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The MT software I use has an accounting package for my docs - SM

Posted By: HB on 2006-05-07
In Reply to: I give a statement with every.....sm - just my way of doing it.....sm

My docs can search on the software  I use by entering date parameters to see how much their transcription costs are.  They can break their transcription costs down by date, by dictator, by type of report, by report, etc. 


The first of each month, I e-mail them my invoice; they merely check the accounting package of their software to see if the figures tally up. 


This really takes the mystery out of billing for my docs.




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Do any of you IC's use accounting software?
If so, which do you recommend.  My SIL does my taxes.  I can get by with just listing everything down, but if software will make it easier for both of us, that would be great.  I have an old copy of Quickbooks, I think 1999, that I bought when I was going to be an IC before and never did use.  I have Microsoft Money 2005.  I know the Money is mostly for personal finances.  Now I find myself an IC because I had to have a job immediately, and this is what I found. 
Accounting software
Can anyone recommend a good software for keeping track of charges, supplies, taxes, etc?
Accounting software
I have looked at Quicken, it does sound like what I might need. A silly question though, do you have to buy a new version each year?  Thank you for your reply.
Download FTP SERVER software (it can be found free). Then have the docs
upload their files to YOUR server. There is no cost to you or the doc to do this. Someone does have to pay for the recorder, which I have chosen to do for 2 docs. The other one purchases his own when needed (twice in 7 years). One picks up files on FTP server. The other 2 still want theirs printed. Since they are not in same city, I mail them via snail mail and they are happy with that. I also do fax any stat reports to them at no charge simply because I have unlimited long distance.
Sometimes it is a matter of accounting error
when the time sheet is sent to payroll.  If they have you under certain budgets they may be trying to pay you from multiple departments and somewhere somehow the proper hours are not being sent to payroll.  Usually they will rectify the situation, but I can feel your pain.  This happened to me a lot when I was typing for several different departments.  If one manager forgot to put my hours in then I had to wait sometimes up to two weeks.  Hang in there! 
Charge by the patient. Makes for easier accounting practices.
.
Is this what the package says?
I didn't get mine yet. They will be "monitoring" us?


No they only do that if you buy the package - sm
that offers that. I get the "upgrade" every other year as I posted below and I get no other "updates" throughout the year. If you buy the top package then Stedmans does do that, but I don't. I can usually get the upgrade for $40-$50 if I wait for the sale offer they usually do. That is good enough for me.
Yeah, you're right. Who cares who licenses your software? Heck, I use all pirated software anyw

why pay for anything, right?


Except that is AGAINST THE LAW!!!


Hun, the "platform" is the package sm

you type in.  Dictaphone EXText is a platform, Chartscript is a platform, Careflow is a platform.....all of these PLATFORMS use Word as their word processor.


Word itself is NOT a platform.  The person who answered Dictaphone EXText is correct.


 


I buy it and use it and it is all caps on the package. nm
:
ATT/SBC has an unlimited package. sm
We use it on 10 lines in our office. It runs $54.99 (or something close to that) every month. It is called Total Solutions or Complete Solutions. You have to ask as they do not offer it unless you ask.
He already knows I'm part of the package! nm
nm
Transcend sent out a package...sm
with all sorts of goodies in it.
A friend of mine got one and she is finding that some of her software, specifically her ISP software
x
Care package ideas

I've been doing care packages for deployed military now for a little over a year. There are great sites where you can get a TON of ideas and can even find folks to support if you don't know someone personally. My favorite is:


www.anysoldier.com


This organization has done a lot and you can search on their site for folks from your states or from a specific branch of the military. In addition to doing many of these myself, our company adopted a unit from our state this last year and it's been great to see so many participating.


TAYLOR all the way now for the WIN. He's the TOTAL package.
Spunk, energy, personality, showmanship, and voice. He's got it all going for him.

Kat should never have gotten this far. She's not singing well and had a bad week. There are songs that she can sing, she's just not well-rounded to do any kind of music.

Lots of people will buy Elliott's CD. He's got a great voice.

I wish they'd publish the vote counts. I can't believe that Chris got the boot! Just shows you how sick this can all get. We'll all be angry if Kat goes on to win. Probably more of the sick "vote for the worst" revenge.
MQ letter/comprehensive benefit package
 I really did not make much of it.  It would be GREAT,especially if they can offer something for the part timers, but I'm not holding my breath to hear the news.  It's been promised/talked about for forever, sure would be nice to finally hear.
The basic Stedman's package is great and they you
s
I have an Open Office package that came free
It's legit.  I bought a refurbished hard drive so that I could run XP as opposed to buying a new computer, and Open Office came loaded.  I just don't think it's Microsoft.  I don't use it because I use Microsoft Office 2003, but Open Office works very similar to Word and Excel by Microsoft.
I get Sirrus/XM included through my digital TV package,
So I just play it through the home theater system. It rocks
If u need server software, try guild ftp. If just user software
then try cuteftp, coffeecupftp, or wsftp. They don't charge a line rate and I believe guildftp server software is still free.
What did you make of the comprehensive benefit package they talked about

URGENT REQUEST: An MT that we sent a box of gifts to did not receive the package.

It was delivered to their porch according to UPS but she did not get it.  It contained gifts for her children.  Because we did not put insurance on the package, UPS will do nothing to assist.  The box alone to ship had cost $45.00 and insurance would have cost another $25.00.  It is a sad story, but what it boils down to is that the kids won't have a Christmas.  All monies in the Santa's House for Christmas Angels fund have been dispersed through the Christmas Angel program.


So, I am here to ask for help.  I would like to raise $150 to $200 today if at all possible and for anyone who donates $10.00 or more to this special cause, I will give a software package that contains a word Expander and spellchecker that is worth over $100.00 for your trouble.  Donations can be made to sales@mtstars.com via Paypal.


Again, thank you for your consideration.


 


care package for military in iraq ideas?? sm

i have a very close friend who is in iraq and i went to send something but no idea what?  he ideas or someone know anyone in military and what they like to receive or need?  FYI, they are on a ship.  TYIA!


I should point out that the benefits package with the pathology group... SM

is significantly better than what I've got right now.  They are offering a matching 401K, profit sharing, flexible spending account, healthcare benefits and dental for me and my kids for about 150 per month versus 400 per month where I work now.


Then there is the issue of job security.  I'm a realist and I know that in this business of medical transcription, my job could be gone tomorrow due to lost accounts, low work volume, or offshoring.  Not to mention, the powers that be at my company could decide that it would be more cost effective to pay their editors per line versus hourly (which has happened to me before) and only offer 4 cpl because after all "we don't actually type all that much." 


Maybe I'm paranoid, but I've lost jobs due to all those things I listed.  It's upsetting the thought of losing another job.  So that is one of my major considerations with this job offer.  I'm sure they could offer me a measure of job security because they are a locally owned practice by the physician and all of the the transcriptionists there have been with the practice for more than five years.  This position I'm being offered was created because they have increased their work load.


I just don't know.  Geez, I hate making big decisions!


Have you tried the Custom Biz Saver package Snow Bunny? sm
It's through AT&T and it's a business plan. C-phones were supported. I used it for a Lanier when I was IC and I was on it a lot, sometimes 10 hours a day. I had unlimited long distance and never had the problems you are having. Problem is you need to sign a contract for 1 year but even with that it was only $10.00 a month more than a residential line.
when you marry a man with children, they are part of the package. You learn to deal with it.
nm
Mouse included in the package lit up right after battery insertion. No on lights
come on when the batteries are inserted and power button doesn't do a thing. Power isn't being transmitted to keyboard for some reason.
where I live, bundle package for HSI/CABLE/PHONE is $99 a month. nm
x
what size package do you have? i have basic and i couldn't make good lines due to speed. nm
;
Another big factor is software. If the software isn't
transcription friendly, it can really hurt your bottom line.

Otherwise, $1.20 per report is a pretty decent rate for radiology.

Good luck - hope it works out for you.
Yes, I lost mine. I upgraded the Office 2000 package to Office 2003. sm
I have over 2000 autocorrect entries and lost them all as well as my supplemental dictionary for my Stedman's spellcheck. Lots of grief!

Maybe you will be lucky and not lose anything. Good luck to you.
$72 is not their salary, it is their salary and benefits package
including wages,insurance, retirement pension, COLA fund, etc.
ESL Docs

That is SO true!!!!  There is definitely a problem with dictating the appropriate gender when it comes to ESL docs. They tend to go back and forth umpteen times during one dictation, so you really have to pay attention.  Verb tense can also get very confusing.


I agree that sometimes slowing down and concentrating can actually increase productivity. Even though I feel like I'm transcribing like a tortoise, I'm really getting more done than I think when I slow down and allow myself to think.


Just hang in there with QA. They are just doing their job and you need to take a good look at what they are telling you and concentrate on that issue. It's really hard not to take it personally, that's for sure, but it's gonna make you a better Transcriptionist in the long run. On the other hand, if you feel they are truly wrong about an important issue, then challenge them!!  But you'd better have major references to back up your challenge.


Ellen S.


 


 


ESL docs
are you on VR yet? you can choose to have a 20% cut on your baseline rate and get the "better" dictators ?? or you can choose to keep your MT 100% baseline rate and probably get all of the ESL docs -- what a choice - not fair, huh??
This is almost as bad as the docs
I got three of them yesterday...three different docs. I think this is soooo rude! I'm almost to the point where I'm going to refuse to attempt to do them. Surprisingly, it's always a female doc who is dictating either a GYN or breast cancer related report.

I can picture a couple of these ladies hopping on a Harley Davidson riding home from work.
I think they should ask all ER docs

if they even know the English language to begin with, 'cause if they do, they don't practice it.


I know everyone knows that a lot of docs don't

read the reports after we have transcribed them, but I just had a doc on my account dictate that he wanted the line "Dictated but not read" added to ALL of his reports from now on.  He was mad because he said he requested this to be done a few weeks ago and has been "keeping track" and it hasn't been getting done.


Amazing.


All of my PAs were better than the docs before

I switched companies and along with my new account came all new PAs (and might I add, quite a few of them) who all make me miserable. They botch the dictations beyond belief and I am left to fix the sentences which look like riddles and are actually confusing after they get done with it.


Change thoughts in the middle of a sentence...start talking and forget where they left off so I am sitting there for another 2 minutes waiting through the ummms and ahhhs and the start of sentences "the patient umm.... ahhh" and I'm waiting for them to say something and they just hang up.


Mine are good for this too... they will dictate an incomplete report and then a few dictations after they will start finishing incomplete dictations, adding in something they forgot to say, or they will say CC a copy to: Dr. ____  on a 4 second report and not say whose report it goes on. This would be easy to figure out if they didnt have 40 dictations and at least 5 hang-ups with about 8 of those 40 dictations being something they want added on to some nameless patient's report.


Had I not switched jobs, I would have had a hard time believing any PA was hard to transcribe...just because I had a good bit of them on my other account and they were all PERFECT speakers.


Now when I see that I have to transcribe a PA-- 


 



ESL docs
Hey there,
Hang with it a little while longer. You'll probably find that it gets easier. Those ESL doctors do say the same thing over and over again and it takes practice to get it. Try listening a few seconds longer than the phrase you aren't getting because sometimes that helps. I agree that samples help an awful lot so be sure to request as many as you can. Good luck! You can do it!
I would always rather have my ESL docs over the sm
English as first language docs, who speed talk, slur words, and don't seem to care about the patients.  I am usually very impressed with the patient care given, and the understanding of the human issues, by the ESL docs.  I think the problem with the original poster is she needs to learn to transcribe these docs, with all the suggestions, especially getting samples, mentioned above.  She doesn't really seem that concerned with patient care, but her inability to transcribe difficult dictators.  It is, quite simply, the nature of the business.  The easy docs go on voice recognition, and the transcriptionists transcribe the difficult dictators.
I tell ALL my docs that I'm an MT...
...and I transcribe and read my own reports (I work for a large healthcare co).  Hubby signed a HIPAA form for me to transcribe and read his reports, too.   Now the docs are more careful 
how many docs know?

When I mention to physicians that if they send their work out it might be sent overseas they are appalled!  Sometimes they say things like, "So that's why there were so many mistakes."  Companies don't always tell them where the work is being done or by whom. 


I still fault them for trying to save money at our expense, but in a certain sense some of them are being taken advantage of as well.  Perhaps our "enemies" could turn out to be our best allies should a good case make it to Court TV. 


We need to educate the physicians as well as the public. 


docs
Or I like when they make up their own spelling of words, especially meds.
docs
sorry made a mistake above...I meant the docs take me to the bathroom with them LOL!!!
docs
Let's face it ladies and gents - doctors have absolutely NO respect for what we do for them so they can make $$$$$$$$$$$$$$....
My ER docs do it alot

I guess it gives them the right to charge PREMIUM prices,  although I


think ER prices are quite pricey enough.  My friends trip through the ER


the other night was a cool $10,000 and all she got was an aspirin.  (she thought


she was having a heart attack and it was GERD.  But to rule it out they gave her


the works; CT scan, CXR, blood work, cardiac enzymes......and on top of that came the doctors (including the cardiologist, oh my) bill.


 


 


of course, I know 'bout as much as the docs do...sm

yeah, and that's why I'm here typing and they're out on their yacht somewhere, right?    But I do try to diagnose, even did this when I worked for a doc in the back office.  And sometimes I was actually right!


Cheap docs

They absolutely don't care about quality or any of that jazz, which is why I have always wondered why we as an industry keep beating each other up over issues that doctors couldn't care less about. Not that I think we should all just transcribe any old way we want, but it seems like we act like the slaves out in the mud pit slapping each other around about how much or how little straw to use for the bricks while the slavedriver sits on the side line with the whip completely content with end product either way.


I suppose the answer most would give is that we should take pride in the quality of our work whether they (the doctors) do or not, but I can't get passed the notion that these are the same individuals that the powers that be seem so intent on pleasing and are also the same individuals who would see us all in the soup lines tomorrow looking for the next homeless shelter to sleep in if they had their way. They (the medical profession) will not think twice about putting all transcriptionists out of business at their first opportunity, and yet we as an industry continue to bow to their ridiculous and uninformed demands concerning how to do what we do or their complaints about how much we charge or that we shouldn't charge for line count generated by short forms or macros, etc. They have no clue how many times their butts get saved by transcriptionists on a daily basis.


I've never met a transcriptionist who wouldn't readily agree with the notion that we are part of the health care team, and yet many of us continue to act like we still work for the doctors instead of the patient. Oh well, go figure.


Just venting as well.


also, most docs won't do certain tests (sm)

without your consent, if they are not considered standard and will probably have to be paid for by the patient out of pocket, unless the patient agrees to pay either up front or if the charge is denied.  At least that's been my experience! Good luck, I hate insurance companies, too!


Isn't she cute?