Failure to pay and your options
Posted By: concerned MT - long message on 2008-02-18
In Reply to:
If you are currently an Independent contractor, you are a business. You are hired as a business to conduct work for a MTSO. I strongly urge everyone to be sure that any contract they sign with a company includes a date of expected pay. Also, when hired, note that late payment of services, after a reasonable amount of time for posting, will be cause for a late fee or interest. Be sure to save e-mail or correspondence. The fact that a company notes when payment of your invoice will be ill give them a set time with a reasonable amount of time for postage to get to you.
If, payment is not made, within that reasonable amount of time, and conversations give you the assumption that they will not be paid (especially if it is said we did not get money etc) then it is theft of services. Contact your DA, and the DA of the MTSO. Think of it this way, if you were any other professional, late fees get tacked on if YOU DO NOT PAY, so pass it on. Put it in your correspondence and stick to it. You are an independent contractor supporting your business.
Now, for all of those who think they are an independent contractor but have any of the following terms, you may be considered an employee through the US Labor Board - including scheduled hours of work.
These factors are used to determine if an individual is classified as an Independent Contractor:
* Is the worker required to follow INSTRUCTIONS?
* Does the firm provide training to accomplish the work?
* Is the worker REGULARLY employed at the firm?
* Is the work performed personally by the worker?
* Does the firm DIRECTLY pay the worker's assistants?
* Is there a continuing ongoing work relationship?
* Are there a set number of work HOURS?
* Is the worker engaged full time by the firm?
* Does the worker work on the firm's premises?
* Does the worker work according to a SCHEDULE set by the firm?
* Is the worker required to submit regular reports to the firm?
* Is the worker paid based on time rather than by project?
* Is the worker REIMBURSED for his/her expenses?
* Does the firm furnish the tools and/or materials?
* Does the worker have a vested INTEREST in performing the services?
* Can the worker realize a profit or suffer a loss?
* Does the worker work for more than one firm at a time?
* Does the worker make his services available to the general public?
* Does the firm have the right to DISCHARGE the worker without incurring a legal liability for non-performance under the contract?
* Does the worker have the right to TERMINATE the relationship without incurring a legal liability for non-performance under the contract?
Depending on your responses, you could be an employee or IC - check with your Labor Board BEFORE a problem pops up.
As a professional, we all must protect ourselves and information is key.
I hope those who have problems get them cleared up sooner rather than later.
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To FAILURE: SM
I tried to give some hints and tips above...I'm happy to help with more if I can.
Please don't let this smart-mouthed poster above get to you.
Those who want to know how to increase their line counts absolutely should be asking and we should be sharing all the information we can on it.
you are not a failure
i dont have normals either. I cant remember them enough to be fast with them. however, i do use my autocorrect in word for words. Like wo without, ht for hypothyroidism, hyt for hypertension, bid for b.i.d., etc. Amazingly this really saves you a lot of time. words that any one says or words that you misspell a lot and want to fix while typing or have to fix spell checking. This is one way I have become faster.
Also, I found that if I do 10 reports at a time I am faster. I download 10 reports and I type straight through. Not stopping for ANYTHING. Then I either download 4 more and say to myself you can sit through 4 more or I will take a quick break. But I try to make myself sit there as long as i can without stopping at all. I MAKE myself do it for at least 10. Before I know it, I have 20, 30 reports done and 3 or 4 hours has gone by!
Above all, once you reach your 1000, don't stop with your groove. If you reach 1000 in 4 hours and work an 8 hour shift, dont stop. Keep going and pulling 10 and sitting as long as you can. You then will have done around 2000 in your workday!
I'm a failure!!!
What is going on??? Is this really happening?? I failed the MT test. I don't understand. I have been a Transcriptionist for 7 years. I wanted to work from home again after taking a few years off. I took a job at a hospital making extraordinary money just a year ago. They didn't have a problem with me. At first I thought it was because I have been away, but I don't think a year can make that much difference. HELP!! 
No - you are not a failure -
I feel the same way about my company. I worked at a 600+ bed facility and never had as many different dictators as the place I work for now. I can't make line count either and getting tired of it.  - I'm tired of working on my days off trying to learn more and when I learn that ----- they ZAP me with something else.
CMT failure sm
I am so sorry you had this experience. You sound like you have an unforgiving back and like myself, probably will have trouble in this profession down the road. I was a CMT for 18 years. I am now part-time only and can't afford it, but when I was a CMT it was a small town and no credence was given to the certification; in fact, they were afraid I would ask for more money. I did have the certificate on my wall though and was proud that I exceeded my necessary credits each time I recertified. Don't pay attention to the insults, just ask if you can take it again, although I doubt it. Be proud that you tried and you did well! Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate, don't let them get you down!
I would never classify anyone a failure or
call myself a failure. As for me, I can do at least 2,000 in 6 hours because I have done this same account for 10 years, and I have normals. I may have to change a few words but mostly its all normals.
You're not a failure.
I agree with the poster who said to use lots of phrases. I never ever tell how many lines I transcribe because people don't believe I can do that much in one day or they say I must have worked 24 hours a day. Some even accuse me of cherrypicking. I've never done that and never will. You have to take the good with the bad in this industry. I earn every line I transcribe.
I've been doing my accounts for a very long time and have transcribed everything from the simple docs to the mumbling ESLs.
Use the expanders for phrases. TPWG the patient was given. TPIG the patient is given. TPWS The patient was started on. Set it so you don't have to use your shift key to capitalize things like copd. Type in smaller case and it automatically capitalizes for you.
I used to put post-it notes on the front of my computer of macros I recently made so I would remember what they are. It would help get in my memory faster.
Another thing I do for every hospital or clinic that I work with -I see if they have a website and print out the copy of their physician list. Saves me a lot of time from looking up physician names. I print it up 2 or 3 times a year because most of them keep their lists up to date.
Hope some of this helps!
REVIEWS FOR FAILURE
The things being taken off on for the review is pathetic too. "During this hospitalization" being marked wrong because the reviewer states the dictation said "during this hospital stay", etc. and so on. These so called reviews are jokes. We are educationed professionals and don't appreciate slave driver tactics.
If he's a failure, what's that make all of US?
more sour grapes
dog liver failure
Mine died from Deramaxx too. She developed liver failure and had a horrible death at home in my husband's arms. When I heard about the Vioxx recall I immediately called my vet, concerned about Deramaxx, and they assured me it was fine. She was dead a month later. We blame ourselves because we had also given her Revolution, prevention for heartworms and fleas, and she became lethargic and vomiting four 2 days after that, which probably weakened her liver further.
sorry - power failure - cut off my post!
SORROY - OWER FAILURE CUT OFF THE END OF MY POST!
Don't worry about the little things - she has good parents that are concerned about her. Just make the love, trust and open communication the priority!
You're not a failure! Those tests are brutal!
With 17 years of MT I thought I had it made. I was sooooo frustrated with the testing. I just barely made it and when I got an email that said "congratulations, you passed the test," I was in tears. Probably in tears because I didn't have to take the horrid thing again.
You'll do fine. Test somewhere else. Good luck to ya!
You're not a failure for wanting to quit.
If it isn't working for you, for whatever reason, it doesn't make you a failure.
Individuals cannot be failures. Failure is a process, an action. You are a person.
You know, typically it is considered professional to give a working notice of 2 weeks. What about offering a 2-week notice with an altered schedule?
Generally, employees who do not give a 2-week notice are considered ineligible for rehire - an important question when others may call them for past employment information. Usually all that is asked/given are dates of employment, compensation, and whether the employee is eligible for rehire.
Yeah, most MT's I know have an MBA - you must be a failure in your fictitious field then
LMAO
nice try though
vent on failure in patient care
My husband took my son to see the doc for a tetanus shot after he stepped on a nail. I'm always transcribing and couldn't go there myself. After coming home from the doctor's office, my son and husband tell me that his foot was never even looked at by even a nurse, let alone the doctor. My son got the tetanus shot, and the paperwork said "do not give if a fever is present." Woops, they didn't even take his temperature. Rather than looking at his foot to determine if it was infected, they just asked my son if it was infected. I called the office totally irate, and they reduced the charges from $88 to $7. Wow, didn't expect that. It's a crying shame that we're a society so hung up on paperwork and billing (HIPAA, etc.) that a doctor or nurse would not even take the time to actually look at a patient's wound. What's really ironic is that very day I transcribed a report where the doctor states the patient shouldn't self-medicate with vitamins and supplements. So, we're not smart enough to determine what vitamins and supplements to take, but we are expected to determine whether or not we have an infection?
Thanks! Maybe I'll remove the caps from Failure!! I do use all expanders
almost exactly as you have described! Its my account that specifically wants verbatim and NO canned text. They must "know" about that, and want to make sure they get their pennies worth out of the MTs!!
Your first boss really sealed your fate! You had failure handed to you at the start!
How on earth can you even believe that?? There are thousands of MTs who have worked, and full time, with small children at home. Boy, talk about an encouraging post! Doom and gloom for sure! The continued negativity of the MTs on this forum is astonishing. You don't have to spend thousands and thousands of $$ to get an education, and if she's a single Mom, she'll probably qualify for complete financial aid! And the company board the last week has been full of posts from newbie grads who are getting jobs across the board, and good ones! This business is constantly ebbing and flowing, changing, but always is a lucrative career! Come on! And the person below, fg, who is negative 24/7 calls it dog meat??? I'd like to see any comparable career where I work the minimal hours I do and make fantastic $$. And, gee, me, a lowly self-educated CMT! Doom and gloom is yours if you choose it. From your own post, your first boss set the tone for you, and you accepted it. Think POSITIVE! 
Options
Ever try reducing your monthly bills by getting a different car with a lower car payment, perhaps a smaller house with a smaller mortgage, and so on? I see no sense of living like that? Do you really enjoy life? Try to take it easy on yourself and enjoy life.
This is just my advice - I know there is no way I could be happy working 3 full time jobs, but if you are then all the power to you. Best of luck in all you do!
there are so many options, but
I would like to work with women in prison, or even preteens in school, its hard to say this early in the game. Maybe even research. The ultimate goal would be to have my own practice and office and work with people on handling anxiety and depression. Cognitive therapy has helped me tremendously and its something I believe in. Just help people's perspective on life, because I have been there before and its all about reprogramming the brain to positive and undo whatever it has learned (for the most part not our fault) in the past.
Two options
I use the toggle feature (Alt-Tab) to quickly go to another open window, something I just learned recently. But the best thing is to have Google as your home page. I keep my home page closed, but use the Web/Home button on my Microsoft keyboard that opens it immediately and I can then just type in the word for search. It's really fast. Hope that helps! The less mousing the better!
I did try that, but i don't have the same options as you. sm
I don't have the MIDI Synth nor do i have an advanced under the volume to even mess with my bass/treble. thanks though!
Well, there's really only 2 options here.
Either find a daycamp for them during the day, or cut down your hours.
The only other thing I can suggest is for you to change WHEN you work...i.e. VERY early in the a.m. before the kids get up or late at night. You can split up your shift 4hrs a.m./4 hrs p.m.
Of course this means more discipline on your part, and probalby more fatigue as your days will be longer than usual but I've done it this way in the past and, for me, it was worth it, to be able to work and still have plenty of time to do things with the kids.
options
You can Google a search term like "transcription call-in system" and others that you are interested in and you should get some options to pop up.
I'd recommend Express Scribe (free download) that allows you to play dictation with a USB foot pedal and look into Express Dictate for your daughter's end. I only have experience with Express Scribe, not Express Dictate, but it looks like it may be something she could use to dictate with and then send it to you via the internet.
Go to Options...
Select Playback tab...
Last line under "Playback" section...
set "auto backstep on stop" to up to 5000 ms.
Other options
Maybe instead of doing medical transcription, you could look into doing corporate transcription. There's a company out of New York called Ubiqus (ubiqus.com) and what they do is record things like phone interviews and project presentatoins for corporations and then you transcribe them - I've done this in addition to my other job for about 5 years now - it's really easy work and the pay's not too bad. You might also check with your local police department or Sheriff's office to see if they need anyone to transcribe taped interviews with suspects or witnesses. If they alrady have a company doing this, find out who it is and see if you can get on there. You've already got the transcription skills and there are so many other things to do with them than just medical. I also agree with the poster that said just take a terminology course, buy yourself an American Drug Index (for reference) and then look locally. Believe it or not, there are still some doctors that are using microcassettes for dictation, so you can bring those home, do the transcription and then take the notes back. Good luck to you whatever you choose and good luck with the baby! =)
Here are a few options
http://sewelldirect.com/vga-switch-2-port_specs.asp?source=froogle&utm_source=Froogle&utm_medium=cse
http://www.outletpc.com/c6414.html
http://www.pccables.com/cgi-bin/orders6.cgi?action=Showitem&partno=80012&rsite=f.80012
options
Yes, you can try to get it yourself and it may be cheaper but you probably won't get the same coverage.
After our insurance went up (again) we decided to shop around to see what we could get. Yeah, we would've saved $$$ buying insurance ourselves but we would've had to go to a PPO with a huge deductible. It's just easier for us to keep the employer provided HMO since we have kids and you never know what happens or if we'll have the $$$ up front to go to the hosp.
fax options
You can set up the one in Windows, but your computer has to be on to receive a fax.
I highly recommend TrustFax. I've used it for years. It's reliable, you can get an 800 number, & it's very inexpensive.
This is the plan I use:
http://www.trustfax.com/trustfaxpoweruser.asp
They have others depending on your usage.
I have 2 middle age couple friends. One couple became pregnant from condom failure.
This is not just "irresponsible" behavior! Both couples are "fixed" now, because for them, reliable birth control was NOT. But it's an error to assume this stuff happens to people who are unmarried or irresponsible. Both these couples are raising 2nd families, now, but it wasn't "irresponsibility" that did them in!
Wishing I had so many options!!
Boy do I wish I had the option of cable vs DSL vs dialup! The cable line ends 1,000 feet from our home and they will extend the line for a mere $10,000 (yes, you read that correctly). For DSL we are to far from town. I even purchased satellite but there was a 10 second lag from the time that you punched in a letter to the time that it appeared on the screen so it was virtually useless for transcription. MQ had told me that I could not do NW acct with dialup 3 yrs ago so I purchased the satellite $500 later after the lag and and service charges and when I told them that I would have to quit they said "Well you can use dialup too". Go figure. Amherst office boo hiss.
:) actually girl I think you have too many options.
choices to you and your kids. 
There are lots of options out there.
Oh, I can relate. It took me 2 years before I made any money, wanted to give it up several times but stuck it out. Now I'm glad I did because working at home is worth all you have to go through in the beginning. Keep watching the job seekers board. You will eventually find something you like. One thing I love about this industry is there is a fit for everyone, if you don't have it now, you can find it. In any case, don't give up, MTs are hard to come by (the reason so many companies offer sign on bonuses). I worked as an IC for 10 years, loved it but had to go as an employee. Anyway, where I'm at doesn't quite cut it so I'm off to a new adventure with a new company. The bottom line is, you can find your dream job, just don't get discouraged in the hunt, but keep looking.
Tools and then Options looks like it may
have commands that determine this
Auto Cap Options in IT
You can disable the Automatic Capitalization in IT by right-clicking on the phrases advisory, then go to Options and Automatic Capitalization. There you can enable/disable the feature and indicate whether or not you want it to capitalize after colons.
Another place to check is in AutoCorrect in Word- that may be automatically capitalizing things as well.
It is very inconvenient not having those options. :( sm
I have tried everything I can think of to get the links to show up on the side bar. I can't imagine why I had them and now I don't as I don't recall making any recent changes to anything. HELP please! :)
you should be able to go into options and configure it
to what you want it to do. but some are just that way. call their customer service
go to options in preferences.....
Under the operation tab there should be a setting for hot keys. Click on it, and it should come up with the next key you hit will become your hot key. Or similar. I have an older version of shorthand, so if this is not an option, go to help and look up HOT KEYS. I have mine set to F9, since my other software programs never seem to use the F9 key. Hope this helps.
Try using the attachment options. sm
You can choose to send the pictures or use a free utility to zip the files into a self-extracting file. You could also try uploading the files to a free site for pictures like Google, Snapfish or Web Shots, to name a few, then just send a link to those you want to see the pix.
You will have to delete the file that's in your outbox.
Here's another one with many search options.
http://mt911.com/site/search/doctor_search.asp
Need Advice - trying to keep options open
I have only worked for one company, namely TL/Medquist, for many years. They have always supplied the things I need to do my job, computer, transcription equipment, phone line, etc. With all the job dissatisfaction with MQers in general, running out of work, etc., I would like to keep my options open as far as pursuing a job with another company BUT I don't know what type of equipment I would need or if other companies also supply equipment for you. Any information/advice about this or anything else that would help me be ready for a change would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! 
Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I am exploring all options..
Like I said, though, switching schools is still hard. Our community is overextended and overpopulated. The classrooms are overcrowded and my son is just not adjusting going from smaller preschool classes to a large classroom filled with 26 other kids.. I think he needs more one-on-one there.. Thanks again for all those who gave advice. It was just something I was considering. It is very distracting to get calls every day at work telling me my child is sitting in the principals office. We are trying to right some of our wrongs. He was getting too much exposure to video games and TV.. that didnt help his "overimagination" and fascination with action shows etc..He is not allow to play on the computer, watch video games etc.. we are hoping that helps. I know alot of it is our fault as parents but I think the school overreacts and overanalysis everything..
While you're researching your options
it might be helpful to you to approach things from the other direction. Try to determine the outcome you hope to achieve and then work backwards to come up with different possibilities to achieve your goal. Maybe after your son has had his depression addressed with appropriate couseling or medication, you could involve him in the decision-making process. He sounds like a bright kid; he may come up with ideas you hadn't considered. In any event, I wish you the best. It's tough enough to be 15 without health issues. He's lucky to have such a caring mom.
Tools > Options > View
Make sure nothing is marked under Formatting marks.
then click on internet options....sm
then click on delete files, then click on delete files offline, then click on delete cookies, and then finally click on clear/delete history. Then reboot the computer and try it again. *fingers crossed for you that it works* 
using web cam-chat rooms?? or other options
does anyone know of any chat rooms or something where you are able to have private conversations using a web cam? my parents are taking my son with them on vacation and this will be the first time I'm away from him. I was hoping to find another way to keep in touch rather than phone and email while they are gone. it's going to kill me being away from him but being a single mom I need a chance to have break-even though I'll probably cry most of the time he's gone. boy, talk about a double-edged sword!!!  any info would be greatly appreciated. I know other single moms have gone through this-how'd you get through it???? TIA !!!!
options, and advanced but found....sm
I found nothing for your problem that I could comprehend. I then went to favorites and to ORGANIZE to see if there was something there and there wasn't. My next suggestion is to post your post on the technical board if you have not done so as yet. Sorry, I tried.
pffftttttt. None of those options worked. nm
x
Study your options though before committing...
I fill in when needed, vacation, sickness, etc, for friend at a local small town phys's office. Typist has been in hosp. and out off and on over the last 2 months. cpl confused Drs. wife so I said $10/hour, thought it was only temporary. I'm usually only there 2-4 hours, usually if it is 2 days of stuff. They work weird hours, 9 sometimes 11p.m. I work 10-6 so I tried to get in when I could in morning or go in evenings. Too aggravating, they are constantly interrupting me. I hooked their system up for C-phone access. Half time they forget to plug it up! But, anyway I have continued to do it by the hour. I will be changing to 10 cpl if this continues. Working at home by the hour I am cheating myself. I type it faster because I am more comfortable so end up shorting myself $10-15 each time. Some would say, drag it out but I can't do that I feel like I'm stealing, yet they are stealing my time.
Yes - go to Tools, Options, then Edit tab
On the column on the right side, unclick "when selecting, automatically select entire word."
Did you select the right port under options? sm
In the Bytescribe, look under ports and select USB (assuming that is what you converted to).
Establish Link Options
Have you established your link options in IT?
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