to be added after the request is put in.
Might be only the endocrine doc in a GI group, only the pacemaker doc in a cardio group, etc. nm
n
he's not looking for individual MTs
He's looking for a group that collectively can handle 5000/day.
I have the individual coverage
and it's about $17 per week. United Healthcare, good plan. 250 deductable. I wish I could help you more but I know my regular doctor is on the plan so I am quite happy with the coverage. Hope that helps.
It's not so much the school, it's the individual.
x
CUT-THROAT INDIVIDUAL
I know who you are too, and what goes around comes around!
What a pathetic individual
I know what you're alluding to, even though you are too much of a coward to say it outright. If you can't say anything nice, or heaven forbid be supportive of this individual, then just keep it to yourself.
I, too, work for OSi and have for a few years. It's bad enough that you come on here and trash the company, now you're making personal attacks?! Go crawl back into your hole! 
Oh yes they can! It depends on the individual sm
QA person, of course. There certainly are some with very strange ideas on the interpretation of transcribed work (they don't take time to read the entire report to get the proper context) and some with vendettas. There are rotten apples everywhere.
How can you know for a fact how much another individual is capable of doing? sm
I have tried to ignore your constant negativity, and I do feel sorry for you because you must have an unhappy life to want to always rain on everyone else, but enough is enough.
I average 300-350 lines an hour, at 11 cpl that equals over $33/hour. I have been an MT for over 30 years now, and have been blessed with a natural ability for speed and spelling, and, although there are new things to learn every day, I do not have to spend the majority of my work day looking up things.
I am not trying to be adversarial, and it makes no difference to me what you believe. I cannot believe I even got sucked this far into defending myself against some stranger. I wish you well, and hope you have a job that you enjoy as much as I do mine.
Merry Christmas :)
I have individual coverage and I pay less than $100 per month. They pay
the rest. I think it's definitely more for family coverage and I am not really sure what those rates are. I would just call and ask them. They're really nice and helpful.
I have BCBS individual policies for myself and
my last home-living son. When all my children were still at home, they had individual policies that they could take with them.
It was cheaper for me to do buy each of us an individual policy and know that I can keep us insured 100% of the time regardless of whether I changed jobs or not.
The plan I chose for ours has a $5000 major medical deductible but we have not ever had to use hospitalization and I can pay out $5000 one way or another. Office visits are covered 100%. That was my main concern as I wanted the routine items covered. I can handle facing the other big ticket items. I also wanted the lowest premium possible. It was a great bargain for us.
Reports for any individual company. nm
Is that individual or family and what is the company?
nm
Are you looking for individual or family coverage?
X
A flyer for individual docs:
*If you're like most doctors, you never read dictated medical reports, anyway! Yours, or anyone else's! So why pay through the nose for something you'll never look at?*
*At AchooQuist, we understand the needs of busy docs like you.... men and women who laugh in the face of malpractice suits. That is why we've tailored our MT services to suit your busy, careless, greedy lifestyle.*
*When you joint the AchooQuist team, you'll pay what YOU want. (next-to-nothing). And you'll get exactly what you pay for.*
*We GUARANTEE it.*
Maybe you could solicit work from individual
and give them a good rate for paying CASH. Then no one could prove who you were working for.
No, Diskriter is owned by an individual - they have never been linked to MQ - never will -
never ever ever ever never - if they ever did join with MQ, I would quit in a heartbeat and never go back to the field of transcription.
Their individual insurance is $52 a mo and their dental and vision
run it up to about $60 a month. If you leave, you also get to Cobra the dental and vision together at $30 a month. I know because I left and went back. Nice folks.
Can anybody recommend where to get individual insurance affordably sm
for self-employed MTs that doesn't exclude pre-existing conditions? My husband just lost his job and we haven't received the COBRA papers yet and it has been over a month. I have health problems and really cannot afford to be without insurance so I thought I would ask if anybody here knows of good reasonable insurance for the self-employed but more importantly one that actually will cover something! Thanks so much!
What a charming individual you are -- thanks, and Merry Christmas to you. :-) nm
x
Yes, my husband is self-employed so we have individual plans but...
the preminums keep going up and up. I realize they also do when you work for a company, but since they get a group rate, the hit isnt as hard as when you are self-employed. Once you have a medical condition and your self-employed, the rates are horrible. I am going to check into some of our plans here locally just to see. My husband and kids are on their own individiual plans and they do have a copay but all we could afford was the cheapest plan which does not cover a lot and like I said every year we get hit with higher preminums just to end up with less coverage. It is very discouraging.
Very affordable for individual, high for families, sm
but I think all insurance is high for families. 6 holidays, a few days PTO until you've been there over 6 years. (and they keep changing the PTO yearly).
Pros and cons dependent on individual (sm)
In my own case, I was never a power producer MT. There were several reasons, but suffice it to say that though I always made quota, I never really soared past it. My transcripts were always nearly perfect, though, and that got attention and I got asked to do QA.
I am a better QA person than I am an MT, both because I have a knack for hearing things other people can't, and for finding the answers in books or on the Internet. And it allows me to do my typing in shorter bursts, which works better in conjunction with my health issues and honestly, my attention span. (I joke that I'm both OCD and ADD, and my QA job is easier on both of those than straight transcription.)
I have a friend who's just the opposite. She's a fantastic MT but hates doing QA. She hated dealing with others' mistakes and was uncertain of herself when having to make a judgment call about something. She also can transcribe fast enough that she makes more money on the hour transcribing.
So, overall, yeah, I personally think it's more a preference. Different strokes...
That is individual and the company is paying a big portion. sm
That is the employee portion. They were having problems getting enough people interested last year but I guess they have enough now!
Prefer MT
I've done both, but prefer transcribing. Can earn more and go faster. QA was fine, but pay was sooooo low.
Definitely prefer QA over MT.
I actually make more doing QA but I guess I am lucky to be paid a pretty high hourly rate compared to what others say they make doing QA(shocked!). I began to really hate transcribing after many years as it became very boring and eventually not challenging enough for me. Plus my arms ached all the time. Everyone is different though, of course.
Prefer QA to MT (sm)
I make a lot more doing QA then MT. Very satisfied with my hourly rate and honestly enjoy my job!
This is exactly why I much prefer being--sm
an IC. Sure, some of these companies sound all wonderful with their benefits and all, but I guess I just do not trust very much, and shy away from accepting any benefit package with a company I cannot see or be physically involved in. The MTSO that I work for recently merged with another company who offered employee status with benefits. It all sounded really good, but when asked specifics about some of the benefits, I received quite vague answers. The one thing that spooked me was when they sent a letter explaining employee benefits and it stated *if you choose to become an employee, your rate of pay may change (but it did not specify to what)*. and also regarding their insurance benefits, it mentioned that $400 would be deducted from employee's pay every pay period, for single coverage!!! I have checked into getting my own individual coverage and I felt that $180 a month was too much to pay, so for a $400 pay cut every two weeks, wow! I decided to remain an IC. That way, I take care of my own taxes. I know exactly what is being paid into my SS every year, because it is ME that is paying it. And, if I choose to have a retirement fund, at least I know any money I put into it is actually going there. In other words, I retain control of my finances and do not rely on some ghost company somewhere to do that for me. It is all a matter of trust these days, and I have been burnt enough in the past that I trust hardly anyone anymore. These *companies* do not know you and you don't know them, so what is to stop them from doing exactly what you have described? You have my sympathies.
I wish you the very best and I truly hope you get your money back. It may be a long drawn out process though, but be persistent! Good luck to you!
Would you prefer....
I am wondering how many of you enjoy having daily e-mails that shares things about the company and your co-workers, such as maybe how long they have been employed and maybe something like spotlighting each MT each different month just to find out a little bit about your coworkers? The reason I ask this is because I used to work for a company about a year ago who had this type of thing and I really enjoyed it. It would even have something in it like bloopers from dictations and such. The company I have now you have nothing like that at all. We have our company e-mail, but the extent is just information about changes in account specs or the daily workload. I have seen names on the IM and just wondered about my fellow team mates. It was just a thought. Would like nice, honest answers... Please no meanies 
To answer your other question, they may hire MTs for individual departments
like Renal Transplant, Orthopedic department, etc. They do not have hire for their MR or radiology department as those departments are outsourced.
You could probably get in a specialty practice.
I know Rothmann Institute hires on-site MTs for their Hand Center - Orthopedic surgeons. They have an office in Center City, a satellite office in King of Prussia, and another one in Cherry Hill, NJ.
Hope this helps you!
agree,the pay is going to vary based on individual experience
nm
ExText line count for individual reports? Is there a way? nm
x
First Choice does, also, WP5.1. I prefer it, too. nm
xx
Why do you prefer OP notes? nm
+++
No, just as an employee. I think they have just a few ICs and prefer
to hire employees. I imagine though that working for them as an IC is pretty much the same as an employee with the exception of no benefits. U have been in this business for 20 years and this is by far the best company I have ever worked for.
done both and prefer IC status
I have been an IC for over 15 years. For the first 12, I was not incorporated. I just filed using my SS#. I incorporated three years ago, and now things are a bit more complicated but I seem to get more write offs.
My husband claims only a few on his taxes, so he seems to cover the both of us. I do not pay quarterly, and just about break even at the end of the year. We usually even end up getting a refund on our personal.
I have a CPA who is expensive but very familiar with home based business and what you need to pay or not pay.
I also work for a company where I am an employee, so throw that in the mix, and my tax return is kinda crazy. I prefer the IC status with all the write off's and such. My corporate filing fee is $750 per year and that is all I ever pay (well at least for the last three years).
Hope this helps.
I have used both, prefer Shorthand (SM)
Learning curve was too tedious and long on instant text. I found I could program ShortHand to do most of the same things.
I prefer nationals. SM
I have worked years in hospital settings. It does have its advantages. Here's what I see the pros/cons are:
Inhouse Pros:
-- When you are done for the day, you're done!
-- You are not faced with family/friend disruption (see cons, too)
-- Company provides everything
-- Socializing is easy
-- Provides a change of environment
-- You have immediate access to assistance on all levels
-- HR and Payroll are usually in the same bldg and you can go down directly to them
-- Mgmt is readily available
-- You can usually view the entire workload and see how it is being distributed or balanced and have more input
-- Workload is limited to your employer's work only
Cons:
-- If you get too close to coworkers, they become intrustive on your work
-- If you don't share coworkers' perspectives, you can be given quite a cold shoulder treatment
-- You have to conform to a dress code usually
-- You have to leave the house in bad weather, park - sometimes walk a ways or even pay fo parking, etc.
-- Usually much more structured work and break times that are not too flexible
-- Usually paid hourly..sometimes with incentive plans. If you are really fast, probably not a good setup for you.
Love Nationals:
-- Work from home
-- Co provides equipment
-- Plenty of work and varieties of work
-- Paid on production -- great producers do very well
-- No worries about coworkers and social settings (getting along with annoying workers, etc.)
I've done both and I prefer..
hourly because I would have a set income already.
I actually prefer to be trained
this way rather than getting stuck on the phone endless hours. Would you mind emailing me the name of the company?
I'm with you. I prefer per report
/
Do u prefer being an IC or employee?
Do you prefer being an IC or employee? I have been an MT for a little over 2 years, and I've always been an IC (subcontracting for a small transcription service). I like the flexibility in my schedule, but I feel a little left out in the cold when it comes to tech support, not having PTO to fall on when work runs low, etc.
I prefer my own computer.
Been working at home 12 years and have always used my own computer. None of my employers have gotten into it for any reason. If I have a problem with something computer related, my husband takes care of it.
You know, its just so much dependent on the individual posters. That's what ruins the thread whet
good or bad about a company, and wish as we might, we just cannot make some MTs have any class, or behave like an adult. I don't think people would bash the positive posters. In fact, normally they don't, but its how the positive posters post! Most times, they just come in bashing and defending their company, and that never works! In fact, if they just realized how bad they are behaving, while they are so outraged and trying to protect their company, they actually make the company look worse - know what I mean? We all shudder and think, Uggghhh, glad I don't work with her. Or whatever! Or if they just post totally out of the blue, like "Gee, ya know, Joe Blow Transcription is just the BEST - a dream job, and I am just sooooooooooooo happy here. (and then you can bet your next paycheck that there just happens to be an ad for help at JBT on the job board, posted 60 seconds before the "cheerleader" post. Those happy posts are just insulting! And same for the negative posters. We all love the infamous "Joe Blow Transcription Sux", and they don't even have the brains to put "nm", so we all waste our time and follow the thread to see WHY JBT sux, and there is no message! These are the obvious disgruntled MTs who got the axe, and for probable good cause! But when people are upset enough to come on the board and post their grievances: a. we SHOULD lend them a sympathetic ear, even if we work for the same company (perhaps more if we work with them - they are a coworker on the same team after all), or b. we should at least let them voice their probable valid grievances. We could all benefit from their grievances, as these companies really do have a history, or pattern, of behavior. And when there are runs of these battles over a company, as upsetting as it may be for some of you to read or see, it is a very big RED FLAG and indicator that something is wrong in these companies - maybe it gets fixed, maybe it doesn't, but SOMETHING is wrong, and I sure like to know before wasting my time! Been there, done that, and have even not listened to some valid grievances about companies, applied, been hired, and crushed to find all the complaints were 100% true and still not fixed! So, negative as the posts seem, sadly they are indicative of the condition of our industry! Let these companies know we are communicating about them - it turns up the heat for them to FIX themselves!
Haven't noticed - do you keep track of individual report counts?
nm
I've had private individual policies and you pay a fortunate for bad coverage.
You either get stuck with an awful deductible or a policy which limits coverage. So, that is not always a good option. If you want a decent cheap premium, you get what you pay for.
For decent private individual policies, it is very expensive for a family.
Unless, you have a $5000-7500 deductible and a 50% copay on prescriptions which is bad for us because my son takes medication that costs $160 a month. If we went with a policy equal to what my job provides, the premium is over $1000 a month. With my job, I am paying about $400 a month for family coverage.
I think you have to use their equipment, if that matters at all. I prefer my own. nm
m
I prefer quiet, too. Everything seems fine. nm
x
I earned more doing MT work but I prefer QA
because I love it. I enjoy the mentoring aspect plus MT took its toll on my bones and I absolutely could not do it anymore if I wanted to because of that.
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