HIPAA FOR MTs: THE BASICS OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS

Understanding the basics of Federal Regulations can be overwhelming to the Medical Transcriptionist (MT). With a career as a healthcare professional you will here this word a lot HIPAA
(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).

This is a bill that was enacted in congress in 1996, with the main objectives, portability and accountability.

PORTABILITY:

Ensure the continuation of health insurance for workers and their families in times of job changes or loss.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

Protecting health data integrity while increase the effectiveness of the health care system, confidentiality and availability and preventing fraud and abuse.

The experts call this the most sweeping healthcare legislation in the last 33 years.

The most important part for HIM (Health Information Management), the department in which MT is one of its specializations, profession is in the title section: TITLE II, SUBTITLE F.
Administrative Simplification is the name of this part.

Four Rules of Administrative Simplification:

• Electronic Standards Rules
  
• Privacy Standards Rules
  
• Security and Electronic Signature Standard Rule
  
• Standard Identification Rule for Employers and Providers
  

  Go here for more information.
  

Information specifically about HIPAA including complete text of the regulation and more important links can be found Here.

HIPAA and your job as a MT can be quite over whelming, but don't let this stop you. HIPAA is designed to help you save money and time to make everyone's life easier.

HIPAA FOR MTs:

Sample Business Associate Agreement (sample agreement only, seek legal counsel).

MT's Check List

Safeguarding Protected Health Information (PHI): Focus Points for Offsite Transcriptionists

MT Service Providers Transcription Agreement Check List

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A Perfect Work from Home Home Opportunity: Start a Transcription Business

A Perfect Work from Home Home Opportunity: Start a Transcription Business

Still looking for a way to earn money online from your own home? Do you enjoy typing and and have been told you're a whiz at it? You may be just the right person to consider learning the transcription business. General transcription services are needed by people who record audios. Podcasts, teleseminars or webinars are a few types of audios that might get transcribed. The documents are typed out by you, the transcriptionist, in a document for people who want to read it. Your transcription business won't require a great deal of investment up front; just your computer, a quiet office, and some easily attainable transcribing equipment.

Deciding on your transcription equipment will take a little bit of research. Take a look online at the computer programs and good quality headsets available. The actual transcription program will have the settings you need to keep the verbal recording under your control. A must-have is a good headset that enables you to clearly understand the words you are trying to type. So, let's take a look at what else you need to know.

Now, ask yourself... do I have a keen sense of hearing, command of the English language, and fast typing skills? If you answered "yes", then you might wonder what other skills you need. You should also be able to work well under tight deadlines, be able to work independently for most of the time, and handle the repetition of typing, which can be a strain on the hands and wrists and the back from sitting for long periods of time. If that sounds like you, and you possess a sharp eye for detail, you are well on your way. With that said, let's look at some ideas to get you started in your home based transcription service.

Training in Transcription: When you get the right training in transcription, you will save yourself a lot of frustration! You don't want to fail because you didn't do your homework, do you? Before you open the doors of your transcription business, spend some of your time browsing through online courses, especially the Transcription Starter Pack.

Complete Business Plan: Your new business, like all successful businesses, will require a well written business plan. Let your business plan reflect your excitement and tell the world who you are. Start with a straight-forward outline of the services you will offer, then your vision, your marketing plan, your financial plan, and your plans for growth. This not only is a good exercise in keeping your focus, but your business plan will be an important tool to track your goals and your progress.

Home Office with Proper Equipment: You'll most certainly want a quiet and comfortable home office with a good computer and some storage for your client information. You'll be using some special transcription software and hardware to play and listen to the recorded material. The computer program will have many settings to help you control the recording. You'll be able to start, stop, go back, and slow down the recorded material so you never get lost or behind in a document. Most importantly, you'll want to use a highly sensitive headset so that the recording is clear and the words are easy to understand. These tools will be priceless to your transcription business.

Marketing Yourself: Some people like to join with national transcription companies so the work comes to them. However, if you are a good networker and like selling yourself, you may want to find your own clients and work directly with them. With podcasts popping up all over the internet - and teleseminars spreading like wildfire, you'll have a huge list of people to contact with your services.

Website For Your Business: Besides your hard work, your new and growing transcription business depends on a great website. Use it to let the outside world know that you are available and ready to work! You will be listing your services and letting clients know how to contact you. If website design is not your forte, please hire someone to develop a professional website for you. The investment is minimal when compared to the client reaction you will get from happy testimonials and other client referrals. Keep in mind that your website is your professional face, so please save your personal or cutesy web stuff for the a personal blog. Your satisfied clients will always be ready and willing to refer other clients your way if you make your website easy for them to use and respond to.

Transcription services are in high demand in the US and according to the Department of Labor's statistics, transcriptionist jobs are growing at a higher than average rate. That's good to hear, isn't it? By becoming a transcriptionist, you have found a career that is easily managed from your home office; a career which gives you an opportunity to grow at your own pace. And that seems like a very attractive opportunity indeed! Isn't it time you found out what all this transcription business fuss is about?

Recommended Additional Resource:

To find out exactly what it takes to start a transcription business, step-by-step, sign up to receive your Transcription Starter Pack. You’ll find out how to get clients, set your prices and grow your business.

Medical Transcription Jobs No Exprience Tips

New just graduated, looking for work or a job placement, everyone wants one or two years experience, some want 10 years experience. Where do you start if you just graduated and no experience? There are a few companies that offer on-the-job training. Use "medical transcription internships" as keywords in the browser search engine to find jobs in this categories. Some of them have a requirement of above average grammar skills and typing skills.

You could search for employment from another Medical Transcriptionist (MT) that is willing to sub-contract their work and is in desperate need for overflow help and do not mind helping you. But you will take some of their time up because she will have to proof read your reports.

The next thing to do is call your local hospitals, Dr.'s offices, clinics and ask about an internship program. Sometimes this means working for free to get experience.

Attend your local MT chapter meetings to get insights on working and finding work or a job placement with no experience. This may also help you figure out what kind of MT you want to be. There are several options when being a MT; self-employed, working in a hospital, working in a doctor's office, or a clinic with a group of doctors.

The other options of being a MT is specialization, what area you want to work or just generalized dictations. You could have your own home based business.

Don't give up hope there is plenty of work out there, the trick is how to fine work. While looking for work make sure you keep up with your practice in typing and listening skills. Practice makes perfect.

If you are lucky enough there are jobs out there that is willing to train you. Always keep in mind that pay will be very low until you gain experience.

Whatever you choose make sure that is the way you want to go. Do research online consider visiting Medical transcription sites and read about them and what is required.

Finally there is the medical secretary job, you will need to have basic skills to be hired as a secretary and medical terminology. You will need proper medical reference books, dictation to accuracy and a fair amount of speed will help.

Here is a free magazine that you can sign up and receive the online version or the paper magazine here.

Here are more MT Web sites:
* MedWord.com has information on careers and certification in medical transcription.

* Medical Transcription Dailyy covers pretty much everything on medical transcription; education, resources, etc.

* MTJobs provides MT services to the Department of Veteran Affairs. Uses home based MTs but you must have experience. (you might get lucky and find one that will accept you)

Good luck in all your endeavors.

HOW TO STAY SANE WORKING AT HOME

It’s great working at home, being your own boss, but for some people it’s not what they expected.

I’ve heard several people say they get lonely and miss being around work associates; others find it hard to stay disciplined, or they just find working
at home boring. I personally don’t find it to be any of those things myself and love working at home doing medical transcription, but everybody’s different.

Some people are almost forced to work at home, such as disabled people, single moms that can’t afford daycare, or don’t want to put their children in daycare. For these people that didn’t necessarily choose a home career it can be quite depressing.

For those that chose to work at home, and don’t want to change that part of it, often times another problem arises. It can be called, “wearing all the hats syndrome”. Not only do you run a business and play manager, employee, billing clerk, sales person, inventory manager, etc., with a home business, you might find yourself cleaning the house, taking care of the kids, cooking meals,folding clothes, running errands, and paying bills, all during working hours. This problem tends to arise when there is no set work routine. It leaves one feeling overwhelmed
on a daily basis.

To really enjoy a home business and keep yourself sane, it’s necessary to establish business hours and a routine. It’s best to get dressed every day at a
reasonable hour, otherwise you find the whole day’s gone and you’re still in your night clothes. It’s great to be able to do that, it’s just not good to do it. You can bet the doorbell will ring on the days you slack off on this one!

Give yourself a lunch break and try to eat healthy. It’s so easy working from home to walk by the fridge every thirty minutes and get a snack. Soon your body expects to be fed every couple of hours,
just like a newborn. Not a good thing, especially when you start packing on the pounds.

Try to get some fresh air every single day. It’s not good to get out of the house only once or twice a week. When you feel mentally happy and healthy, you will be able to stay sane with a home business.

Remember, working at home can be harder than
working outside the home. It’s all up to you how your business turns out; it’s a lot of responsibility. So, try not to stress yourself unnecessarily.

Use phone time wisely. Enough said…

As far as housework goes, and all that other stuff that messes up your work day, I found something that works and may work for you. I get up and get showered and dressed and then I spend about an hour cleaning the house. I’m usually ready to sit down and start work around nine, but if it’s ten o’clock that’s fine too.

Routine, routine, routine, is the key to being successful and staying sane while working at home.

(c) 2004 - Michele Miller


Medical transcription at home is a wonderful home-based business. Let me show you how to start your own successful medical transcription typing service visit: http://www.medical-transcription-at-home.com

The Real Truth of What It's Like to B A Medical Transcriptionist

Every day someone else I talk to brings up the current economic crisis and how they're scared they or their spouse is going to get laid off next, and then what'll they do? The bills, the mortgage, the child care just won't wait.

Medical Transcription is a great business, because you will always have work. This is a service that will be here for a good while. You can work from home or work outside of the home.

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Start Your Own Medical Transcription Home Business

A lot of people think about starting their own business, but don't know where to begin. Others worry about failure. You don't have to worry with medical transcription because you can start small and build up your business at your own pace, in your spare time. You don't have to give up a job to start medical transcription at home if you don't want to. That's what is so nice about it.

There's plenty of work for everyone. Find the best transcription course or school, and teach you how to get a medical transcription job or start your own company. With the right training you can be running your own business in a short amount of time. Ongoing FREE email and phone consults with no time limit, to get you where you need to be.
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