visible black character (VBC) spaces not counted SM
Posted By: . on 2009-06-22
In Reply to:
I just ran across this as bit long article but it is worth saving to your PC and reading a bit at a time. I recall posting that Probity used this, I posted this meant NO SPACES and somebody came back and said they do pay for them. Boy they are really really making extensive calculation, guess always have and we did not know it.
Last year, KLAS reported that the industry appeared to be moving towards a standard
pricing model based on visual black characters (VBC), especially given the joint announcement from AHIMA and MTIA endorsing the adoption of VBC. The vision was for the VBC to be used to develop service level agreements, benchmark internal
transcription performance, foster better business relationships with the MTSOs, and improve the tools for evaluating and selecting MTSO partners. However, based on this body of research, adoption of this standard has been slow and billing per line is still the predominant approach.
http://www.californiahia.org/Content/ul/8694//Kivi_Dale_Transcriptions_New_Standards.pdf
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Visible black character spaces
I work for a company that only pays VBC and let me tell you it takes forever to get that line count. In my opinion that space bar does not move by itself. Getting cheated but I need the job.
VBC - visible black character - no spaces, returns,
It reduces your pay by about 30%, because you still have to hit the spacebar and return even though you are not paid for it.
Cquence pay is 65-character with NO spaces, only black characters which equates to
approximately 1.5 to 2 cents per line less than 65-character with spaces.
I emailed and asked. Said it was 65-character line with spaces or black and white.
clear as mud.
Are you sure it's not 55 visible black
xx
Visible black characters help!?!?!?
So I'm trying and cannot figure out for the life of me how to compute what a proper rate would be once the switch goes over to visible black characters. I want to get this figured out, so that when the call or email comes about my adjusted line rate, I can either accept it or not.
Does anyone know, at a line rate of 8 cpl right now, what an equal VBC line rate would be? Is there any way to figure this out?
And does this mean we can stop the double spacing? I mean, if it won't affect the company's pay (because apparently they only bill on visible black characters), it's more in keeping with the new standard of only one space after periods and whatnot.
I would think that black and WHITE means they pay for both black characters and spaces.
There is no such thing as a white character. But I would definitely clarify this in your interview.
Sometimes a gross line can equate to more than 65 counted character lines
I know one company whose lines are in very tiny font with very wide margins. The line length for those gross lines is 104-120 characters. This is almost double a 65 counted character line.
You can make a comparison of which is better by making a copy of your report (use cut/paste or lift into an expander, then copy into blank document) and run it thru a line count program set at 65.
Your definition of gross line is correct, but your equating it to pay is only good if the line length for gross lines is maximum 65 characters. MTSOs are learning how to make this gross line sound wonderful but in reality are robbing you blind.
Visual black character perhaps
You might want to check to see if they have switched to no spaces and are paying the VBC method. That could account for such a drastic cut. It would not be surprising to me at all. I am always more than appalled when companies do this on their own without notification or at client request without feeling the need to inform the MTs. Do they think that we do not notice that we are working harder than previously for less?
VBC= virtual black character link
a bit hard to understand but those out there are sure using the calculators. This was on the internet and note this VBC listed on a job listing.on MTStars. Not only have to provide expensive Lanier equip and provide free long distance to their clients but lower line pay. See how they keep lowering their business client cost. and pass it on to the MT
Posted By: K&R Consulting, Inc on 2009-06-30
We currently have several fulltime positions available for acute care MTs with a minimum of 3 years exp and exp with ESL.
Equipment required - Dictaphone or compatible Cphone and unlimited long distance.
Start dates of 8/10 and 8/18 available.
Pay is 9 cents on a 65 VBC line.
Please send resume to resumes@knrconsult.com i
mean black character on white paper
also called virtual black character or VBC. Spaces not paid for. Never do it. This is just horrible.
You will have more lines with spaces counted.
Can you run a line count comparing a report with spaces and without spaces? That would give you an idea.
thx to prev post re viewing how DQS spaces being counted
i finally see now what i had heard rumored -- how we can check a previously transcribed report and see what QA filled-in the blanks. So instead of waiting for feedback, i can just go back and check myself now, voila!! In dQmanage, just choose your date, detail, click on job #, and instead of taking that payroll option, take the user option, and there's the finished QA'd report. Dang, wish i'd have known this before.
What is MDI-MD's line rate? Spaces counted? weekends? benefits? Thanks. Have EXTENSIVE MT ex
x
black characters=without spaces.
nm
Definitely is spaces include, black and white.
Indeed it is.
65 character lines with spaces
I don't think so. You're going to do a lot of typing to get all those lines. They don't pay spaces, no way!
But if they are saying per character are they including spaces?
I'd ask if a space = a character. ;)
37-character line without spaces much better...SM
Hi! I just checked an OP note I did yesterday. Characters with spaces was 5935. I get paid on a 65-character line with spaces, so that came out to 91.3 lines.
Characters without spaces was 4999. So, if you divide that by 37, you get 135.1 lines.
In the first scenario, I would get paid $8.22.
In the second scenario, I would get paid $12.16. (If both pay the same per line...9 cents in this example).
So, you would definitely do better to accept the 37-character line withOUT spaces! :)
Chickadee
Prior post said it's so-so to use, but only counts the black chars., no spaces. nm
s
it sounds like a 55-character line without spaces
Yes they do; 65-character line, spaces included NM
7 cpl character with spaces....EMDAT sucks...sm
Not worth the hassle of filling in demo info manually spending inordinate amount of time searching patient lists that are 3 or more pages long....YUCK
It means characters that are printed in black and white - no spaces included. nm
x
Ask what is a line. I was offered 6 clp for a 42 black character line sm
that seemed to strange, but really it was not so bad. Came out pretty close to a 65 k/s line at 8.5 to 9.
TransHealth pays for spaces & headers on a 65 character line. sm
I recommend them highly. Stable company, good platform, great benefits. I'm happy there.
I know they could tell if they counted
keystrokes instead of characters, but if it is a true character count, I don't know how they would know.
Is everything getting counted the same way? Many places don't
s
If every keystroke is counted, how could it not
x
If every keystroke is counted, how could it not
x
How are the lines counted?
x
does this mean no double spacing counted either? -
offered 51 cpl VBC but not sure if that would be good or not?
I also received a check from them for lines not counted, but this was
7 or 8 years ago and mine just was not set right. It was not any big deal, my supervisor (who was a good friend) told me that it was not on purpose, just I was running an old program.
Clinton ignored bombings on US by terrorists. BTW, revenues were counted twice, SM
SS was counted twice, put in the general fund. It all looks good on paper. I dont want to debate this with you, I am bored with this and tired of repeating myself. Clinton pulled troops out Somalia, which Bin Laden himself said is why he knew America was weak. To say things in sound bites does not do history justice, and leads to untruths.
You obviously want to blame Bush for everything, even outsourcing. No history lesson will change your mind.
Agreed!!. They know exactly how they want those lines counted. That is why you hear people saying
that they averaged 200 lph at one company and switched and now get over 300 lph. It is all in how the counts are set up. Sounds like Transtech people are getting a bum deal. There has to be something to it because A LOT of people have complained. If it were randomly a person here or there I could understand but there are way too complaints not to be valid to some extent.
You know, I never actually counted my lines myself, I just always figured my company's line count
Boy was I wrong! I just went through and totaled all of my lines, then compared them to the line counter, and guess what! It's wrong! Can you guess who I work for? SOFTSCRIPT!!! 
Phoenix MedCom shows you every report and every line counted,
with Word verification. They use 2 programs,internet for the newer programs, and a word-based program for those on Lanier and Dictaphone. But their programs show the verification of the job and line count no matter which platform you transcribe on. They have two rates...the internet platform pays for spaces, and the other is not with spaces but line rate is higher.
I think most places pay for spaces. I work for TransTech and they pay for both spaces
as well as punctuation. I would never work for an MTSO that doesn't.
If you read in their FAQ section, fixed headers and footers are NOT counted as well as bolding, un-
s
I just counted my specialties list. There are 37 that roll in at any time in no order:) Nice huh?
..
65 with spaces versus 65 without spaces; how to calculate?
Can someone tell me if you are getting 9 cents per 65-character line with spaces how much you would need to be paid per line to make the same amount per line if you are offered a ''65-character line without spaces?'' Thank you very much
So, if not spaces paid, what cpl would be comparable to at least 9 cpl w/spaces, do you know??
Thanks.
Black and white. nm
Black Lists?
No, I don't believe there is such a thing. Then, do companies talk to each other about former employees? Yes, sometimes that happens. It's simply the course of doing business. It's called a network and often called checking your references.
As for recruiters not knowing each other, at any given AAMT meeting there will be 5 to 20 companies exhibiting, each with their recruiter there. Of course they get to know each other. It is, again, about networking.
I am curious, though. If MTs can create a blacklist for companies, what would be wrong with employers doing it??
black characters?
Sounds like no spaces counted to me.
black and white?
I understand what you are saying about transcription being black and white, but I have to disagree. While transcription itself is pretty straight forward, there are many different fields that require the same service.
To say that someone with no medical transcription experience does not need additional training does not make sense to me. I have dealt soley with psych. transcription and won't fool myself into thinking that once I've done one area, I've done it all.
If you go to websites of top online companies, they specifically say that any other transcription experience outside of MT does not apply towards years of experience required for employment and my conversations with them have confirmed that.
I appreciate all of you who have given me honest, useful and valid information. It will definitely influence my decision! thanks again!
Pot - Kettle - Black
Shelley,
Talk about bad business practices.
Your post is blatant example of the pot calling the kettle black. Just how marketable have you made yourself posting openly this gripe about your former employer you left months ago. Perhaps you may sway a few MTs from applying with D&L, but I bet your post instead turns many more prospective employers away from you.
Next time, think before you speak.
Anyhow, good luck to you.
Current D&L IC
- always paid in full and on time.
Pot-kettle-black
What's true is true, and I can't change that for you...however, it hasn't hurt my marketability in the least. Thank you so much for your concern.
Have you checked outside, there might be a black
Why care who reads what, if you're telling the truth it makes no difference. Management might take the time to read this site (as if they have nothing better to do) for entertainment but give them more credit for intelligence than to base any management or company decision making issues on anything said on a board like this. If you say nothing on here you wouldn't be afraid to say to management, then who cares what they see/read. If management is particularly bad or corrupt, etc., they don't care if you know it because they've already figured out a way around what they're doing. Now go close all your blinds and cower in the corner and wait for them to come busting through the door.
Black AND white (sm)
Doesn't that mean white (or spaces) are paid for?
Black and white characters
I worked for a company that used the DQS software and I never could get my line counts, even though I typed like a fiend! In an 8-hour shift, I could get maybe 800 to 900 lines with that program. The way my company said, is Black and White characters, which means no spaces. I didn't get any credit for the ADT screens either.
Hope this helps.
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