I didn't increase my line rate for over 10 years!

• no increase - again! - Poor MT
  • Guess I am lucky - Patti
    • I'm a lucky one also - @ 18 cpl, can't really raise any higher. nm - Patty
      • What part of the country are you in? - Curious
      • This can't possibly be for a national as an IC??? - jus me
        • No not a company, IC with own accounts. nm - Patty
  • Sounds like where I work (sm) - BTDT and have a T-shirt or two
    • Of course they shared it with you--to let you know - not to bother! Sheesh. - nm
  • Reality bites - MTness
  • Poor MT - Not a lady and not poor
  • As an IC you should be setting your OWN rates - within reason, of course....
    • In theory this is correct, but in reality all of us who are ICs - sm - XXX
      • Fair enough. I see what you mean. - sm
        • you should be setting your rates according to what the market will bear... - MTSO
          • I didn't increase my line rate for over 10 years! - At Home MT
            • Let us know if you got the increase. - nm
              • I will try to remember to post if I get the raise.:) - At Home MT

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I would say work with them a little.  I would say try and increase to $2.50 per page in the hopes you get an increase of $2.00.  I had a physician do this where I wanted $2.50 from $1.50 (6 years ago), and he offered me $2.00.  I took it. 

I am now, same physician, looking for a way to increase as I get paid per page $2.00 (typing from handwritten forms/not dictation), but I think he may go for it.  I, however, am looking at whether I am making more with him per page as opposed to per line and with him it seems I do better per page.  I also make deliveries.  If I were you, I would not go 4 times a week if they are not willing to compensate you a little more for that time.  Production is production, but the time spent making the deliveries needs to be worked in. 

Is this a client that could possibly go digital?  You may want to stroll that avenue.  Just a thought.  E-mail me if you'd like and have more questions.  I am having the same dilemma.  No one wants to go digital, but they are flexible with pick-up/delivery. 

I read an article on www.mtworld.com about transcriptionists not making what they should because they do not want to "rock the boat", well my boat is sinking somewhat as everything has gone up but my income!!!  HAHAHAHAHA

I just this done several months ago and what I did was put a little "blurb" at the bottom on the current invoice that said "Effective xx/xx/xx line rate will be $x.xx", with the effective date starting the next month.   I never heard anything back so have been billing at increased rate ever since.  I did make it large enough (same font size as rest of invoice) and put a couple of ******next to it.  When you get a bill from your water, electric, gas or whatever company, they don't even tell you,they just raise it, although sometimes the cable company will tell you in advance that rates have changed.  Anyway, that's what I did, didn't feel I needed to justify it, especially if your rates have been the same for a long time, like mine!!  Good luck.

check this website out.  These are the vendors and what they are charging for New Jersey Medical Center.

http://www.umdnj.edu/purchweb/employees/employ16_transcribing.htm

To all of those MQ MTs,  check it out, they are charging up to $0.20 per 65 character line. 

Hope this helps.

I'm working as IC with one physician, and I need to increase the rate. I'm working too much typing, printing,and driving 4 days a week at $1.50 per report (mostly one page). I average 25 reports per day.  PE is a given, but the rest of the document has to be typed.  He is ESL and a good one.

Can you share info on what and how to include in a rate increase letter? What would be my effective date, 30 days, 60 days, or 90 days?

I thought I'd increase to $2 per report. What do you think?

In my opinion, 9 to 10 cpl for clinic, 10 to 12 cpl for acute care.  These should even be higher if you have your own accounts (no middle man).   But like some said below, it all depends on the account and also the way the lines are counted.  I have over 12 years experience in all specialties and in acute care, and I have worked for 8 cpl as an IC and made more per hour than working for 11 cpl doing acute care.   The 8 cpl was all by templates and I could make many, many normals, averaging about 400+ lines per hour, plus it was easy work. 

Ask specific questions about the work, what kind of account, how many doctors, etc.  That in my opinion is more important.     

I would like to get my own accounts with doctors but I don't know what to charge. How do I figure out what to charge. Does it matter where I live and what specialties I do?

I haven't found anything. What should I do a search for?

What would be a reasonable line rate for dermatology. Current MT is charging .12 per line. I will be typing very short one or two paragraph letters with no progress notes. 

Also, I need a dermatology reference books - Any suggestions?

Thanks    

I see a lot of talk about line rates and MT's unhappy with their line rate they receive.  I would like some opinions.  We pay 8 cents per line and the line consists of 65 characters plus spaces.  This is exactly how we invoice our clients.  Is this a fair rate in your opinion?

Just started training in ASR and received line rate and LPH goal proposal.  I have no way of knowing if this is an acceptable rate or not.  My first imperssion is that they have basically cut the line rate in half for ASR work and are expecting twice the number of lines just to break even on ASR vs nonASR.  Goody, goody  Type twice the lines for half the pay.  Would appreciate any input on competitive ASR line rate and production goal number, i.e., lines per 8-hour shift.   

In my honest opinion 9 cpl is good for online work.  You would want to go higher if you had your own account though to cover your overhead especially if it required printing or delivering the work, other duties as required including bookkeeping.   

I think 8 cpl is acceptable though in a case where the dictators are good, and you can get good lines especially if it is for a national or MTSO.  However, I would expect a raise if you stick it out, are responsible, and are in essence making the MTSO money.  I hope this helps. 

Then you have the fact that an employee might not make as much as an IC per se because an employee is getting benefits as opposed to pay per line rate.