Time in as an MT doesn't tell the entire story
Posted By: Lyndia on 2008-01-04
In Reply to: What should an MT make with 10 years - MT4eight
I now have 12 yrs in as an MT, this calendar year. I have made 10 and 11 cpl in 2007. The job I love I have 9 cpl, but with so many normals and knowing the job so well, I make really good money and pretty fast.
I was offered 7 cents in October to do OPs. They were told to take hike!
I have taken an employee situation in the last 2 weeks. I am to be paid 8.5, have to work a Saturday, but get 9 cpl for that day. There are incentives and more importantly VERY affordable medical benefits and I choose my plan. There is vision and dental as well, PTO that is more than fairly figured, etc. Because they will match my FICA taxes as an employer does, these things added up to very big bucks in my favor versus IC because I had paid 23% of my income last year in taxes and yes, I have an accountant who is very good, I just do not have expenses much because I have my house paid for.
As I started to say, what type of experience for those yrs is very important too. I have every specialty, but pathology. I am an acute care MT and OPs are my thing. This makes me so desirable on the market, even I am surprised by it. I look at the platform, the hours, benefits or lack thereof, and then I ask myself if that cpl offer is worth it or not.
I have a friend with about 5 yrs of experience. Her specialties are neuro and rheumatology and this is all she will transcribe, period. She can't work more than part time, is about 150 lph and refuses to take less than 9 cents. She has little to offer a company for that 9 cents. To contrast, for my 9 cents I am very flexible, have plenty to offer and because I have such varied experience, I can "plug in" to almost anything.
See what I mean? If the job is full of ESLs who are difficult, you have little QA support, the platform sucks, the people are not decent to work with, etc. perhaps you need to rethink the money issue. I had a job this last year at 10 cents and could do well to top out at $22 an hour, but my 9 cpl gives me $35 an hour.
There are just too many unpredictable facets to say what is a good line rate.
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The big flippin' deal is that the story doesn't mesh.
disclosing it immediately. Also, notice how he will only interview on Faux News...where he knows he will be handled with kid gloves? It's the secrecy, stupid.
you want the admin. to take time out of her entire day
I spotted the entire time of my last two pregnancies
and absolutely it happened every month when I was going to have my period. I delivered healthy babies. Back then if they did serum hCG levels, they did not tell you but with my last two children, it happened every month and the entire first two months of the pregnancy.
you will be on the phone the entire time you are typing.
Are you talking about using a Verizon cellphone? I would think you have to have a landline in your home to work.
I spent the entire time after the show trying to vote
/
Yes, I always have the notes. One time, it was an entire day worth of clinics except for one!
How did they just get one note and not the rest? There have been a couple of times when the doctor just didn't dictate on that particular patient, but most of the time I typed the notes, printed and delivered the notes, and then they say they never go them! And I always have them on my PC and backed up on CD.
AZ doesn't change time? sm
Why don't y'all change time? I thought the whole country did it...y'all are lucky! 
But doesn't that happen every time
somebody gets off for their break or the end of the day?
Transcend doesn't pay on time?
What about Medquist? I hadn't even thought about a company not paying on time...
Vonage doesn't work all the time
I had AT&T but wanted to try Vonage. 2 a/c's - one was fine with Vonage (in fact better quality). The 2nd a/c is too tinny, etc and I can't use it. So try it out first.
This "business" thing seems to vary. When you ask them about a "business" a/c they told me I didn't need one. Now I am running into people all over who have phone cos bugging them about usage. LOL - it says "unlimited long distance" - it doesn't matter if you use it for friends or for dictation. I'd be curious to see what happens with a lawsuit, because they may lose. Business a/c's are generally for people with multiple lines and special needs re quick repair times. It has nothing to do with how much you use the phone to call one number.
I'd try confronting them with this.
I spec. told Vonage what I do and asked if I need a business a/c and they told me now also. See if they change.
Our Directway doesn't work all the time -
it depends on the weather. So far this has been a mild winter and it has been working great. I don't know how it would be for Meditech. I get my work on CDs.
Why on earth are you begging him for work when he doesn't pay on time? nm
nm
If memory serves (and most of the time it doesn't!), isn't it # to speed up and * to slow down
You just repeatedly hit the # or * keys to the desired speed, right?
Why not have 1/2 a cup of coffee spread out over a longer period of time so it doesn't jolt ya? T
.
I agree - doesn't sound like it's worth your time to fight her anymore. NM
x
You spending 3K in gasoline to make 4K plus all that time on the road?That doesn't make sense Pat
Why are YOU attacking HER? Just because she doesn't want kids, doesn't mean she needs a psychi
xx
here's the entire MQ article
Press Release Source: Medquist Inc.
MedQuist Announces Preliminary, Partial and Unaudited Financial Results
Friday August 19, 5:14 pm ET
MT. LAUREL, N.J., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MedQuist Inc. (Pink Sheets: MEDQ - News) announced today certain preliminary, partial and unaudited financial results. Once the Company completes the financial assessment and review of its billing practices disclosed in the Company's previous filings with the SEC, the Company expects that an independent registered public accounting firm will review and/or audit the Company's financial statements, as appropriate. While, at this time, the Company cannot estimate the total costs of (i) the billing review, (ii) defense of the class action matters, (iii) the SEC investigation, and (iv) compliance with the Department of Justice investigation, all of which have been previously disclosed in either the Company's filings with the SEC or the Company's press releases, the costs incurred to date by the Company in connection with the foregoing have been included in the results set forth below. Because the completion of the billing review and resolution of the litigation and governmental investigatory matters are pending, the Company is not certain whether any changes to the accounting treatment of any component of its consolidated financial statements will be required and, if any changes are necessary, whether any such changes would have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, the financial information set forth below is preliminary, unaudited, and subject to change based on the completion of the financial assessment and review of the Company's billing practices and the completion of the review and/or audit of its financial statements, as appropriate.
ADVERTISEMENT
The information set forth below is derived from the Company's internal books and records. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the information presented below. As a result of the developments described above and in the Company's previous SEC filings, the Company's financial statements have not been audited or reviewed by an independent registered accounting firm. The information contained in this press release also has not been audited or reviewed by an independent registered accounting firm. Such information is not a substitute for the information required to be reported in the Company's Forms 10-K and Forms 10-Q that have not yet been filed. There can be no assurance that the results of the billing review, and resolution of the litigation and governmental investigatory matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's revenue, results of operations and financial condition.
MedQuist Inc. - Preliminary and Unaudited Financial Information (in
millions)
Years Ended
12/31/2002 12/31/2003 12/31/2004
Revenue (1) $486 $490 $456
Operating income (1) 71 61 23
Cash (3) 103 162 196
Debt (3) <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
Quarters Ended
12/31/03 3/31/04 6/30/04 9/30/04 12/31/04 3/31/05 6/30/05
Revenue (2) $121 $118 $114 $113 $112 $108 $106
Operating
income (2) 13 13 7 6 (3) (2) (6)
Cash (3) 162 180 183 192 196 199 198
Debt (3) <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 -
Notes:
(1) Information presented for the twelve months ended
(2) Information presented for the three months ended
(3) Information presented as of the date
Twelve months ended December 31, 2003
Revenues:
Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that the Company's revenue increased from approximately $486 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2002 to approximately $490 million for the comparable 2003 period. The increase was largely the result of twelve months of Lanier operations being reflected in 2003 results as compared to six months of Lanier operations being reflected in 2002 results, as the acquisition of Lanier Healthcare LLC took place on July 1, 2002, largely offset by transcription service volume declines as well as declining pricing from both new and existing transcription clients.
Operating Income:
Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that operating income declined from approximately $71 million, for the twelve months ended December 31, 2002 to approximately $61 million for the comparable 2003 period. The decline in operating income is largely the result of transcription service volume and rate declines, partially offset by the result of twelve months of Lanier operations being reflected in 2003 results as compared to six months of Lanier operations being reflected in 2002 results, as the acquisition of Lanier Healthcare LLC took place on July 1, 2002.
Balance Sheet Highlights:
At December 31, 2003 the Company had $162 million in cash and cash equivalents. At December 31, 2003, the Company had less than $100 thousand in total debt. Other than minimal exercises of stock options, there were no additional issuances of capital stock or other securities for the twelve month period ended December 31, 2003.
Twelve months ended December 31, 2004
Revenues:
Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that the Company's revenue decreased from approximately $490 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2003 to approximately $456 million for the comparable 2004 period. The decline in revenues includes the impact of decreasing transcription service volume from existing and lost clients, partially offset by new clients, as well as the impact of pricing declines attributable to a competitive pricing environment. Additionally, the Company has recognized declines in revenue from its front-end speech recognition products as it transitioned from TalkStation to SpeechQ for Radiology.
Operating Income:
Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that operating income declined from approximately $61 million, for the twelve months ended December 31, 2003 to approximately $23 million for the comparable 2004 period. The decline in operating income includes: 1) the impact of approximately $11 million in costs incurred in 2004 related to the ongoing billing investigation and associated litigation, 2) approximately $4 million in costs associated with separation and replacement of the Company's management team, including members at the executive level and 3) approximately $3 million associated with the write-off of intangible assets associated with products no longer being offered. In addition, the base business, as described above in the Revenues section, experienced a decline in transcription service volume from existing and lost clients and a decline in transcription service rates charged to customers. The impact of the revenue decline was partially offset by several cost saving initiatives including reductions in telecommunications costs, office consolidations and associated staff reductions.
Balance Sheet Highlights:
At December 31, 2004 the Company had $196 million in cash and cash equivalents. At December 31, 2004, the Company had less than $100 thousand in total debt. Other than minimal exercises of stock options, there were no additional issuances of capital stock or other securities for the twelve month period ended December 31, 2004.
Six Months ended June 30, 2005
Revenues:
Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that the Company's revenue decreased from approximately $232 million for the six months ended June 30, 2004 to approximately $213 million for the comparable 2005 period. The decline in revenues includes the impact of the result of reductions in contracted transcription service rates from existing clients, further affected by new transcription business service volume replacing lost transcription service volume at a lower average price. Management expects these pricing pressures to continue and for revenue in the second half of 2005 to decline from first half levels.
Operating Income:
Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that operating income declined from approximately $20 million for the six months ended June 30, 2004 to an operating loss of approximately $8 million for the comparable 2005 period. Operating income includes 1) approximately $16 million in costs incurred in 2005 related to the ongoing billing investigation and associated litigation, which represents an increase of approximately $11 million over similar costs incurred for the comparable time period in 2004 and 2) approximately $3 million in costs associated with separation and replacement of the Company's management team, including members at the executive level, which represents and increase of approximately $2 million over similar costs incurred for the comparable time period in 2004. In addition, the base business, as described above in the Revenues section experienced a decline in transcription service rates charged to customers. The impact of the revenue decline was partially offset by several cost saving initiatives including reductions in telecommunications costs, office consolidations and associated staff reductions. The Company continues to strive for improved profitability through service and technology enhancement initiatives, along with other cost reductions.
Three months ended June 30, 2005
Revenues:
Preliminary, unaudited results indicate that the Company's revenue decreased from approximately $114 million for the three months ended June 30, 2004 to approximately $106 million for the comparable 2005 period. The decline in revenues includes the impact of the result of reductions in contracted transcription service rates from existing clients, further affected by new transcription business service volume replacing lost transcription service volume at a lower average price. As noted above, management expects these pricing pressures to continue and for revenue in the second half of 2005 to decline from first half levels.
Operating Income:
Preliminary results indicate that operating income declined from approximately $7 million for the three months ended June 30, 2004 to an operating loss of approximately $6 million for the comparable 2005 period. Operating income includes 1) approximately $9.5 million in costs incurred in 2005 related to the ongoing billing investigation and associated litigation, which represents an increase of approximately $5.5 million over similar costs incurred for the comparable time period in 2004 and 2) $1 million in costs associated with separation and replacement of the Company's management team, including members at the executive level. In addition, the base business, as described above in the Revenues section experienced a decline in transcription service rates charged to customers. The impact of the revenue decline was partially offset by several cost saving initiatives including reductions in telecommunications costs, office consolidations and associated staff reductions. The Company continues to strive for improved profitability through service and technology enhancement initiatives, along with other cost reductions.
Balance Sheet Highlights:
At June 30, 2005, the Company had $198 million in cash and cash equivalents and no debt. There were no additional issuances of capital stock or other securities for the six month period ended June 30, 2005.
About MedQuist:
MedQuist, a member of the Philips Group of Companies, is a leading provider of electronic medical transcription, health information and document management products and services. MedQuist provides document workflow management, digital dictation, speech recognition, mobile dictation devices, Web-based transcription, electronic signature, medical coding products and outsourcing services.
Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
Some of the statements in this Press Release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are not historical facts but rather are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates and projections regarding the Company's business, operations and other factors relating thereto. Words such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "anticipate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this Press Release include, without limitation, statements about the Company's results of operations and financial condition. These statements are only predictions and as such are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions as to future events of the Company's future financial performance that may not prove to be accurate. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in these forward-looking statements. As a result, these statements speak only as of the date they were made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The Company's actual results may differ from the forward-looking statements for many reasons, including any direct or indirect impact of the matters disclosed in the Form 12b-25 filed by the Company on August 19, 2005 on the Company's operating results or financial condition; any continuation of pricing pressures and declining billing rates; difficulties relating to the implementation of management changes throughout the Company; and the outcome of pending and future legal and regulatory proceedings and investigations.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: MedQuist Inc.
Even when they deduct your entire (sm)
report if you make one error that QA doesn't catch and the hospital does?
Seems to me like QA should get dinged, not the MT.
TRS is your typical admin-heavy, treat the MT like a number company, made more offensive by their assumption that everyone in America is "Christian" and will adore prayer requests and other off-topic crap on the company email.
I think this entire season is going to be -
while he is in the hospital and how the business continues without him. We won't know if he makes it until the last episode. Gotta feelin' he won't. The show will die with him. -
been this way my entire life ....N/M
Fox is going to show the entire
fourth season this summer. Two episodes back-to-back every Tuesday night. Maybe you can see some of the ones you missed. :-)
There is an entire section on this
You have been doing for an entire 3 years and
never made $31,000? OMG, I am so surprised (NOT). Those days when the salaries were really good (except for 1 here and there) are mostly over. Unless willing to work about 24/7, weekends, overtime, etc., etc. you do good now to just eek out a living and many on here complaining about not even doing that.
Yep, sometimes an entire dollar cheaper...
x
And to think there is an entire country above Montana! No
zz
I have entire reports in SC, though not many. Is it limited? nm
x
what is the shortcut to take out an entire sentence? sm
I know ctrl backspace takes out one word at a time, what is the key to take out a sentene at a time? I have an MD is is just awful about changing his mind. Thanks in advance!!!!
Article? As in one? This is an entire industry, and
has been going on for decades - I believe it was the 1960s when the food processors and dog food conglomerates figured out their partnership would profit them both. Its not an article, and to think so is honestly just ignorant. Also most huge dog food producers are actually other companies that have no interest in dogs at all - Del Monte and Heinz are in the dog food biz. Have you seen labels lately of the name brands that now claim to have some tomato enzyme in them? I can't recall the name, but it is literally a tomato enzyme that they claim is a new discovery for being great for dog joints. Its literally the tomato swill that Heinz and Del Monte use to have to throw out as its the slop that lands on the floor after Ketchup production, etc. Now, they just hose it into vats and throw it in the kibble ooze with a fancy label that most consumers fall for- tomato enzyme. I only wish I was making this up!! And its not a scam industry nor are we extremists. Most of us don't promote any brand at all - best thing for Spot and Fido is boring old meat, marrow bones and a few veggies steamed, and brown rice. The leftovers that our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents used to feed their dogs - table scraps - were fine! Again, do the research. Decades ago, dogs used to have an average life span of 20 to 25 years - now its 10. Cats used to live longer - 30 years - now its 15. And our parents and their parents would have laughed hysterically at the thought of spending good $ on Gravy Train or Alpo. We have been "had" as American consumers, and you are actually gonna argue about it! Your vets - bet they support Pedigree, too, which is absolutely garbage - dead animals and loads of corn filler, which, by the way, most dogs are intolerant of. They don't digest corn well. But its cheap for the manufacturers! Pedigree is well known for keeping lots of vets on its payroll to praise its products - gee, ya think they might like the $$. There are thousands more vets who know Pedigree and the like is garbage and are finally getting the courage to speak up about it. They are getting sick and tired of treating the animals who are NOT benefitting from this dog food. Nope, sorry, but way more than 1 article - its knowledge, and knowledge is wisdom, and wisdom is priceless.
Are you saying you left the entire report sm
blank because you could not understand the dictator? If so, no company will put up with that. Even if you can only understand every third or fourth word, you are expected to transcribe those, and put in blanks as you need.
No one will put up with you leaving an entire report blank and sending to QA. They are not supposed to transcribe, just try to fill in the blanks.
How do you know you missed 2 on the entire exam?nm
nm
I've never been fired by anyone in my entire life.
I hate MQ and I'm happy to tell everyone why. However, every MT is different and every MTSO is different. What works for me may not work for someone else. I found my fit elsewhere.
Actually, I lived in California my ENTIRE life...
until moving to Utah for the past several years. Utah state tax is ldefinitely lower, but I NEVER paid 40% while living in CA. We're moving back after the first of the year, and our biggest worry is the cost of houses, not the taxes. 
It depends on where you work. I have always, my entire career, been SM
in the 2000+ range. I now do that in much less time than it took me as an in-house employee with no shortcuts or anything.
However, when I went with EDiX my highest day ever was 1900 something and I had to kill myself to get that.
Those company platforms are the devil's work where MTs are concerned.
I go through the entire dictation first, then go back and relisten
for any blanks. Sometimes by the end of the report I've learned the accent and can fill in the blanks.
Pergo - I have it throughout my entire house and love it!
x
I can flex some, but I cannot make up an entire day of nearly no work!
:-( They do not want any excuses as to why people cannot work, but those of us who are here and WANT to work have nothing to do. Really makes me feel loyal to them, 'ya know????
You've missed the entire point!
Duh! It's the docs who don't want to pay my dear. You're really expecting to get blood out of a turnip, aren't you? Quit blaming the MTSOs and look at the entity who's calling the shots - The doctors/clinics who hire the MTSO.
Great! Now if we could only get the entire corporate world
x
The entire hippie generation loved
omitting-no not the entire report just a few words
No! I would NEVER omit an entire report. As a matter of fact I got most of it leaving no blanks until I got to the lab section. The English was so bad and broken I was unsure what tests he was talking about so I left blanks about every 3 words or so. I think a total of 4. And for this I got a rather nasty comment that I omitted dictation. No blanks are not an act of omitting dictation. They are an act of being responsible as not to guess what you can not understand.
I have a doc who dictates the entire address, but not the zip code. SM
or the referring physician (throughout a three state area), and says, "Dr. Smith" and then gives the address. I still have to go online to find the doctors first name. Very annoying.
Do you relisten to your entire reports after you finish each one or how do you
edit your work before you send it in. Do you reread each one. Sometimes I think you can miss a word if you dont but not sure how to edit before sending without making minimum wage.
It got quite ugly to the point that I removed the entire thread. We just all don't have
time to pick through and pull out the ugly posts, so in this case, the whole thread went. Franky Boy has been banned.
Hey! Why did they delete the entire comedy folder from this site?
???
My DD at 5 mixed an entire pitcher of Kool and accidentally
s
You can insert entire paragraphs by easliy using the macro sm
feature.
Tools - macro- record new macro. name the macro box appears ( name it whatever you need to, i.e. Dr. Smith's appendecomy) and then a little box will appear to begining recording it. Type as much or as long of a paragraph as you need. This can be very very long! even pages if you want!!!) then hit the st (telling the macro to stop recording.) Next time you need to pull up that paragraph go into tools again and since you named it you should be able to find it easiy. The macros get stored in alphabetical order.
The macro that you make this way does not record mouse movements, only keyboard movements, but you can have long paragraphs easily inserted right into your document using this.
This is a great place (in macros) to store MDs names and adresses too. Then assign a shortcut key to open the macro box faster and voila! everyone will wonder how you got your work done so fast.
I had one yesterday that hiccuped through the entire report. I had about 10 blanks!
nm
Wishing a Happy Easter to the entire board!
.
Had a resident who practically giggled through his entire dictation....
because his psych patient kept asking him if he wanted to see her underwear (she was in her 70s). I didn't find the woman's comment so funny, but this doc had the weirdest laugh...it was like Ernie from Bert & Ernie on Sesame Street. Weird.
zip the entire program and all of it's files and email to yourself as an attachment at the new sm
computer, then open it from there. If you have trouble setting it up post again.
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