Update on Medicals (special issuance)

[Steve0715]

Today I called AOPA medical to get their input on what it means when your MedExpress application shows "under review" as mine moved into this category on 12/1.    I was told to expect a result in 4 months.  Also it was mentioned that the FAA is working through a backlog of about 40,000 cases.   For me, a very sad conversation.

Other information was that the FAA is working on 1000's of fraudulent medicals.  They are now scrutinizing EVERY single application apparently creating a huge slowdown in processing.

 

 

 

[Fly Boomer]

11 minutes ago, Steve0715 said:

Other information was that the FAA is working on 1000's of fraudulent medicals. 

I don't know what a "fraudulent medical" is?  Is that when you have undeclared problems that should ground you?

[toto]

31 minutes ago, Steve0715 said:

Today I called AOPA medical to get their input on what it means when your MedExpress application shows "under review" as mine moved into this category on 12/1.    I was told to expect a result in 4 months.  Also it was mentioned that the FAA is working through a backlog of about 40,000 cases.   For me, a very sad conversation.

Other information was that the FAA is working on 1000's of fraudulent medicals.  They are now scrutinizing EVERY single application apparently creating a huge slowdown in processing.

 

 

 

If your most recent application has not been denied, and you had a third-class medical at some point after 2006, you could go get a BasicMed cert.  That would give you four years to wait out the backlog

 

[toto]

21 minutes ago, Fly Boomer said:

I don't know what a "fraudulent medical" is?  

 

35 minutes ago, Steve0715 said:

Other information was that the FAA is working on 1000's of fraudulent medicals.  They are now scrutinizing EVERY single application apparently creating a huge slowdown in processing.

 

Geez - there's only "thousands" of pilots in total.  That's a lot of fraudulent applications

[Fly Boomer]

3 minutes ago, toto said:

If your most recent application has not been denied, and you had a third-class medical at some point after 2006, you could go get a BasicMed cert.  That would give you four years to wait out the backlog

 

Not sure that's possible now.  I think once you start the medical, you have to ride it out.  The time for Basic Med is when your last medical was good.

[EricJ]

29 minutes ago, Fly Boomer said:

I don't know what a "fraudulent medical" is?  Is that when you have undeclared problems that should ground you?

I don't know whether this is what was meant, but there have been cases of people presenting medical certificates that were forgeries, or just flying without one at all.   Apparently it is not unusual.

[toto]

7 minutes ago, Fly Boomer said:

Not sure that's possible now.  I think once you start the medical, you have to ride it out.  The time for Basic Med is when your last medical was good.

I'm definitely not an expert on this, but everything I have seen suggests that the limiting factor is a denial.  If you have applied for a medical but it's in process, I think you're still BasicMed eligible.

 

AC_68-1A.pdf

[Fly Boomer]

2 minutes ago, EricJ said:

I don't know whether this is what was meant, but there have been cases of people presenting medical certificates that were forgeries, or just flying without one at all.   Apparently it is not unusual.

Yep.  I could probably find some of those without looking too hard.  It was the phrase "scrutinizing EVERY single application apparently creating a huge slowdown in processing." that made me imagine fraudulent applications.

[Fly Boomer]

1 minute ago, toto said:

I'm definitely not an expert on this, but everything I have seen suggests that the limiting factor is a denial.  If you have applied for a medical but it's in process, I think you're still BasicMed eligible.

 

AC_68-1A.pdf 3.38 MB · 1 download

Makes me wonder what your Basic Med status would be when your application is finally denied.

[toto]

1 minute ago, Fly Boomer said:

Makes me wonder what your Basic Med status would be when your application is finally denied.

My read on it is that if your third-class application ultimately is completed and denied, you're no longer eligible to fly under BasicMed.

[Fly Boomer]

1 minute ago, toto said:

My read on it is that if your third-class application ultimately is completed and denied, you're no longer eligible to fly under BasicMed.

That's what I meant.

[toto]

10 minutes ago, Fly Boomer said:

That's what I meant.

 then I think you're right

 

[Steve0715]

1 hour ago, toto said:

If your most recent application has not been denied, and you had a third-class medical at some point after 2006, you could go get a BasicMed cert.  That would give you four years to wait out the backlog

 

In my case, my last medical was 1985.  

[Steve0715]

1 hour ago, toto said:

 

 

Geez - there's only "thousands" of pilots in total.  That's a lot of fraudulent applications

Square that with 40,000 backlogged applications.  You’re underestimating the number of pilots by a lot…

[Steve0715]

1 hour ago, Fly Boomer said:

Yep.  I could probably find some of those without looking too hard.  It was the phrase "scrutinizing EVERY single application apparently creating a huge slowdown in processing." that made me imagine fraudulent applications.

I my have gotten this wrong but I took what was said as AMEs were issuing medicals that shouldn’t have been issued.

[201Steve]

BasicMed is good up to the point that you are actually denied, from everything I’ve read on the subject, which makes no sense whatsoever but neither here nor there. 
 

and by denied I mean, denied. Deferred, special issuance, expiration- all fair game. But, if at the end of your road and they will no longer defer and no longer SI, then I believe it’s game over. 

[Steve0715]

15 minutes ago, 201Steve said:

BasicMed is good up to the point that you are actually denied, from everything I’ve read on the subject, which makes no sense whatsoever but neither here nor there. 
 

and by denied I mean, denied. Deferred, special issuance, expiration- all fair game. But, if at the end of your road and they will no longer defer and no longer SI, then I believe it’s game over. 

You can reapply but otherwise you’re done.

[Steve0715]

28 minutes ago, Evan said:

I don't believe this is a new practice though. The FAA has some sort of software that sifts through each application and makes sure that there aren't any errors. If there are errors dedicated, it gets passed off to a human for review. 

I've had to get a SI in the past and had much better luck going through my RFS. Instead of months for review, it took a couple of weeks. This was during COVID. Maybe I got lucky. 

Evan, what’s RFS?  I’m not familiar with that.  But I sure wish I had a quicker path.  I won’t get denied, but I’m just a number now…

[Steve0715]

2 minutes ago, Evan said:

Regional Flight Surgeon. They can review and issue most SI's. You can look them up here: 

https://www.faa.gov/pilots/medical_certification/rfs

They may be able to help. You can usually get someone on the phone. 

Really good to know.  Thanks

[toto]

3 hours ago, Steve0715 said:

You’re underestimating the number of pilots by a lot…

https://www.faa.gov/data_research/aviation_data_statistics/civil_airmen_statistics

For whatever it's worth, FAA says there are 720k "active" pilots, or 470k if you exclude student pilots. 

[Steve0715]

18 minutes ago, toto said:

https://www.faa.gov/data_research/aviation_data_statistics/civil_airmen_statistics

For whatever it's worth, FAA says there are 720k "active" pilots, or 470k if you exclude student pilots. 

True and you did say thousands…that’s not millions.lol.  Either way I way shocked by the “1000s”.  

[1980Mooney]

1 hour ago, Evan said:

I don't understand why more AME's are aware or don't utilize them. I believe that most SI cases can be reviewed by them eliminating the need to converse with OKC. 

Read it more closely.  AME's can only "reissue" an SI if all required information is provided.  They cannot provide the initial issuance of an SI. In order to get an SI initially you need to deal with your Regional Flight Surgeon or with OKC.   "An FAA physician" is not your AME - it is an employee of the FAA either Regional or in OKC.

1. AME Assisted Special Issuance (AASI).
   AME Assisted Special Issuance (AASI) is a process that provides Examiners the ability to re-issue an airman medical certificate under the provisions of an Authorization to an applicant who has a medical condition that is disqualifying under 14 CFR part 67.

    

   An FAA physician provides the initial certification decision and grants the Authorization in accordance with 14 CFR § 67.401. The Authorization letter is accompanied by attachments that specify the information that treating physician(s) must provide for the re-issuance determination. Examiners may re-issue an airman medical certificate under the provisions of an Authorization, if the applicant provides the requisite medical information required for determination. Examiners may not issue initial Authorizations. An Examiner's decision or determination is subject to review by the FAA.

Page last modified: September 18, 2019 1:33:47 PM EDT

Edited December 9, 2022 by 1980Mooney

[toto]

11 minutes ago, Steve0715 said:

True and you did say thousands…that’s not millions.lol.  Either way I way shocked by the “1000s”.  

Yeah, exactly. There aren't that many pilots around, and we aren't all applying for a medical at the same time. So having "thousands" of fraudulent applications to review seems like a lot. 

[1980Mooney]

I lost my Medical in 2006 due to a serious medical event in which I was hospitalized with a disqualifying medical condition. I received treatment which had an excellent chance of eliminating reoccurrence.  I worked directly with the Regional Flight Surgeon - Southwest Region located in Ft. Worth. to try to obtain a Special Issuance Medical Certificate   The RFS required a significant number of examinations and tests summarized into reports from my physicians. Within 8 months I was granted a Special Issuance Medical Certificate that was good for 12 months. Every year I was required to send current test results and reports from treating physicians to OKC.  The RFS approved my SI (good for only 12 months) every year for the first 2 years.  Then I was required to see an AME and complete the exam for a 3rd Class Medical.  Everything was sent to OKC and OKC issued my SI (good for 12 months). That process continued for the next 12 years.  I was required to annually provide test results and reports from my physicians to OKC.  I was required to have 3rd Class Medical Exams every 2 years.   The AME would give me a SI right after the Exam but OKC would send a replacement approved by OKC about a month after the Exam. Since 2020 I can now provide test results and reports to my AME during my normal 3rd Class Medical Exam which I am required to complete every 2 years.  My AME can now issue my SI (good for 2 years).  

The FAA do stipulate when to send in documents to OKC..  I can't recall being grounded waiting for OKC approval. 

Edited December 9, 2022 by 1980Mooney

[rbp]

16 hours ago, toto said:

If your most recent application has not been denied, and you had a third-class medical at some point after 2006, you could go get a BasicMed cert.  That would give you four years to wait out the backlog

 

 

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