The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has revised its medical examination forms as part of the Medical Examiners Certification Integration Final Rule. Effective April 20, 2016, all BarnesCare medical examiners performing Department of Transportation (DOT) certification examinations will be required to use these revised forms:
- Revised Medical Examination Report (MER) Form MCSA-5875
- Revised Medical Examiner’s Certificate (MEC) Form MCSA-5876
Revisions on the new forms include the collection of additional driver information, new qualification categories and the ability to input results from examinations performed in accordance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
“The newly revised forms impact medical examiners, drivers and employers,” says Tom Kibby, MD, MPH, BarnesCare’s chief medical officer. “Our medical examiners and clinical teams are ready for the implementation and prepared to keep your medical examination process running smoothly.”
One significant change for drivers is that they will now be required to complete a new exam in order to extend a short-term certification (less than 24 months). When a medical examiner disqualifies a driver or provides a short term MEC, form MCSA-5876, the medical examiner is required to conduct a new examination of the driver when they return. “Each time the medical examiner is making a new qualification determination and issuing a MEC, a new medical examination is required,” says Kibby.
There are also two new exam statuses for interstate certifications:
Determination Pending is used when a medical examiner examines a driver and needs more information to make a qualification decision. This status may be assigned if a driver does not submit all medical information required. This category provides the medical examiner with up to 45 days to collect the information needed to make a qualification decision. “A medical examiner is never required to use the determination pending category,” says Dr. Kibby. “If a medical examiner chooses to use this status and the driver has time left on his/her current MEC, the driver may continue driving until the driver’s MEC expires. Drivers in this category will not need a new exam if the missing information is provided before the 45 days runs out. The date on the new MED is calculated from the date the MEC is issued.”
Incomplete Examination is used when a driver does not complete the exam. When an exam is deemed incomplete and was not assigned a pending status, the driver’s status is entered into the National Registry and may be cause for further investigation by the DOT.
The FMCSA is now mandating the specific use of the MER form, MCSA-5875 and MEC form, MCSA-5876. “As a result of the new rule, employers and medical examiners must use the revised forms ‘as is,’” says Dr. Kibby. “Employers may no longer customize a form by adding content, changing location of content or adding a company logo.”
All changes have been highlighted in the sample forms located on the FMCSA's National Registry website.
BarnesCare encourages drivers and their employers to review the specific changes to all of the driver examination forms well before their scheduled medical exam date. “Drivers should also plan for additional time to complete the exam process, since both drivers and medical examiners have new questions to answer on the form,” says Dr. Kibby.
Contact BarnesCare if you have any questions regarding the revised forms or the DOT medical examination and certification process.