Sleep Apnea & the dreaded company physicals

If you plan on going to work for a large carrier you probably should have waited for them to send you for a physical. Now you might have to jump through the hoops all over again since most of them require their own physicals. Meaning you can't get hired on with your own DOT med card even if it's brand new.

 

Just be careful, there are a lot of examiners that have invested money in the sleep labs. They keep quoting this sleep apnea stuff as if its still law. There is one urgent care place in Newport News that does DOT physicals. The MD there will not give you a medical if you have a large neck or a BMI over the guideline unless you have done a sleep study. He is also very rude I have been told by several drivers.

 

If he already has a sleep study, he's good at any company. They can make you take their own physical, but a sleep study is good for five years (I'm pretty sure -- might be three).

 

I have tried to advise any Honorably discharged Veteran to get registered with the VA. If you think you might have a sleep apnea problem the VA does sleep studies and gives cpap machines if you have sleep apnea. The VA hospital here in Hampton has a Physician that is on the medical examiner database. Even if you have insurance the VA should save you money on this stuff. Don't listen to people that tell you VA care is 2nd rate and there are long lines. The VA does all my medical care and I am very happy. By the way VA medical care satisfies you under Obamacare you don't need other insurance unless of course you have a family.

 

So keep this in mind, There is currently no ruling by the FMCSA for sleep apnea screening on DOT physicals. Now the company may require it, but if you get a MEDICAL OPINION LETTER from your personal doctor, NOBODY can legally require the sleep study. Remember, the sleep apnea bill forbids the FMCSA from using guidelines only for creating rules, so the DOT clinics also cannot just use guidelines to create their own rules.

I'm sure that a apnea RX never expires, however I can't remember what my doctor said about the opinion letter. He either wanted to rewrite it every three or five years, but don't misunderstand, this was his medical opinion when I was first confronted with the apnea garbage. I used that letter once, for a two year card and it was accepted by my employer's clinic. I have since been diagnosed and currently use a CPAP, so all I have to do is give them the little chip every year now.

 

Okay, I went to the VA in New Orleans for my study and yes, they did it, and yes, they offered a machine, but the machine they were offering did NOT have an SD card inside to print a 30-day report for the DOT exam. Might want to check on this before using a VA machine or you might have to sit on your arse for 30 days with a new machine to get the print out...

 

Yes I have heard of this happening, but even if you purchase a machine your ahead of the game with the sleep study costs.