To curb potential dangers for the 4.8 million commercial motor vehicle drivers in the United States, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSA) require all United States drivers to undergo a fitness for duty examination at a minimum of every two years to ensure they are healthy enough to drive. However, effective May 21, examinations can only be performed by clinicians certified by the FMCSA. Concentra, a subsidiary of Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM), currently has more than 1,200 physicians certified by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to conduct this exam.

Information from the National Transportation Safety Board’s crash investigations indicates that improper medical certification of truck and bus drivers with serious disqualifying medical conditions have directly contributed to injury-causing and fatal crashes. In 2012 alone there were 104,000 people injured in crashes involving commercial trucks, according to the Department of Transportation.

“With recent data showing an increase in injuries and fatalities due to crashes involving commercial vehicles, there is a growing importance for clinicians to be certified to perform FMCSA certification examinations that can help to catch problematic health issues,” said Anne-Marie Puricelli, M.D., Regional Medical Director for Concentra medical centers in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Nebraska.

To help make certification decisions easier for physicians, Ellison Wittels, M.D., a former Senior Consultant to the FMCSA, Dr. Puricelli and Michael Berneking, M.D., Center Medical Director for Concentra locations in Grand Rapids, Michigan, developed a course focused on current Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) guidelines for DOT physicals. The course, which is a National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME) approved certification course – available in instructor-led sessions and online at concentralearning.com – educates medical examiners on various health topics related to the FMCSA standards and guidelines, including hearing, vision, hypertension and drug abuse, as well as cardiovascular, neurological, respiratory, diabetes, musculoskeletal and psychological issues.

Although walk-ins are welcome at Concentra locations, Dr. Puricelli advises that, as the changes from the FMCSA progress, it is important for drivers to schedule an appointment ahead of time to ensure that a certified clinician is available when needed.

Due to the increased certification requirements for clinicians and a new regulation requiring clinicians to send exam results on a monthly basis, the cost of DOT physicals will be increasing in the upcoming months.

“This price adjustment will reflect commercial drivers’ access to a higher level of clinical expertise and to thousands of FMCSA-certified clinicians nationwide,” Dr. Puricelli said. “The ultimate result is to help all drivers be safer on the road.”

For more than 30 years, Concentra has been the leading provider of occupational and acute care services. With more than 300 national locations, Concentra offers quality, efficient medical care, at convenient times and locations, to meet patients’ health care needs. The company’s exceptional patient experience continues to gain recognition for outstanding service and customer loyalty, in the health industry and beyond. For more information about Concentra, including a list of locations, visit www.Concentra.com.

About Concentra

Concentra, a subsidiary of Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM), is a leading health care company focused on improving America’s health, one patient at a time. Through its affiliated clinicians, the company provides occupational medicine, urgent care, physical therapy, and wellness services from more than 300 medical centers in 38 states. In addition to these medical center locations, Concentra serves employers by providing a broad range of health advisory services and operating more than 270 workplace-based health and wellness centers. Through this complement of services, Concentra intends to raise the standard of health by putting individuals first, treating them with clinical excellence, and focusing on their ongoing wellness. www.Concentra.com

About Humana

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is a leading health and well-being company focused on making it easy for people to achieve their best health with clinical excellence through coordinated care. The company’s strategy integrates care delivery, the member experience, and clinical and consumer insights to encourage engagement, behavior change, proactive clinical outreach and wellness for the millions of people Humana serves across the country.

More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company’s web site at www.humana.com, including copies of:

  • Annual reports to stockholders
  • Securities and Exchange Commission filings
  • Most recent investor conference presentations
  • Quarterly earnings news releases
  • Replays of most recent earnings release conference calls
  • Calendar of events (including upcoming earnings conference call dates and times, as well as planned interaction with research analysts and institutional investors)
  • Corporate Governance information