It looks like we don’t need to do anything at all to get our new medical certificates, and NMC is required to automatically send them to us by 31 March 2013.
From Federal Register summary
Separate from training, service, and assessmen
ts, one important element that needs to be
addressed immediately is the requi
rement to hold a medical certi
ficate, especially for those
mariners sailing internationally. In general, the Coast Guard will be changing its procedures and
it will issue a separate medica
l certificate to certify
a mariner’s compliance with the minimum
mariner medical standards. While the medical certificate issue is not a requirement for STCW
until 2017, the International Labour Organiza
tion’s Maritime Labour Convention (MLC)
requires that mariners have a se
parate medical certificate issu
ed by the flag administration.
Therefore, since it will eventually be require
d under STCW, and since it is required now under
the MLC, the Coast Guard is pressing forward to
issue medical certificates as quickly as possible
within the timing of this rule. One very impor
tant additional reason why the United States is
eager to issue medical certificates
to our mariners traveling internat
ionally is that U.S. registered
vessels that visit ports of nations that have adopt
ed the MLC will be at risk of detention if they
cannot demonstrate adequate compliance with th
e MLC.
Therefore, effective January 2nd, 2014,
the National Maritime Center (NMC
) will begin issuing medical cert
ificates to those mariners
who hold STCW endorsements, and, on January 24, 2014, will begin to issue medical certificates
to all mariners in the normal course of the a
pplication process.
Pl
ease recognize that once you
receive a medical certificate, it
should be carried with your mercha
nt mariner credential (MMC).
Also, if you are a current holder of a valid
STCW endorsement and you do not receive your
medical certificate by March 31, 2014, we ask that
you please contact the NMC at 1 888-I-ASK-
NMC (1-888-427-5662).