Notice2021-16955
Request to Medical Examiners on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners Regarding Submission of Examination Results
Primary source
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Published
August 9, 2021
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Abstract
FMCSA requests that medical examiners (MEs), by September 30, 2021, submit results of physical qualification examinations conducted during the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (National Registry) outage from December 1, 2017, through August 13, 2018. During the outage, FMCSA encouraged MEs to continue conducting physical qualification examinations and instructed MEs to submit examination results to the National Registry when upload functionality was restored. The upload functionality was fully restored on August 13, 2018, but a significant number of healthcare professionals have not uploaded the results from examinations conducted during the National Registry outage. FMCSA requests that the examiners in question upload the information.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 150 (Monday, August 9, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 150 (Monday, August 9, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 43577]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16955]
[[Page 43577]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Request to Medical Examiners on the National Registry of
Certified Medical Examiners Regarding Submission of Examination Results
AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA),
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Request for examination results.
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SUMMARY: FMCSA requests that medical examiners (MEs), by September 30,
2021, submit results of physical qualification examinations conducted
during the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (National
Registry) outage from December 1, 2017, through August 13, 2018. During
the outage, FMCSA encouraged MEs to continue conducting physical
qualification examinations and instructed MEs to submit examination
results to the National Registry when upload functionality was
restored. The upload functionality was fully restored on August 13,
2018, but a significant number of healthcare professionals have not
uploaded the results from examinations conducted during the National
Registry outage. FMCSA requests that the examiners in question upload
the information.
DATES: Medical examiners should submit the results from examinations
conducted between December 1, 2017, and August 13, 2018, to the Agency
by September 30, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Christine A. Hydock, Chief,
Medical Programs Division, FMCSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590-0001; telephone (202) 366-4001;
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fe98939d8d9f939b9a979d9f92be9a918ad0999188"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c5a3a8a6b6a4a8a0a1aca6a4a985a1aab1eba2aab3">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Enacted in 2005 and amended in 2012, 49 U.S.C. 31149 authorizes the
National Registry program. Among other statutory mandates, section
31149 directed the Secretary, acting through FMSCA, to establish the
National Registry and to require MEs to transmit electronically certain
information about completed medical examination results of commercial
motor vehicle (CMV) drivers (section 31149(c)(1)(E), (d)(1)). To
implement the requirements of section 31149, FMCSA issued a final rule
in 2012 establishing the National Registry (77 FR 24104 (Apr. 20,
2012)). This rule also required MEs to submit a CMV Driver Medical
Examination Results Form, MCSA-5850, to FMCSA for each physical
examination conducted during the previous month for any driver who is
required to be examined by an ME listed on the National Registry. This
rule was amended in 2015 to require MEs to report results of all CMV
drivers' physical examinations conducted (including the results of
examinations where the driver was found not to be qualified) to FMCSA
by midnight local time of the next calendar day following the
examination, beginning on June 22, 2018 (80 FR 22790 (Apr. 23, 2015);
80 FR 35577 (Jun. 22, 2015)).
II. National Registry Outage
In December 2017, an incident occurred that caused the Agency to
take the National Registry system offline. Unfortunately, during the
outage, MEs were not able to access their National Registry accounts to
upload results of examinations conducted. MEs were encouraged to
continue conducting physical qualification examinations and issuing
Medical Examiner's Certificates to qualified CMV drivers. MEs were also
informed that they should segregate all examinations completed during
the outage and be prepared to upload them to the National Registry
system when it is back online and operating normally.
III. National Registry Reporting Functionality Restored
The functionality for MEs to submit results of examinations to the
National Registry was restored on June 22, 2018. The functionality for
Medical Examiner Administrative Assistants (MEAAs) and Third Party
Organizations (TPOs) to submit results of examinations on behalf of MEs
to the National Registry was restored on August 13, 2018. Therefore,
MEs were instructed to resume submitting results of examinations
conducted either through their National Registry account or by using
their designated MEAAs or TPOs, in accordance with 49 CFR
391.43(g)(5)(i)(B) and (5)(ii).
Although the functionality to enter results of examinations
conducted had been restored, FMCSA was concerned that the temporary
National Registry system would not be able to handle the usual daily
activity together with the additional activity for results from
examinations conducted during the time the National Registry was
offline. Therefore, on June 27, 2018, FMCSA sent an email to all MEs
explaining that FMCSA was not requiring MEs to immediately upload
results of the examinations conducted during the National Registry
outage and that it would provide an extended period to upload results
of examinations conducted during the National Registry outage. The
Agency explained that, in an effort to limit the time burden on MEs, it
would ensure that MEs have ample time to upload results of these
examinations.
IV. Request for Examination Results
Due to continued improvements to the National Registry system,
FMCSA is no longer concerned about the increased activity of uploading
results of examinations that occurred during the National Registry
outage. FMCSA is aware that while many MEs have submitted results of
examinations conducted while the National Registry was offline, others
still have not done so. FMCSA estimates that approximately 14,000 MEs
still have examinations results to upload. This includes MEs who were
certified and actively uploading results of examinations conducted on
December 1, 2017, when the National Registry was taken offline, who
have successfully migrated their National Registry account, and who
have been using the interim National Registry system. This activity
demonstrates that they have continued to conduct physical qualification
examinations, but may not have uploaded results of any examinations
conducted between the outage period of December 1, 2017, and August 13,
2018. Therefore, FMCSA requests that MEs who have not yet submitted
results of examinations conducted during the National Registry outage,
between December 1, 2017, and August 13, 2018, report the outstanding
results to the National Registry through their National Registry
account or by a designated MEAA or TPO no later than September 30,
2021. FMCSA makes this request to ensure, to the greatest extent
possible, that results of all examinations conducted during the outage
are reported to the National Registry.
Meera Joshi,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2021-16955 Filed 8-6-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P
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