Own accounts, line charge, MTSO percentage
Posted By: Patti on 2006-05-13
In Reply to: IC status - Lisa
I think you might have posted this same question about a week ago. I take anywhere from 20 to 30% on an account from my IC's that covers my being the QA, the accountant, the customer service rep, the go between and the relief transcriptionist. I really think you MTSO is being more than fair. Stop and think if and when you get your own accounts, would you only keep 25% if someone was typing for you? Sometimes it is hardly worth my time to keep the accounts for the IC's as the time I spend on those accounts I accounts I could be typing and earning $30 to $40 instead of the $10 to $12 that I get when someone else types it. Remember when you have your own accounts there is no one to cover for you when you are sick, your child is sick, you go on vacation, holidays, etc. There is always a flip side to the coin. I do wish you luck but there is more into doing your own accounts than you realize.
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I'd still charge by line, just charge a lower
rate, like maybe 8 cpl. Do you have to pickup and deliver work? You could also setup a one-month contract until you see how it goes and then you can figure out the best way to charge and go from there. You could also charge a flat rate per page and keep it fairly low.
I think it depends on the MTSO, some do not charge much - sm
in order to beat the competition. I worked for a MTSO that was only charging .13 cpl (65 cpl); I was making .09 cpl with her, that was as high as she would go so she could make some $ too. She ended up losing it to someone who bid lower, so I lost my job with her. As for cost of living and all that, yes it goes up but as far as MT goes, I don't see rates going up. All the doctors want is our prices to go down, since they are getting gouged by the insurance companies, their malpractice insurance keeps going up, etc. So to stay competitive many MTSOs have actually had to lower their prices to keep accounts. So it is possible your account does not charge too much over .12, again demographics has a lot to do with things too. Obviously a more rural area charges less than in the city, rates vary widely from coast to coast. I only make .09 at my current job, though I know they probably charge .16-.20; I don't know for a fact just a feeling I have as they top out at .12, and base your salary on both the number of years there and amount of lines per pay period. Those who do a large amount of lines on a consistent basis make a better wage (no incentive pay). I am trying to get my lines up so I can get to .10 (my goal). I only work PT but luckily I am good and relied up there, so I am in a good position and have 3 raises in 4 years. So I gues it depends on the rate you started at, you started a quite a high and good rate, so your room for advancement of pay is limited I would say by that. Again, ask for a raise, the worst thing that can happen is they say no.
then why don't YOU go out and get your own accounts and charge 45 -- if it's that simple...
x
I know MTSO's that were TOLD by the client to charge less or
they would go offshore. So what is the MTSO supposed to do? You can't stick to your guns in that case. It's either swallow your pride and everyone takes a pay cut, or everyone gets no paycheck.
Curious, do most IC's usually charge by the gross line or 65 character line?
Thank you~
Do any ICs with their own accounts charge extra for holidays?
nm
The going rate to charge a client for rad by an MTSO is in the $4.50 range.
Need to figure in what type of reports, etc. Never go below that - there is a lot of administrative work to do.
As long as the MTSO does not charge the client I don't have a problem with it - sm
its those that don't pay, but then charge the client (which I am sure most do in that scenario) that is not right.
Puhleez! I happen to know of two MAJOR MTSO's who charge 0.45 cpl and only pay their people 0.08
to 0.09 cpl! And both of the two companies I speak of also offshore. So let's do the math, they charge the client 0.45 cpl, they pay the India MTs 0.02 cpl. Either way you add it up, they are making big money off our sweat or by exploiting third world workers!
Boo Hoo for the MTSO's and their overhead and their time and headaches. And what friggin overhead do they have, really? They have an office staff of about 10 people at the very most! They employ mostly IC's, don't have to worry about paying for benefits and the one's that do have actually employees, the benefit packages are a joke.
I will say one thing, if I EVER lose my mind and decide to take a job with another MTSO, I will turn over every rock I can find before I accept a position. They want to do a background check on me?!?!! Well, I'm gonna do one on them.
I harbor just a little ill-will towards some MTSO's. If they're not offshoring the work, they're screwing us "worker bees." It is a racket and it's best to get your own accounts or eliminate the middle man and work for the hospital. I do both. The hospital pays me hourly and gives me great benefits for me and my kids. My accounts are for making my fun money!
An MTSO with my own accounts.
Assuming the risk, taking the responsibility and busy working, not whining about how everything wrong in life is a direct result of not being paid more than I'm worth. I earn a very fair wage, make a good living at MT. If I didn't, I wouldn't continue in this field and certainly wouldn't spend as much time whining on this board as most of the posters do.
accounts. Pay own taxes & insurance, charge to cover it all & to pay yourself a good salary.
nm
My MTSO has 4 kids herself and several accounts!
She does a mighty fine job too!!!
MTSO with escription accounts.
http://www.escription.com/services_mtso.htm
I absoutely agree!! Best MTSO and accounts I have ever had!
I have my own accounts and I work as an employee, but we are not talking about BEING an MTSO, we are
the MTSO's offer. If you are a well-trained, knowledgeable medical Transcriptionist with experience and you are looking for an IC job or an employee position with an MTSO, then you are worth more than 8 or 9 cpl. If all you do is sit and transcribe all day long, you are worth more than 8 or 9 cpl.
I really don't know what you're getting at. Not everyone has the capabilities, time, or money to start their own service. Not everyone is good at pounding the pavement and finding their own accounts. I'm not a salesperson to say the least. I lucked into my own personal accounts and if I hadn't, I'd be working for one of the MTSOs, but I'm not. My full-time employee status job is with a hospital for the benefits only and it pays hourly with incentive. Right now, that's the only employee status job worth taking is through an actual hospital, NOT an MTSO. At least at the hospital, you get a decent wage and get great benefits. Oh, there are a few good MTSOs out there, but they are very few and far between.
PS on line charge
One thing to remember is that if they add those other six facilities you will need help and with only charging 8 cpl you won't be able to pay someone much to help and so your quality of help might not be that great. Also I count my headers in my gross line. I do a lot of 9 to 12 page consults and add on 4 to 5 spaces depending on the length of the header per page to the line count. And my accounts know that my line count is based on Courrier 12 and NOT the font that they chose to use. I am upfront about that. Change back to it when I do my line count. Again, it is a starting point and good luck. If you need help or have questions either E-mail me or post on here again. Patti
how much to charge per line
I have the opportunity to transcribe insurance reports. I would be subcontracting. Any idea how much to charge per line? Is WordPerfect the best program? I live in the Southeastern US. Any other info greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Charge by line
Hi Laurie,
The last time I had an account for myself, and not through an MTSO, I charged 14 cents a line. That was as recently as December. I did not print the reports out though! I also did the pick up and drop off but since it was extremely close to the hubby, he did that for me So I'm guessing since you are doing all that extra work, 16 cents a line?
Good luck!
charge per line
I do 11.5 to 12 cpl but gross lines. My accounts have been with me many years -- some 18+, and so I know them inside and out. For any new accounts that might come along I would start them at 12.5 cpl. I do pick up and deliver, provide sticky paper, envelopes all in the price. Reruns also. But again, my accounts have been with me a lonnnnnnnnnnng time and I can do 500 to 600 lines per hour and they pay on time without questions asked about my lines or anything. In fact have stopped giving them daily line counts, they only want totals now. So we trust each other. But start around 12.5 or so and go from there. Patti
I charge per line.
I do the clinic notes for a clinic in our area for free since they are a ministry/outreach program. I cannot take a charitable deduction at the end of the year for this. It's considered volunteer work and is not tax-deductible.
and how much do you charge a line?
are you willing to say? most people wont which is weird since most of you on here are anonymous.
I never thought to factor those costs into my line count, especially after i was just underbid for 2 cents less than I already charge.
Charge per line
I thought I posted this successfully earlier but I don't see it.
What is a fair charge per line. I currently am charging my client 12 cpl but am thinking that is low. Also, how many characters per line are you using?
Thank you
Lynn
Charge per line
Thank you for the information. May I ask what state you are working in. These will be office notes, pretty basic stuff.
Why don't we (MTs) charge by the gross line?
-
I, too, charge by the gross line (sm)
I used to charge 14 cents a gross line and delivered and picked up every day, printed reports, provided a list of each report transcribed, and reprinted lost reports, all at no extra charge. Only one of my clients has ever been a real stickler for 24-hour TAT, so I'm lucky in that regard. When things get too busy, I do the best I can. Then I went to 12 cents a gross line as I could no longer pick up and deliver every day. This was 10 years ago that I switched from 14 to 12 cents. I haven't raised my rates in a long time but am pretty comfortable where I'm at now with my rates as I no longer print, have gone digital, have good dictators and report types, and also there's India to consider. I'm in central California which is not nearly as expensive a place to live as southern California. I would *think* your area could support 16 cents a line but I really don't know if India would be a concern for you? We have quite a few docs around here using India but a lot wouldn't consider it an option. You can always ask for more and see what they say, but you also want to be given the chance to dazzle them with your skills so they think they can't do without you. With the cost of living increasing, if you aren't making enough due to the type of reports/dictators you already have, I would definitely approach them with the idea of an increase.
I charge by 65-character line (sm)
My clinics have wanted 0.5-inch margins on the side. One of them wanted 10-point Times font. I think 65-character lines are fair for both parties.
average charge per line
Just starting out on my own and have been asked by a local chiropractor to handle his transcription. I don't want to undercut other sub-contractors charges but don't want to quote too high either, especially being new. How can I find out the average charge per line for chiro transcription?
I charge .10 a gross line.
.
I also charge whatever the line count totals. How are you--sm
supposed to keep track of what she changes and what is a straight normal? It still takes you time and Keystrokes to input the macro.
They reportedly charge 7 cents a line. nm
I am in Ohio, but have friends in MI and MO that charge 15/line.
You may need to check further. You may undercutting yourself.
Tell him for demand jobs you charge .02 more a line - sm
maybe that will cool him off, or if he wants 12 hour TAT .01 more a line.
I charge by 65-char line with spaces...sm
The two accounts I've worked on wanted 0.5 inch margins on both sides. One of the accounts wants 10-point Times. The other wants 12-point Times. They want the margins so big because they are trying to save on their paper costs, because the sticky back paper (I think that's what they use) is apparently quite expensive. I send the documents via e-mail for them to print on their own. Anyway, charging for a 65-character line with spaces nets me more than a gross line because of the margins, font, and typeface. Try it with your line counter. I have one built into my Instant Text (which I don't use for invoices) and SylCount. Both of them show that the gross line is quite a bit less when the margins are this big.
Why not charge for spaces? You type 'em like you type a letter or number! 
15 cents a line AND charge mileage
nm
65-char line to client and charge for gross? sm
That's a bit underhanded. If they ever get suspicious, your line counts are going to exceed what they count at 65 char. a line. You said yourself that 65-char/line and gross line are two different things, so why do you contract with the client saying you bill for one and actually bill for another ?? That's shady, IMO, and I would never quote my client a 65-char line and then charge them for gross line.
I charge 1.5 times my regular line rate.
Absolutely not! Most editors do not charge by the line. A good editor
knows that line pay is not fair pay, or let's say a quality editor knows that line pay is not fair pay. I have done some VR editing and believe me, the ones I did you literally had to retype the whole report. Figure out an hourly rate that would work for you and don't take anything less. Editors or QA people should not be paid on production. That's the final step to quality and some of these groups, services, will learn that one day! Some of the better ones already know that. 
4 accounts, all by line.
I have never had the opportunity to work for an MTSO who pays by report. Have worked for 3 major nationals, and am now working for a hospital that pays 9 cpl for rad and has 1200 normals in their system. I'm happy.
I would charge more per line for working holidays or if asked to work scheduled days off. SM
But did you address that in your contract?
11 cpl 55 character line, MTSO in California
MTSO I work for, get paid by the line.
x
Take concern/questions to MTSO. Ask how line
you are being paid correctly at a certain line rate but if she cannot SHOW you how those figures are arrived at, I would be very leery that she is being less than honest with me. If she knows exactly how she is figuring lines to pay you, she should be able to demonstrate to you how figures are arrived at.
It is not MT versus MTSO we have a bottom line too, & right now it is -
NM
Does this seem fair? To charge .16 per line - includes printed reports, copies on disk for one year
and delivery. I do travel twice a week to this office. Plus, at times I will fax or email the reports free of charge. I live in Southern California in an upscale area.
Thanks again!
I work two accounts. One is by the report and one is by the line.
Keystrokes has both, and it depends on the type of account. Some have a lot of normal exams and plain xray, the one by the line has mostly MRIs and CTs. I think it is fair and I make great money.
I don't understand - if your line counts are the same, and your accounts are the same - why the p
x
For california MTSO's. Are you charging 65 cpl or gross line?
Trying not to price myself out of the market. Thanks for the help.
national/small MTSO are both on-line companies
there is PT and orthopedic work.
CA Bay area, two accounts still on micro, one at 0.15 the other @ 0.17 gross line. nm
It means one MTSO offering to pay you 3, 4 or 5 cents/line less for the same work you do at another!
honey, it works like this: The MTSO(service) charges the doctor X amount per line or report, and
takes part, gives you the rest. Therefore - the MSTO(or service) decides your pay.
If you are paid 8 cpl, surely you do not believe the service charges the doctor 8 cpl - do you?
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