Some companies just take a percentage

• Line count verification in MS Word. - See message.
  • headings - FLMT
  • Take concern/questions to MTSO. Ask how line - count is calculated exactly. MTSO can say SM
    • I agree with above poster... - SM
    • Some companies just take a percentage - nm
      • How do these companies get away with this when they promise - a specific rate. Is this a DOL thing? nm
      • Unfair! A % of a long report going to be much - more than a short report for same amt of info.
  • Yes, if you are not addressing this with your - MTSO. Need to know exactly how line figured.

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Can anyone estimate a percentage of letters/words straight typed versus expander?  I am quite sure no one type 100% expansions, but I am hoping some of you can give a good estimate.

I make lots of them but am wondering what your ratios are.

Thanks for your feedback! 

From what I've been reading ... the home-based service MT is averaging 8 cpl, for those dictators which make you run screaming from the room. And, I don't forsee things improving. Then again, some are lucky enough to make a line rate worthy of their skills, without worry about the dictators from Hades.

This is a bit out of date:   http://www.bls.gov/oco/pdf/ocos271.pdf

of apartment/house used for work.  In the area where it reads, "rents," you can write off percentage of house used.

Brother is a tax attorney and helped me out with this.  I used to pay a fortune, but no more!  On top of that, if you are claiming under $25,000.00 they don't even check for small businesses anymore.

Just trying to help.  You sound like a tax man!  A tax man will say the same thing, you can't write off this, you can't write off that, but if you read the IRS publications there are a lot of things you can write off.  They don't want to end up in tax court, want to run through your return and get it done.  They don't care if you pay a fortune.  If you have receipts for everything what are they going to do?  The IRS is not going to bother with our piddly incomes.

Am thinking of switching.  I currently get 400% productivity with SH8 (it types 3 characters for every 1 I type).  Can anyone out there get similar figures with InstanText? 

what matters is: is it worth it to you to work for that rate? On some accounts, my IC's might make only 50% of what I charge the client, on others they might be paid 80%. For one physician, I might charge 12 cents a line - if another calls, says they are in a jam and desperate to get their backlog done, I might bid it at 14.  But if you are satisifed with say 8.5 cents a line, it doesn't matter if your MTSO charges them 9.5 or 19.5.

As far as line rates to physicians, again, it depends on what the market will bear. You could call local physician offices and tell them you are an independent MT service and you are getting price ranges for the locality, and ask the OM what they are paying. That would give you an idea of what is competitive. In West  Virginia, they might be charging 18 cents per line, in Chicagoland they might be charging 11.

The line rate

It is strictly up to the agreement between the employer and the insurance company.  Your new employer can tell you what the pre-existing clause is in your new policy.  Some require proof of insurance for the past 12 months.  It may say something like if a diagnosis has not been made NOR treatment received within the last __ months.  Not good when companies negotiate with a pre-existing clause in order to get a lower rate.  Better check with your HR with your new company before doing anything.  It really gets hairy !

What are some of the best small companies that you have worked for?  Does anyone live out in the sticks and is on dial-up?

do u like working for this company.  Do they treat you fairly.  I was told to download and they will give me first files to fit me with proper account.  They have been great.  Does this continue?  Please let me know.  While on the subject does anyone have any information on Amphion, Medware, QTmedical, Orion and Transhealth.  Any information appreciated.

Does anyone have any information on smaller companies hiring at this time.

Don't they realize the more familiarity an MT has with a certain dictator or group of dictators, the more accurate they are going to be in their transcription and the faster they will be able to produce lines?

Or is it that transcription companies simply don't want MTs to make a decent living?

I don't get it. 

i.e. don't pay on time, lousy platforms, too many ESLs, etc., how on earth do they manage to stay in business?

live in feast or famine.  It's better for them when it's famine because the work is out fast (too bad for us trying to be consistent, huh).  Top that off with people who don't work the whole pay period, just towards the end which is when the work tends to run low (too bad for us trying to be consistent, huh).  So during the time when these don't work, you get overloaded and need to work as much as you can to make up your time (too bad for being consistent, huh).  I know, I live in those same shoes, buried and then scratching and scraping for work to do.  Gotta love it!

I paid $350 a month through Consumer Credit Counseling for over a year and they sold my accounts to Money Market Management and never told me.  They never paid a thing on my Sears bill because they were still waiting for Sears to accept their proposal, which Sears never did.  I was never told that either. 

I don't know where all of the money went because when I dumped them, my $200 Home Depot credit card bill was suddenly almost $600. (Late charges and over limit charges).

Work with your creditors.  It worked for me, at least for the most part.  Sears doesn't usually budge, but you'll find that in this day and age, creditors are willing to work with you and settle for a certain amount a month if you are willing to do direct debit (even $20 a month) from your bank account.

Good luck.

Me too.  I'd love to hear about some place that treats their MTs well.  Is FOCUS a good company    ?????

dial-up.  I've seen a couple within the past month on the job boards but can't remember which ones.  She could get a job that uses a C-phone or Lanier, though she may also be required to get unlimited long distance too.  Most companies will rent the equipment or you can frequently find it on the equipment board here or e-bay for a reasonable charge.   There is a thing called an Air Card.  Verizon has one and I believe Sprint may have one - not sure.  I have used a laptop for many years and don't know if a desktop has a slot for the card to go in or you can use something internal.  The card is a couple of hundred dollars and the service is approximately $49.00/mo.   Some cell phone companies offer some type of data transfer that might be an option provided she isn't so remote that she can't get cell service.   In my city we have a new service called ClearWire.  I think it is along the lines of a cell phone transmission.  You plug the modem into an outlet and you can move it from room to room.   They don't have it in my neighborhood yet though so I don't have more particulars.   They may have the same service by a different name in your friend's area.

There is also satellite, although some companies will not allow it for security reasons and because the speeds are inconsistent.

That is all the options I can think of right now.