Medical Qualification Requirements

The revision to the ICR is due to the Agency’s development of a final rule titled Qualifications of Drivers; Diabetes Standard to revise its regulations to eliminate the blanket prohibition against insulin-dependent diabetic individuals’ operation of CMVs in interstate commerce. The purpose of the final rule is to permit drivers with a stable insulin regimen and properly controlled insulin-treated diabetes mellitus to operate CMVs in interstate commerce. The final rule eliminates the need for the Diabetes Exemption Program and its IC-3a. It adds a new IC requirement for the TC to complete a form, IC-7, titled Insulin-Treated Diabetes Mellitus Assessment Form, MCSA-5870. The TC provides the form to the certified ME. 5 comments were received from the public on the form in response to a 60-day comment period FR publication. IC-1: Physical Qualification Standards; MEs must provide driver medical exam information for drivers they examine on medical forms required by FMCSA and into the National Registry. The ME can determine if the driver is medically qualified. IC-2: Resolution of Medical Conflict; The medical conflict application provision provides a mechanism for drivers and motor carriers to request FMCSA to make a final decision to resolve conflicting medical evaluations when either party does not accept the decision of a medical specialist. FMCSA uses the information to determine if the driver should or should not be qualified. IC-3: Medical Exemptions; FMCSA may grant a vision, hearing, or seizure exemption from a physical qualification standard. IC4: Skill Performance Evaluation Certificate; Limb impairment individuals must file an application for an SPE Certificate. IC-5: National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners; MEs are required to provide contact and employment data when registering to become a certified ME. This data is used to provide the public with contact information for those medical professionals who are certified by FMCSA to conduct interstate CMV driver medical exams. MEs are required to submit the results of each CMV driver medical exam they complete, copies of MER forms, and MECs via the National Registry. IC-6(a): certified MEs performing medical exams on CMV drivers are required to use a newly developed MER Form, MCSA-5875, in place of the current MER Form, to record the details and results of a CMV driver’s medical exam and will be maintained by the ME. IC-6(b): certified MEs are required to use Form MCSA-5876 for the MEC form to document the driver has been medically examined and certified as physically qualified to operate a CMV in interstate commerce. FMCSA will provide MEC information via the CMV Driver Medical Examination Results Form, MCSA-5850, for CDL/CLP drivers to the SDLA electronically via CDLIS for entry into the appropriate CDL driver record. IC-6(c): certified MEs are to report results of each completed CMV drivers’ medical exam to FMCSA via the MCSA-5850, including all CMV who are required to be medically certified to operate in interstate commerce. IC-6(d): CLP/CDL applicants/holders; FMCSA to electronically transmit the data including driver identification, exam results, and restriction information, from the National Registry system, to the SDLAs for examinations performed, for entry into the appropriate CDL driver record where it becomes an electronic version of the MEC. IC-6(e); FMCSA to electronically transmit medical variance (exemptions, skill performance evaluation certificates, and grandfathered exemptions) information for all CMV drivers to the SDLAs. The information originates with FMCSA who electronically transmits the information for all CMV drivers from the National Registry to the appropriate SDLAs.

The latest form for Medical Qualification Requirements expires 2021-11-30 and can be found here.

IC1 - Physical Qualification Standards

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