65 gross character line

Could someone please explain to me how this works. I have been an MT for 7 years with the same company and have been paid by # of total bytes divided by 72 x 11 cents per line. I am now moving on to a new job which pays by the 65 gross character line and I'm not sure how to figure this out. Would appreciate any help. Thanks so much.

• 65 gross character line - b
  • hope this will help....sm - check this out

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu

A gross line is anything on a line versus 65 gross characters per net line the other way.  You make more money working for the gross line than for the 65 gross character line, as long as the line rate's OK.

I am thinking of taking a job that pays by the gross line and not a 65-character line.  I have never worked this way.  Does this literally mean if there is one little word on a line you get paid for it?  I have not pinned her down on a line rate but I am just thinking I am going to be comparing apples to oranges and am wondering how to accomplish that. 

Thanks for any help!

I'm very sorry that your lines are 90 characters line and you get paid by gross lines.  You are cheating yourself - that's not my fault.  You cannot change the definition of a gross line.  So I gues I'm not understanding what you are trying to say.  Now if you are trying to say that your line equals 90 characters and that's how you figure your lines, than you are not using gross lines.  You have defined a line to be 90 characters, whereas most MTSOs define a line as 65 characters.  If that is the case, then I must say again, you are cheating yourself.

So which is it, do you get paid by gross lines or by a 90 character line?

I recently had a call for family practice dictation and I offered 12 cents per line.  Have always charged by the gross line and was charging 14 cents, which I thought was too high, so lowered it to 12 cents.  However, the more I am reading I see that 65 character seems to be the way everything is getting billed.  I also realize at 12 cents per line I lose a lot going to 65 character lines. 

I also realize with family practice that they might have a lot of times where there is one or two words on a line and probably wouldn't be too happy about paying for gross lines. 

I guess I'm looking for advice on charging.  Is charging for gross lines unheard of anymore? I have already quoted the 12 cents, so that will have to be my charge.  But as far as gross or 65 character, I haven't been asked that yet but would need to have that absolutely straight with them before starting.  Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.  I know I'm a little behind the times and am trying to catch up and stay competitive also. 

Thanks!

Can someone explain the difference between these two?  I am assuming that the gross line is better than the gross character line.  How much better is being paid by the gross character line than just by the standard 65-character line?  Does anyone know how much difference it would make in dollars and cents?

Thanks.

Some MTs can't even define a line.

A gross line is a any line with typewritten characters on it no matter how long or how short.

A 65 character line is just that - a line with 65 characters on it.

WOW!

I am checking into other options for transcription.  Can anyone tell me how to compare all of these types of lines & also payment per word?  I know companies use different scales, so I wondered how they compare.  I have been paid on a 65 character line with spaces, but I may be making a change in the future - don't want to get burned.

Thank you in advance!

You can get an idea in the difference using documents you have already created, assuming you're working in Word. Simply open a document and check the properties. Click on the statistics tab and you will see the number of lines as well as characters with and without spaces. If you're currently getting paid by the line and a line is 65-characters with spaces, do the math and see how that number of lines compares with the number of lines in your stats.

One thing to keep in mind: if you have a blank line between paragraphs, instead of hitting the enter key twice, format your document to give the appearance of blank lines between paragraphs.

Mebbe just got my first OWN ACCOUNT YAY!  He said to charge him the "going rate" since I pay him that.  This could be the start, baby!  (I hope)

for instance...

MEDICATIONS:

Effexor

Prevasid

A 65 character line without spaces is black marks on the page only and 65 w/spaces is everything... tabs, spaces, numbers, letters, bold, etc.

All these formulas are confusing to me. I guess I need to ask some more questions. But, it's also an IC position, so that makes a difference doesn't it? Low pay for that? But, you are right, might be good experience.

many transcriptionists get paid by the 65-character line

At 8 cents a line, to me, that should be just straight typing.  No looking up - leaving a blank, and no struggling more than 1 time to make out what some doctor is mumbling.  I am sorry, please don't tell me I have a bad attitude, but each and everyone of us is worth more than 8 cents a line.  When we were paid (in the past) at a higher rate, it made up for the researching or trying to figure out what the doctor is saying.  I had been out of this work for quite some time.  Worked in a hospital for 22.00 an hour for years, worked part time for a service for about 9 cents a line - maybe 3 days a week for 4 hours a day.  I did not pay attention that closely then as I had the hospital job.  But now, working 8 hours (or more.)  This is complete and total B.S.  This p_____s me off so bad.  But I have to do it in this economy, I am not in a position to do anything else.  Everytime I try to really pick up my speed - as there was a time I could about 200 lines or more an hour.  (I cannot do it anymore straight through 8 hours.)  The QA people find something (a comma or whatever) and then I get nervious and slow way down.  I know they have a job to do, but come on.  There are some, but very few,  doctors who care where a comma goes.  Give me a break.  It just infuriating for everyone that does this.  I had a few doctors on my own accounts years back, but they would not pay on time, regularly, etc.  Anyway I just had to vent. 

At 8 cents a line, to me, that should be just straight typing.  No looking up - leaving a blank, and no struggling more than 1 time to make out what some doctor is mumbling.  I am sorry, please don't tell me I have a bad attitude, but each and everyone of us is worth more than 8 cents a line.  When we were paid (in the past) at a higher rate, it made up for the researching or trying to figure out what the doctor is saying.  I had been out of this work for quite some time.  Worked in a hospital for 22.00 an hour for years, worked part time for a service for about 9 cents a line - maybe 3 days a week for 4 hours a day.  I did not pay attention that closely then as I had the hospital job.  But now, working 8 hours (or more.)  This is complete and total B.S.  This p_____s me off so bad.  But I have to do it in this economy, I am not in a position to do anything else.  Everytime I try to really pick up my speed - as there was a time I could about 200 lines or more an hour.  (I cannot do it anymore straight through 8 hours.)  The QA people find something (a comma or whatever) and then I get nervious and slow way down.  I know they have a job to do, but come on.  There are some, but very few,  doctors who care where a comma goes.  Give me a break.  It just infuriating for everyone that does this.  I had a few doctors on my own accounts years back, but they would not pay on time, regularly, etc.  Anyway I just had to vent. 

If you have a document that equals 30,000 bytes you divide it by 60 to get 500 lines.  If your line rate is 7 cpl, you have made approximately $35. 

They used to do this years ago, before AAMT came out with the 65 character line standard.  It all works out the same way eventually.