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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Not long ago nothing but complaints about no work at MDI-FL.

Posted By: ?? on 2005-11-13
In Reply to: Yes... - Current MDI-MT

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Complaints about hard work solve the problem?
Not at my office.  It's all for one and one for all.  I have never complained of course.  Have you?
IC sets their own hours. As long as the work is done by the deadline, you decide when to work.

...that's as long as you do this work. nm
s
How long do you need to work as an MT...
to be considered "seasoned"...my Editor called me seasoned and I have been at it since October of 2006.  I cracked up!!!
As long as QA is up to par, that could work - sm
but in past experience I've had to deal with some pretty shady QA people. In one case, the *rules* changed almost daily, so you were damned if you did, and damned if you didn't: a lose-lose situation. With regard to TAT, I've been given warnings about work being out of TAT, when it was already out of TAT when it was given to me. So even though the reports were typed within minutes, I was still *warned* about being out of TAT. Finally, I've had QA people *correct* words, changing them from being spelled correctly, to being spelled incorrectly, and we had no way to appeal this. Then, when review time rolled around, we'd see the *mistake* (made by QA, not by ourselves) reflected in our reviews & our pay scale. Worst of all, we had one QA-person once that used to arbitrarily add or remove ENTIRE SENTENCES from reports that we had typed correctly, or change punctuation in such a way that it changed the meaning. We had no recourse against that, either. Since those QA problems directly affected my ability to get a bonus, or even to earn a living, needless to say, I left. So if *punishment* is going to go along with what QA finds on reports, then QA has to be almost above reproach. With the peanuts that editors & QA are being paid these days (along with the rest of us!), getting top-quality people can't be easy. Also, in order to keep QA *honest*, and not promote greed on their part (at the expense of MT wages), the QA people should probably be paid on salary or hourly, NOT on production.
how long did you work for them?
I have never had any problems with her.
As long as the work gets done, and . . .
all MTs have enough work, I don't see whay anyone, including the MTSO OR the other MTs, would care.
Complaints
Human responses states that they do not know of many problems because only isolated complaints are coming in.  Everyone with complaints needs to contact HR and follow it up with an Employee Complaint form found on the MQ QNET web site.
I have ATT/SBC DSL and have no complaints.

I have had on one problem with it.  For about a week, I would lose my connection for a few minutes everytime the telephone would ring.  I eventually called them and they corrected the problem the same day I called.  Other than that it has been perfect, nice customer service. 


I had Earthlink previously and hated it.  Customer service was horrible, foreigners everytime I called, which was often.


As I go. That is the only way. No complaints so far.
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With all the complaints sm

about not making enough money (and I agree that wages are getting really bad), how many folks that are complaining have less than 5 years experience.  Five years is the minimum, in my opinion, that ANYONE should have before attempting to do any kind of MT at home.  It takes at least that amount of time to feel comfortable with acute care.  Even after five years, when you start working at home, by yourself, isolated from other MTs, it is very difficult.


Years ago, it use to be  mandatory you had 5 years in-house before a national or anyone else would hire you to work at home.


The "troublemakers" in this industry are the so-called schools who have come on the scene making big promises about huge yearly incomes after 3-6 months training!  It takes years and years of active MT to be able to feel comfortable working at home and be comfortable with all or nearly all work types. 


The attitude of not wanting to do OPs or other type reports, or ESLs or bad dictators, etc. etc is one of the things killing our credibility..  This is not about PRODUCTION!   This is about patient care!


If an MT wants to only do what suits that MT, i.e. certain work types to make more money, then the person is in the wrong business.  I am sure I am going to get flamed over this, but I don't care.  I am sick to death of hearing the complaining about dictators, job types, work hours, etc.  If you are a MT, especially IC, you work when the work is there, you get all kinds of stuff and you take the good with the bad and you work long hours.  Its a part of the job!


If you have less than five years experience and you are just starting to work at home, coming out of in-house setting, then you are a BEGINNING IC and you will be offered bottom wages.  But, if you prove yourself, hopefully, eventually your employer will pay you more.  If that employer does not, then you can go to another employer, with your experience and try to get more pay.  If you think coming out of school and demanding top wages or working 3-4 years, esepcially NOT in acute care and getting top wages is possible, it is NOT.


I am also sick of those knocking those of us who have years and years of experience doing what I call "hard time" in this business.  We have done it, we leraned our trade and we can make the money.  You have to come up the same way.


Now I will sit back and wait for the fall-out, I am sure it will happen!


 


How long would you continue to do work for someone sm
when your check didn't come when it was supposed to?  It is a week late now, saying it was mailed when supposed to be mailed to the correct address but i have not received it yet.  I now already have 2 weeks worth of pay supposed to be on next check.  At what point would you not do any more work until receiving payment?  I have worked for this small MTSO for about 10 months now and never a problem before.  Just leiry as the more I type, the more income i am wondering if i will receive.  Not idea if it truly wasn't mailed or if lost somewhere in the mail. 
They think they don't care how we get the work as long as SM
it gets done and doesn't cost them anything. That's what they think. If you can't do it, they'll get somebody who will.
How long ago was this? I know MPWord to work quite well for me.

k


you won't be working until you die. You won't have work that long.
x
If you work for a bad company long enough, believe me
.
I agree. As long as you have the work
option to give work to another IC.  I has a client that used other ICs.  Just because I transcribed for one physician didn't mean I could expect to receive all of their work.  Being an IC is being your own boss, not your client's boss to tell them who the can and cannot contract with.  JMO.
your computer will work as long sm
as your generator is running. High speed cable would work if you have that outlet hooked up to the generator. Usually a generator is not hooked up to the whole house unless you have a "whole house" automatic generator. If the power is on and the cable is not out, you can work.
I thought the complaints were what the
MTSOs were paying their MTs or "MLSs"; not what THEY were charging.  Most people have not known what MTSOs are charging any account.  Again, the problem has been the pay received by the MTs.  So you see, if MQ is charging 20 cpl and paying their MTs what, 8 to 11 cpl; seems to me MQ or any other MTSO charging those rates would have room to increase the pay to those who are making money for them, don't you think??? 
And they don't hammer you with complaints (sm)

because you typed "an" instead of "and"?


Guess I worked for some real b*****. 


My husband is hot !!- No complaints!
Now my first husband was another story. . . .
So far, I have had no complaints on my end or from anyone I am talking to. nm
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Online complaints
You might want to review this site if you're thinking of having it done.

http://www.infomercialscams.com/scams/lifestyle_lift_complaints
I work for both ... my comparison (LONG READ):
HOURS/CLASSIFICATION:
MQ: You have a choice of FT with full benefits -- 39-40 hours producing average of 150 lines/hour minimum; FT with limited benefits -- 39-40 hours with less than 150 lines/hour average but more than 100 lines/hour; PT with limited benefits for 8-16-24 hour schedules all averaging 100 lines/hour.

Spheris: FT is 37 to 40 hours a week, with 10,200 lines required by payperiod's end. PT is 20 to 36 hours a week, production is 5100 lines/payperiod minimum.

OVERTIME:
Both companies structure overtime the same way; averaged in the same manner; requires approval, must be in addition to 40 hours WORKED (PTO, DT do not count).

SCHEDULES:
Both require a schedule with the offer of "flexibility".

TIME:
MQ: Time sheets are used; MTs fill them in manually and submit.

SPHERIS: Galaxy is used -- you clock in and the system punches your time for you. Day's end, you see how much you've worked and allocate your time accordingly (productive time, PTO, meeting with mgrs, etc.).

BENEFITS:
MQ: You see the benefits in the Harmonization booklet. The employee's cost of insurance benefits is assigned by the state you live in (as well as which/if coverages are available to you).

SPHERIS: Med/Den/Vision are offered. Employees all pay the same amount for amount of coverages (EX: All employees wanting EMPLOYEE ONLY coverage pay the same; all wanting EMPLOYEE+ONE CHILD pay the same). It is available to all employees. Cost is not region-specific.

EQUIPMENT:
MQ: Use your own or they will provide. The current rental charges will no longer be effective in January; as well, the internet reimbursements will not either. I don't know if there will be a deposit for those just coming into the company after Jan 1.

SPHERIS: Must use their computers. No rental fee but there is a refundable deposit. You can pay it at once or have it taken out in 6 paychecks. Refunds to you when equipment is returned in good working order.

PTO:
MQ: You see the new PTO offered in the plan and can read online the PTO calculation formula.

SPHERIS: Same type of calculation formula; averaged quarterly and you receive a notice of what your new downtime/PTO rate is and what period it covers. Limit is $20 an hour tops for PTO. Lowest is $7.50. Amount of PTO depends on status and length of service and ranges for FT from 11 days to 21 days a year and PT 2.5 to 7.5 days a year.

HOLIDAYS:
MQ: You can read in the Harmonization booklet.

SPHERIS: Thanksgiving and Christmas are designated holidays. If you are scheduled to work on it, you can take PTO instead. If you work it you will earn double lines those days.

QUALITY:
Both require 98%.

PAY CYCLES:
MQ: Pay WEEK is Su-Sat; pay PERIOD is bimonthly 1-15th and 16th-end of month with paydates on 10th and 25th. Direct deposit available.

SPHERIS: Pay weeks are same as pay periods and are Su-Sat with every other Fridya as paydates. Direct deposit available.

BASE RATE:
MQ: With the new plan, you have your current base rate and it is the same on all work (unless you do part radiology or ASR).

SPHERIS: Your base rate depends on the level of the account you type on. If you type on a really easy account, you will get less pay; more difficult accounts, more pay. Each account level has a new-hire hourly associated with it. Levels go from level 3 to 10 with line rates 0.065 to 0.102. With Spheris, if your production earnings do not add up to at least minimum wage for the hours you worked, they will pay you minimum wage. However, you will not stay with them long if you cannot produce enough to keep you off the minimum wage payments.

INCENTIVE:
MQ: We know that incentive is achieved on a daily basis -- after you produce 1200 lines. Tiered so that you earn incentive ONLY on the lines produced AFTER 1200. It barely puts change in your pocket for mid-range producers. Only rewards high producers.

SPHERIS: Incentive is base on each week's production (Sun-Sat). So you can have a really bad week and only get your base and then next week have a great week and get incentive. Once earned, incentive applies to ALL lines typed and ranges depending on FT or PT status. FT: 5200 lines start at 0.002 and increases up to 7000+ lines getting 0.015 cpl incentive. PT: 2700 lines = 0.001 and increases up to 7000+ lines = 0.015 cpl. Whatever incentive you earn that week is applied to ALL LINES PRODUCED THAT WEEK. Spheris also has special teams that pay higher base rates.

SHIFT DIFF:
MQ: 11pm-7am = 0.01 and 3pm-11pm = 0.005

SPHERIS: 4pm-8am CST daily = 0.005.

NO WORK AVAILABLE:
MQ: This is not specifically addressed per se; however it is not listed under downtime definitions at all. I doubt MQ ever pays for no work situations.

SPHERIS: Has a policy: "MTs will not receive compensation for "No WOrk Available" situations. If an MT runs out of work, the MT should immediately notify their Supervisor or follow th eout of work situation guidelines for their team."

Hope that helps.
Psychiatric work or long reports
Does anyone work for/know of any companies that are hiring for psych work or any other long reports like memory disorders, or compensations? I have three years working with these and acute care. I would like to find long reports to do all the time.
Please write to my e-mail address
Thanks!
Oh well, as long as it gets our work out of India and back to us
I would go back to the office in a second for decent money and affordable benefits. 
people, we see many complaints of dictators
nm
that co helps biz deal w/complaints...
Thx for the link, but I noticed this on their 'About Us' page:
"It was established to help companies meet government compliance requirements and safeguard corporate integrity."
They note on another page that they were established to assist companies handle complaints and compliance issues.
I wonder if there is a site that lists contacts that employees can go to with violations; I'm sure that the Fed Govt has departments for different violations where employees can go.
I thought that Medicare and Medicaid used to have a program similar to the IRS' program wherein they reward people who bring violations to their attention by giving them a percentage portion of the amount recovered, including fines (which are STEEP for companies who get caught violating laws and regs.)
Just curious. Would love to have contact info for reporting different issues that they would also assist the 'little guy' right wrongs against them...


relative newbie, but no complaints here

I started out brand spanking new in October 2007 working at home.   I hadn't even finished my on line program yet, but I needed to pay the mortgage.  I got very lucky to find a company fairly quickly that would hire newbies.  Pay sucked, but I knew that going in.  I didn't know how bad it sucked at the time - I was just ecstatic to have a job.


I knew then and I know now that I'm never going to get rich in this profession.  I knew at the very beginning that I was not going to make a lot of money right away.  I didn't.  I was lucky if I averaged $5 an hour.  I also knew that I had to stick with it and get my experience in with a company that was willing to work with me and then I could move on to another, better paying job when I was a little more comfortable.  I did a lot of research about this going in and if there was a company or an on line school that promised a lot of money right off the bat, I skipped right by that one.  I'm sensible enough to know that's a load of horse hockey.


I love what I do.  For the most part I enjoy the posters on this forum.  Even the Negative Nancys.  That just makes me work that much harder to do well so I can prove to myself that it can be done and I haven't made a mistake in learning how to do this.


As to starting a separate positive only forum/board. It can be done.  It's fairly easy, as a matter of fact - and free.   It would be separate from MT Stars, which means this thread and/or message is probably going to get poofed. 


I'm happy to set it up, though, if y'all are serious.  Feel free to e mail me.


I did work three jobs for quite a long time. Then it dawned on me that

(1) I was always tired (2) I was never finished working (3) It wasn't worth it.


I quit EDiX, and I quit my hospital job, and I've never looked back. I usually have what money I need. I work about 5 hours a day plus a small weekend job recently that's no more than 10 op notes.


I'm a long-time Monrovian. Wouldn't work anywhere else. nm
nm
Will DQS work with dial-up (short-term). How long
nm
I won't work for a company that requires me to pay long distance
After getting reamed over by one MTSO who verbally promised to pay my unlimited long distance bill and didn't. I have no use for long distance because I use an inexpensive calling card or the Internet.
LOTS of work here, playing catchup all day long and still not there.
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At least 1 whole POT OF COFFEE daily if not 2. Work long hours. nm
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I work long hours and keep distractions to a minimum sm
and very, very luckily was assigned an account that was an excellent fit.   I'm pretty sure you all won't believe me anyway and I'm not sure why I bothered to respond  but my "secret" is just hard work and dumb luck.  Plus I do Radiology and for me that is a big part of the equation.  
I work and do not have time to read such long posts, do you?..nm
nm
I work whatever hours I want, as long as I have the reports back in TAT...
I have assigned doctors...
Oh no kidding! Needless to say, I did not work for that particular MTSO for long!
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Don't mind extra work as long as it is not abusive
I used to always work my shift and then try to do 2-3 early Sunday mornings.  I was stopped from doing that because we could not work more than 40 hours.  If there is help needed after my 40 hours I certainly do not mind helping out when needed - as long as this does not become abusive and you are expected to be available 10, 12 or more hours a day, night, and weekends.  I have been there and it just got out of hand.  I am comfortable with less than 50 hours a week.
I'm in the NE, my friends and coworkers are in the NE, and these constant complaints are just bog
There is always work as long as one isn't a "queen".  The only MTs who are running out of work refuse back-up accounts, won't type outside of their "box" - i.e. specific hours like 9 am to 11 am, and won't work any daily variation without bonuses dangled in front of them.  Otherwise, all of us are fine - hustling, busy, learning new accounts and basically working!!  The offices all have phone #s and real live people answer the phones, etc. The drama these 2 or 3 ladies daily report on just doesn't exist.  For months, one was always screaming the Indians were getting her work. She just KNEW it was the Indians - no other explanation. Well, she found that was wrong and never mentioned a word of apology or clarification. Then it was VR taking all her work, or the phantom cherry pickers.  Its simply the talented MTs who are learning back-up accounts and learning them well!  But to hear these women rag on, you'd think it was doom and gloom, which just ain't so!
Listen dont believe that. There are a lot more than isolated complaints. MQ wants you to think that.
You know, the old you are the only one BS they give. Dont believe they are isolated for one minute. They lie to put you off the track that way. That is the MQ WAY.
I looked up their web site and posted under complaints
Whether they do anything or not is another thing, but just MAYBE if they get enough complaints, they might. I suggested that when they go out to check out a facility they actually LISTEN to some of the dictation these foreigners are putting out. I told them I had many years of experience but it was becoming almost impossible for me to do my job because of them. I decided it would not hurt and like I said, just MAYBE somebody will start taking notice.
Checked the BBB and got "unstatisfactory for not responding to complaints"
In my contract, it states that if I don't finish out the two weeks after giving notice, that they will not pay the last check (which is basically everything I have made!)... total it is only about 500.00 for the two months.  BBB is a good idea though.  I think I'll do that.  I know this has happened to other people, and its SO frustrating because this was my first job.  They are preying on new grads, and now I don't have a job!  At least I got some practice and got better though.
oops "WERE" numerous complaints...lol
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Thinking of buying a laptop..any raves or complaints about yours??nm
s
QA, 2750/monthly, salaried, excellent benefits-no complaints here.
Was a long time coming though.
QA, $3000/mo hourly so get some overtime too, bennies paid, no complaints. nm
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Take all arguments/complaints re: running the board to e-mail, please. Locked. (NM)
Goldbird
IF it is secondary income, where is the harm? As long as you work around your kids (at night, naps)
a big plus when you are around kids all day and bring in a little cash to help out the household.
File complaints with the Federal Trade Commission, your state attorney general, and the SM

state attorney general for the state The VLC is located in.  I happened to check it out and they have offices in Niagara Falls, NY and in Ontario.  Be sure to forward copies of every thing your file to them.  You can fill online complaint forms at the FTC website and the NY Attorney General's website.  Print out copies of these forms and mail copies of them after you fill them out to the school with a letter basically stating that you have reported them to these agencies and they will be intervening for you on this matter.


I also like the idea of putting cc's on your correspondence to a local news reporter.  And call them every single day until they are tired of hearing from you!


Good Luck!