Basic Med if you don't have a doctor

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Are there options here? I assume a random urgent care physician isn't going to sign you off if they don't know your history?
 
Use the yellow pages, there are plenty of DOT docs willing to give the exam.
 
asicer said:
What are "yellow pages"?
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Oh, you know... that big clunky book full of phone numbers that used to get dropped off on your front porch every so often.

Even I’m old enough to remember that! ;)
 
I went to a local doc for my basicmed. No insurance, cash payment. They charged me more for the exam than I would have paid for two class 3 medical exams (I'm old). I think I'll shop around next time.

Tim
 
timrb said:
I went to a local doc for my basicmed. No insurance, cash payment. They charged me more for the exam than I would have paid for two class 3 medical exams (I'm old). I think I'll shop around next time.

Tim
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That's my second biggest issue - the cost. The one local doc I could find - also an AME - charges double for Basic Med than a first class w/EKG.:eek: The biggest issue, of course, if how much more detailed the exam is. Yes, I know it's allegedly the same as the 3rd class, but no woman wants a strange doctor giving her a rectal exam because they don't know any better than to follow the checklist to the letter.
 
Most AMEs will do Basic Med. Just tell them you don’t want the FAA exam. I can’t imagine they’d have a problem with it. Mine is cheaper than the DOT guy.
 
look up occupational health doc, the exam itself could really be done by anyone who knows how to print a eye chart, use a blood pressure cuff, and a pen, and following the printed directions, you only paying for their MD signature.
 
I found a Doctor on the AOPA list. He is an AME who also does Basic Med. Cost was the same as FAA 3rd Class.
 
Anonymous said:
Are there options here? I assume a random urgent care physician isn't going to sign you off if they don't know your history?
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Call and ask. The telephone is a wonderful resource.

But the more relevant question(s)..

if you have a GP/family doctor, why not go there (unless they won’t do it) in which case the DOT doctor is your best bet or,
why don’t you have a GP/family doctor?

Using the ER for all medical issues is incredibly expensive and not always the best solution. Example- few years ago I was deathly ill. At least I felt like it. Called my doc one weekend morning, gave him the symptoms, answered a few questions, asked him if I should head to the ER.

Well, he said. You could go, spend 3-4 hours there, rack up a huge bill and be told the same thing I’m going to tell you now. You ate something that doesn’t agree with you. Push fluids, stay home. Whatever it was, don’t eat it again.

Advantage of a long-term relationship with a physician who knows your medical history.
 
I also found my basicmed doc through the AOPA listing, though 2 years ago they only had two in the entire state. I first tried my AME and family physician, but neither would do basicmed. I’ll ask both again at renewal time.

The clinic I used did a lot of CDL exams, but did charge about $50 more than my AME did.
 
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murphey said:
Call and ask. The telephone is a wonderful resource.

But the more relevant question(s)..

if you have a GP/family doctor, why not go there (unless they won’t do it) in which case the DOT doctor is your best bet or,
why don’t you have a GP/family doctor?

Using the ER for all medical issues is incredibly expensive and not always the best solution. Example- few years ago I was deathly ill. At least I felt like it. Called my doc one weekend morning, gave him the symptoms, answered a few questions, asked him if I should head to the ER.

Well, he said. You could go, spend 3-4 hours there, rack up a huge bill and be told the same thing I’m going to tell you now. You ate something that doesn’t agree with you. Push fluids, stay home. Whatever it was, don’t eat it again.

Advantage of a long-term relationship with a physician who knows your medical history.
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Because some GP/family docs either don't understand that certain things trigger an FAA problem or they don't want you flying because they think it's risky so something that might otherwise be OK to them suddenly becomes a concern.
 
wsuffa said:
Because some GP/family docs either don't understand that certain things trigger an FAA problem or they don't want you flying because they think it's risky so something that might otherwise be OK to them suddenly becomes a concern.
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That's an inexcusable attitude for a physician to take. Only my mother can make that argument, and she's been gone over 30 yrs. Of course I'm sure she started spinning in her grave when I started flying lessons.....
 
I did mine at Concentra urgent care. They do trucker medicals too. Due to an amusing miscommunication, I also got my trucker medical card as part of the $95 or whatever checkup. He did a hernia check with cupped hand on my veg and cough, which was not part of the usual FAA second class, so a potential bonus into the bargain. :D
 
As a retired Army officer (who is also an MD, JD), I am subjected to institutional medical systems (miliary and veterans admin) and "providers" (many PAs and NPs). I am rarely scheduled to visit a "real" physician, and those I may see, refuse to do the CMEC of Basic Med. The primary physician I had a few years ago, whom I had known several years (we were both Alpha Omega Alpha honor graduates), relented after an entire year of my begging. I must renew Basic Med next year and have yet to see my current primary doctor to whom I have been assigned for almost two years.
 
I switched physicians (my previous one had retired) to a completely different practice. They had zero history, and I handed the new guy the CMEC and he had no problems with it.
 
I understand that chiropractors can do trucker medicals, but whether they can do BasicMed exams depends on whether the state where they are located classifies chiropractors as physicians.
 
To the OP: how about......establish care with a doctor?
I have an aimran in a situation that is not going to be a situation becuase the PCP has known him six years and is going to write that "this man NEVER had anthing that rose to "anxiety disorder".

Saves the BACON!!

Do you call the HVAC Co when your AC is out on the hottest day of the year and expect him to prioritize your home?
How about "establish care with a doctor"?


B
 
My primary care doc does my Basicmed exam. She was unfamiliar with it, so I went into instructor mode and gave her a brief orientation on medical certification, Basicmed, and went over the CMEC with her. She was interested, happy to do it and did the exam. Took all of five extra minutes getting her on board, and next time will be a non-issue.
 
I was also the first for my doc. He had been doing my SCUBA/Scout/deployment physicals for years and I explained it was mostly the same, except government,
 
Kaiser and some other big hospital groups will not allow their doctors to do the exams. I had mine done by an ame and my friend had his done by a doctor who does trucker certificates
 
Anonymous said:
Are there options here? I assume a random urgent care physician isn't going to sign you off if they don't know your history?
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They WILL know a lot about your history if you show up with your past FAA medical records, which you can get from the FAA for the cost of shipping.

My AME did my first Basic Med, but then he and his partner stopped. For my renewal I showed up to a completely new doc with those records, discussed any updates and got signed off. The history and physical was thorough but appropriate.

Let's face it. A history and physical exam is a crude measure of health and can be a poor assessment of risk. The history part is subjective and can be falsified ("I'm fine, no problems."). The physical exam rarely picks up anything that isn't obvious and it doesn't include the blood testing that your own physician would likely be monitoring in his office.

Bruce is right about getting a doc and doing regular visits. A big advantage with Basic Med is that you don't typically have to lie to pass and you can (and should) bring up concerns that might doom you with an AME and the slow FAA medical treadmill. Some of those concerns, if left unaddressed, might doom you with an AME or Basic Med.
 
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dbahn said:
A big advantage with Basic Med is that you don't typically have to lie to pass....
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Even better is that you can’t fail one the way you can an FAA medical. The most that can happen is the doc won’t sign. You can then correct whatever issue he found or see a different doctor. Nothing about the exam goes to the FAA.
 
Half Fast said:
https://www.aopa.org/advocacy/pilots/medical/doctor-finder
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that list is not reliable. I called all the Nearby doctors on that list , and they said “we do FAA medical… do you want a First class or 3rd class ? …. whats that?……. what is Basic Med???… we are on that list becuase we do Pilot medicals. now do you want a 3rd class or a 1st class ? ”

serious breakdown in communications somewhere… someone at those Dr offices sent info to be placed on the AOPA list for Basic Med without knowing what it was.
 
My PCP does BasicMed and my SCCA physical as part of my annual physical for no extra charge.
 
I used google. My doc wouldn't do it - said their insurance wouldn't allow it. Google found one that advertised doing them.
 
ChopAndDrop said:
that list is not reliable. I called all the Nearby doctors on that list , and they said “we do FAA medical… do you want a First class or 3rd class ? …. whats that?……. what is Basic Med???… we are on that list becuase we do Pilot medicals. now do you want a 3rd class or a 1st class ? ”

serious breakdown in communications somewhere… someone at those Dr offices sent info to be placed on the AOPA list for Basic Med without knowing what it was.
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And that is why, about 10 years ago I resigned from the AOPA's board of Aviation Medical Advisors. They (maybe not consiously) "gild the lily" in favor of retaining membership. It got to be....not conscionable.
 
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Today is Saturday, so I can't ask directly, but is it worth the time to ask an FAA Medical Examiner that does regular flight physicals if they would also be willing to do a basic med exam? Or is that not allowed?
 
JOhnH said:
Today is Saturday, so I can't ask directly, but is it worth the time to ask an FAA Medical Examiner that does regular flight physicals if they would also be willing to do a basic med exam? Or is that not allowed?
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it's allowed. Some will do it, some won't.
 
JOhnH said:
Today is Saturday, so I can't ask directly, but is it worth the time to ask an FAA Medical Examiner that does regular flight physicals if they would also be willing to do a basic med exam? Or is that not allowed?
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Both of my BasicMed exams have been done by an AME.
 
JOhnH said:
Today is Saturday, so I can't ask directly, but is it worth the time to ask an FAA Medical Examiner that does regular flight physicals if they would also be willing to do a basic med exam? Or is that not allowed?
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You're definitely allowed to ask, and AMEs are definitely allowed to provide both. My first Basic Med was with my AME before he later decided he didn't want to do them, so I found another one. One HUGE benefit to Basic Med is that what transpires with one physician doesn't go through the FAA, so going to another one has very little downside.
 
An issue I’ve seen around here is if you call up and try to establish a primary care doc they’ll set you up with a nurse practitioner instead. Probably fine for general wellness but I’m sure not FAA acceptable.
 
I know a few people that have had it done at an urgent care.
 
Man, was I lucky. My PCP was chosen as he also performed my required annual fire brigade physical. I have been using him for over 25 years, and since he was familiar and comfortable with government medical he didn't bat an eye when presented with my CMEC. He also does all of the annual reactor Operator/Senior Reactor Operator physicals for our site and is the MRO for our fitness for duty testing program. The fire brigade physical was far more demanding than the CMEC. Cardiac stress test (Bruce, treadmill), invasive labs, spirometer testing, color blind screening, physical dexterity, you get the drift. The hardest part for me was identifying the various odors presented. I always recoiled and gasped "cotton, oh my heavens, cotton"! The nurse never thought that was amusing, nor the fact that I had memorized line 8 (DEFPOTEC) and recited it with both eyes closed.
 
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