Obamacare Flight Physical????

cgrab

cgrab

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cgrab
I usually get a full physical every other year and a flight physical in the intervening years. I use different doctors. I've heard that Obamacare mandates an annual physical be included in the base price of a policy. Can I therefore submit the cost of my flight physical to my insurer for reimbursement? Has anyone tried this?
 
Haven't tried, but my immediate reaction is that this wouldn't fly. Let us know if you have any luck with it though! I've been considering trying to make my DME my family physician up here.
 
I doubt it.

The FAA flight physical isn't really a "physical". It's an FAA administrative exam to see if you can pass some set of parameters. The AME isn't your doctor - he's working for the FAA.
 
cgrab said:
I usually get a full physical every other year and a flight physical in the intervening years. I use different doctors. I've heard that Obamacare mandates an annual physical be included in the base price of a policy. Can I therefore submit the cost of my flight physical to my insurer for reimbursement? Has anyone tried this?
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You can always ask your insurer, but I highly doubt it.

It's really nothing to do with "Obamacare" since most decent health policies already covered preventive care, but typically it needs to be an in-network provider for most plans. Finding an AME that is part of your insurers network is going to be really hard I suspect, and even then I doubt the doctor would code a flight physical as preventive care.

However, if you have a high deductible plan with an HSA, don't forget that you can pay the flight physical with pre-tax funds that way because it's still medical expenses either way. Not sure about an FSA.
 
Most insurers consider a flight physical to be an Occupational Procedure --- to be covered by your employer.
If you fly for yourself (private), you become the designated employer, not Barack
 
My first AME (over a decade ago) actually was part of the same in-network group as my PCP. But he did tell me not to bother trying to put it on my insurance - it wasn't going to be covered.
 
Could never get it covered ,even though my program had several AMEs. The flight phys. Is gravy to them.
 
"I've heard that....." is the lead-in to some really odd posts. Try getting some actual documentation.

Bob Gardner
 
Check with your insurance company. In my case I doubt they would cover it, and the cost of a 3rd class exam is about the same as 1 hour in a 182 in the club, so to me it isn't worth the hassle.
 
My AME wants cash and then files the office visit. When the payment comes he refunds it to me. Most plans pay for office visits. Depending on your plan, and the AME's charges, the plan allowance for an office visit may or may not cover the full amount.

Many full-time AME are not in any network and just choose not to deal with insurance (it is truly a headache for them) and you'd have to file on your own.

Interesting that so many people say don't file but hardly anyone who says they filed and got denied.

Even with a high deductible plan, or if it's not covered, it almost always counts against the annual out-of-pocket maximum so it makes sense to file. Seems silly not to.

Has nothing to do with Obamacare that I can tell.
 
dukeblue219 said:
However, if you have a high deductible plan with an HSA, don't forget that you can pay the flight physical with pre-tax funds that way because it's still medical expenses either way. Not sure about an FSA.
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I've been reimbursed at least once for an FAA physical under an FSA (now two employers ago). It really depends on the plan administrator. They saw a receipt for out of pocket expenses to a doctor's office, and passed it on through. The FSA check cleared, and that was the end of it. Hell, its my money anyway.
 
DJTorrente said:
I've been reimbursed at least once for an FAA physical under an FSA (now two employers ago). It really depends on the plan administrator. They saw a receipt for out of pocket expenses to a doctor's office, and passed it on through. The FSA check cleared, and that was the end of it. Hell, its my money anyway.
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No it's not. It's the part of the governments money that they let you keep.
 
Interesting topic.....

A piggy-back question I had to this: I setup a health savings account through my employer to take money out of pre-tax to cover my deductible for our company sponsored health plan. Would I be able to pay the AME from this account? Anyone have any experience with that?
 
vkhosid said:
Interesting topic.....



A piggy-back question I had to this: I setup a health savings account through my employer to take money out of pre-tax to cover my deductible for our company sponsored health plan. Would I be able to pay the AME from this account? Anyone have any experience with that?
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Sure, it's a physical, certainly health related, I would use the credit card they give you to pay the bill directly for all HSA stuff, where you can get in trouble is paying with cash, if you do it that way you will need to keep good records cause that will raise a red flag.
 
teejayevans said:
Sure, it's a physical, certainly health related, I would use the credit card they give you to pay the bill directly for all HSA stuff, where you can get in trouble is paying with cash, if you do it that way you will need to keep good records cause that will raise a red flag.
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That's what i'm a bit "unclear" about...is anything that's "health related" qualify to be bought under the HSA? Paying for doctors copays, lab work, MRIs, etc is clearly acceptable....but lets say I wanted to buy the latest and greatest P90X dvd collection. It might be a hard sell, but I might be able to convince someone that its "health-related" as well, no?
 
DJTorrente said:
I've been reimbursed at least once for an FAA physical under an FSA (now two employers ago). It really depends on the plan administrator. They saw a receipt for out of pocket expenses to a doctor's office, and passed it on through. The FSA check cleared, and that was the end of it. Hell, its my money anyway.
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Key words... its your money. The only catch is you avoid taxes on it.
 
vkhosid said:
That's what i'm a bit "unclear" about...is anything that's "health related" qualify to be bought under the HSA? Paying for doctors copays, lab work, MRIs, etc is clearly acceptable....but lets say I wanted to buy the latest and greatest P90X dvd collection. It might be a hard sell, but I might be able to convince someone that its "health-related" as well, no?
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No, there is documented list of what you can and cannot, and it change a few years back, I think they removed things like vitamins, see Pub 969
 
Under the ACA, an annual physical is paid 100% as a preventative health measure. I don't know if the FAA physical qualifies...but if you have an AME that would be wiling to do the annual physical on you and roll your flight physical in at the same time, then I am sure it could be done. My doesn't, so that sucks.
 
The only downside I can see to that would be the inability to conceal a problem that you know would keep you from flying. This is a great argument against the "driver's license" medical standard.
 
SbestCFII said:
The only downside I can see to that would be the inability to conceal a problem that you know would keep you from flying. This is a great argument against the "driver's license" medical standard.
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Exactly, if you don't have anything to hide then I don't see any valid reason to avoid using your AME as your PCP. In fact, quite the contrary, I did precisely because I was starting to have a few issues as I aged, one of them being blood pressure, and he could look out for BOTH my health and my medical as we dealt with medicines, etc.

I didn't have to take the FAA approved drug list in with me (though I'd still double check).

Unfortunately, we changed insurance at the first of the year and he's no longer "in network" so I had to find a new doctor. She may not know all the ins and outs of the FAA but she's a lot cuter than he is. ;)
 
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