Changes to medical processing at the National Maritime Center

Professional Mariner Forum
1

On April 12th, the USCG came out with a bulletin from the National Maritime Center (NMC) announcing several changes to the Mariner Medical Evaluations Division. These changes were made with the intention of improving customer service, while at the same time, ensuring public safety remains the priority for the issuance of Mariner credentials at the NMC.

The following are a list of the changes,

Mariner Medical Point of Contact
Increase in head count of government medical personnel on staff
New Medical Services Contract
Adjustments to medical screening procedures aimed at reducing application processing delays

Getting medical clearance to go to work is an important issue to our industry, how is this new medical eval process working?

2

I have a “medical history”. When I applied for my AB (prior to the NMC) it took 13 months. When I applied for my license it was in medical review for 2 weeks, I knew what documentation they were going to want. Still, it was only a 6 week delay in the original process. I don’t know that the problem was medical review, I suspect it was REC NY. Huge improvement. However, one of my classmates has been in medical review, for almost a year. They request additional information, he supplies it, they ask for something else. He gives them that and they start the whole process again. I’ve told him to call his congressmen. And the saga continues…

3

I remain skeptical and will remain so until it is time for me to renew again in 4 1/2 years. The incompetance of the existing medical staffing within the NMC can only be aleviated by the complete removal of the upper Medical Evaluation Board. I Understand and Respect the need for a thorough evaluation of all Medical Questions, but until there is a Competant Medical Officer who is willing to accept the Professional Evaluations of an Applicants Personal Medical Professional, this process will continue to be a Wasps Nest of Confusion and Discontent.

During my recent renewal, the NMC Refused to release any Information to my Third Party Advocate despite my filling out the NMCs’ own waiver form.

Calls by my Physicians and Medical Specialists to the NMC were Ignored.

Right Now I have a Medical Waiver Requiring Annual Testing for a Non-existing Medical Condition that has been Documented by Three Doctors. These findings were and continue to be questioned by the Head NMC Medical Officer, who refuses to accept the Doctors’ Evaluations.

I will not belabor the point. If in fact there will be actual “Qualified Doctors and Physician Assistants” available to evalauate medical issue, that is a Major Step in the Right Directions, allthough it does beg the question “who was doing the evaluating before if not “Qualified Doctors”?”

It took Congressional Intervention for me to get renewed this last time-I can only hope that this mess is cleared up by 2015.

4

Well said Tugsri. I share your pain. I had to have 9 letters from 5 doctors and half of those were to say that I had not been to see that doctor. The other half were to show that I did not have a condition that I have never had. All because of one prescription that could have (In large doses) been taken for something else.

5

I just spent a week in south Louisiana trying to pass a pre-employment examination at Business Health Partners in Sulphur. I’ve never seen a more unprofessional bunch of people. When I finally got to see the “doctor” he said he didn’t like my gait. What am I, a Tenessee Walker?
All of this for a job aboard a pogy boat…and I’ve been a licensed Merchant Mariner since 1976, but they put me though the physical like I was a rookie. I’m 53 years old and can’t run a marathon, but I can climb the rigging and jump from boat to boat and I’ve been taking aviation physicals every six moinths for 25 years and never had a problem. If this is the standard we’re all in trouble.
I’m out of a job because a doctor…if he really was one…didn’t like the way I walked. He asked me why I walked that way and I told him I walked the same way my grandfather and father walked and I have a son that walks the same way. It might be caused by having been on boats since I was 6 years old. That will make you walk funny, especially when you walk up the dock after a week aboard.
Anyway, it’s to Walmart I guess.
Sorry for the rant.
Nemo

6

Nemo, no need to apologize…This is only going to get worse I fear…

We have a Capt on one of our boats who had a heart surgery some 13 years ago…Has been renewing his license ever since…Been skippering the boat the whole time,hasn’t missed a day of work due to health, in all that time .

When he renewed this time the new Medical NVIC was in place… NMC shut him down and denied him his license …He has been to a battery of doctors all attesting in favor, of his health status but NMC will not listen…He has since hired a lawyer in hopes of getting this resolved…

.It’s almost as if the NMC Dr’s, have no interest in listening to the Dr’s that are actually examining the patients…In the meantime he hasn’t been able to work because his license has expired…This is ridiculous…

7

Did he at least check out your teeth before sending you to the glue factory?

All kidding aside, what I don’t understand is how some people do pass their physicals when anyone can plainly see they should not. Im speaking of captains and chief mates at MSC who are morbidly obese. Not fat, not overweight, but so grossly massive and disgusting that they have meals sent to the bridge just so they don’t have to walk the stairs to the chow hall. (I would love to name names and post pictures, but those of us at MSC know who I’m talking about.)

If these lardballs are given a pass on their physical - part of which is a BMI limit - then I just don’t see how the deaf, blind and cripple shouldn’t pass, too.

Maybe they shop-a-doc until someone passes them?

8

Can only hope this expedites things. It will be 4 months on Wed that my app has been parked in MEB. No answers as to why. My congressman will be asked to get involved soon if no changes are made in short order. Absolutely ridiculous! I drive an 18 wheel fuel truck in the Colorado Rockies, in all weather. I have more stress on a daily basis than any day I have had at sea. Hell, I’m going back to sea to relax. Best of luck to anyone who has to deal with this incompetence.

9

Perhaps one of us should compile a list of all the congresshumans who have got involved and then draft letters to all of them letting them know they weren’t the only congresshumans who have got involved and list there bretheren and sisteren. Maybe they will get off their collective tuckuses, (tuckii?) and talk to the Commandant or one of his flunkies about this.

I can tell you that the USCG HATES it when congess asks any questions…

10

One more example of why term limits should be in. Either by the pols themselves or by us at the next election!

11

[QUOTE=BMCSRetired;49174]Perhaps one of us should compile a list of all the congresshumans who have got involved and then draft letters to all of them letting them know they weren’t the only congresshumans who have got involved and list there bretheren and sisteren. Maybe they will get off their collective tuckuses, (tuckii?) and talk to the Commandant or one of his flunkies about this.

I can tell you that the USCG HATES it when congess asks any questions…[/QUOTE]

I think that is a step in the right direction…This is something that can and will over time, affect everyone of us…One little hiccup as the ageing process takes it’s toll on our bodies and the next thing you know you are out of a job…

I speak for myself on this but I will do whatever it takes and shop as many Dr’s as I have to control the information that goes on one of these physical forms, if/when I have an issue …I normally believe in honesty being the best policy but in this case why invite unsolicited trouble…?

On the flip side, I will answer the questions in advance that my previous statement is sure to generate.

.No, I don’t want unsafe people manning vessels , no I don’t want others to put their lives in jeapordy because a fellow crew member wasn’t up to the job…What I would like, is a policy that is fair in evaluation of ones fitness that will take all of the factors into consideration…One that allows for a speedy appeals process with protocols in place to insure that not one or two Dr’s, who have never even seen a patient except for on paper doesn’t get the final say on his or her livlihood…Is that asking too much?

12

Thanks for the replies guys. I guess unless you want to pull pots or dredge oysters you’re SOL for working on the water unless you’re a Jean Claude Van Dam clone.
I sat in the wheelhouse with a 75 year old Captain that has forgotten more about boats than most of us will ever remember. He can barely get up the stairs to the bridge but he passed the physical. I watched him back a 180 ft. boat into a 182 ft. space on the first pass, and he didn’t hit anything but the bulkhead…and that very gently. It was almost the most amazing piece of boat handling I’ve ever seen.

13

[QUOTE=Shellback;49179]I speak for myself on this but I will do whatever it takes and shop as many Dr’s as I have to control the information that goes on one of these physical forms,[/QUOTE]

Shopping REC’s is one of the reasons why they centralized everything in the first place. In another 10-15 years they will probably do the same with physicals.

Anyway here is a list of the Congresshumans that control the USCG purse strings. If one of these people call, u should get a result of some kind or another.

PETER T. KING, New York, Chairman/ LAMAR SMITH Texas/ BENNIE G. THOMPSON, Mississippi/ DANIEL E. LUNGREN, California/
LORETTA SANCHEZ, California/ MIKE ROGERS, Alabama/ SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas/ MICHAEL T.MCCAUL, Texas/ HENRY CUELLAR, Texas/
GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida/ YVETTE D. CLARKE, New York / PAUL C. BROUN, Georgia/ LAURA RICHARDSON, California/ CANDICE S.MILLER, Michigan/ DANNY K. DAVIS, Illinois/ TIM WALBERG, Michigan/ BRIAN HIGGINS, New York/ CHIP CRAVAACK, Minnesota/ JACKIE SPEIER, California/
JOE WALSH, Illinois / CEDRIC L. RICHMOND, Louisiana/ PATRICK MEEHAN, Pennsylvania/ HANSEN CLARKE, Michigan/ BEN QUAYLE, Arizona/
WILLIAM R. KEATING, Massachusetts/ SCOTT RIGELL, Virginia/ BILLY LONG, Missouri/ JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina/ TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania/
BLAKE FARENTHOLD, Texas and MO BROOKS, Alabama

14

[QUOTE=BMCSRetired;49208]Shopping REC’s is one of the reasons why they centralized everything in the first place. In another 10-15 years they will probably do the same with physicals.

Anyway here is a list of the Congresshumans that control the USCG purse strings. If one of these people call, u should get a result of some kind or another.

PETER T. KING, New York, Chairman/ LAMAR SMITH Texas/ BENNIE G. THOMPSON, Mississippi/ DANIEL E. LUNGREN, California/
LORETTA SANCHEZ, California/ MIKE ROGERS, Alabama/ SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas/ MICHAEL T.MCCAUL, Texas/ HENRY CUELLAR, Texas/
GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida/ YVETTE D. CLARKE, New York / PAUL C. BROUN, Georgia/ LAURA RICHARDSON, California/ CANDICE S.MILLER, Michigan/ DANNY K. DAVIS, Illinois/ TIM WALBERG, Michigan/ BRIAN HIGGINS, New York/ CHIP CRAVAACK, Minnesota/ JACKIE SPEIER, California/
JOE WALSH, Illinois / CEDRIC L. RICHMOND, Louisiana/ PATRICK MEEHAN, Pennsylvania/ HANSEN CLARKE, Michigan/ BEN QUAYLE, Arizona/
WILLIAM R. KEATING, Massachusetts/ SCOTT RIGELL, Virginia/ BILLY LONG, Missouri/ JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina/ TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania/
BLAKE FARENTHOLD, Texas and MO BROOKS, Alabama[/QUOTE]Thanks for the info Master Chief. But you misspelled congressthief!

15

[QUOTE=Shellback;49179]No, I don’t want unsafe people manning vessels , no I don’t want others to put their lives in jeapordy because a fellow crew member wasn’t up to the job…What I would like, is a policy that is fair in evaluation of ones fitness that will take all of the factors into consideration…One that allows for a speedy appeals process with protocols in place to insure that not one or two Dr’s, who have never even seen a patient except for on paper doesn’t get the final say on his or her livlihood…Is that asking too much?[/QUOTE]

Amen to that! However, in the world of 500 dollar hammers and 1000 dollar toilet seats, I do believe we may be expecting the improbable, doing the impossible, working with the government myopia, in a military ‘fog’ of un-commercial perception and ‘mis- perception.’

16

[QUOTE=seadog6608;49215]Thanks for the info Master Chief. But you misspelled congressthief![/QUOTE]

That’s why I was a Senior Chief and not a Master Chief, not enough skooling.

17

I have noticed and been hearing a lot of people using retired civilian USCG employees to push their apps through. When the insane bureaucracy has created a whole other career for the retirees something is wrong. These people are making 200-300 just to take a look at your application for you. They have created so many rules and regs some of us are afraid to even fill out the applications anymore. Maybe one day the pols you speak of will do something and the madness will stop.

18

Finally got notice that I’m out of meb and on to professional evaluation. 4 months and a day! To say I’m ecstatic is an understatement, but still a bit pissed off at the process. Almost an AB again after 13 yrs.