"off the record"

  • Thread starter Franz Von Fliegenhozen
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Franz Von Fliegenhozen

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I suspect that I may have an issue with my liver. I would like to see a doctor, however, I would like to see a doctor in such a way that the DOT and/or FAA could not ever prove that I went to a doctor. Is there anyway I can do this anonomously. Or at least have the diagnosis be off-the-record. I just got my 1st class medical and commercial certificate, and have an interview comming up. Also, I currently drive for a living and I also need to keep my DOT medical, or I m out of a job.

Please help. If I even suspect that going to a doctor will cost me my current job or a future job, my stubborn German heritage will prevent me from going to a doctor at all and i will most likely die sooner than otherwise.
 
Go see a doctor in another country and pay cash?

I like the Disney reference.
 
Do not trust anyone in the medical profession who says they want to 'help' you. Find a private MD, don't give your name, pay in cash, take the test needed and remain John Doe to everyone. A single slip will give you away. It's going to be hard to find an MD that will agree to this, but it can be done. It's not cheap, and you can't use your insurance.
 
Can you do some research into what kind of liver issues there might be, and how the DOT and FAA view it? If it's a matter of jumping through some hoops and keeping a job while staying healthy, that's a good outcome. Risking your health is not a good outcome.
 
Going to a doctor will not cost you your job unless you have a disqualifying condition for which special issuance isn't possible. If you do have such a condition, you need to be out of the cockpit until it's fixed, especially if you're in a flying job which requires a First Class medical. If you don't, there is nothing to worry about. Either way, just go see a doctor, tell the truth, and live up to the standards expected of an ATP.

And to answer your question, I know of no way to accomplish what you want without legal or medical risk.
 
I suspect if your liver condition is so severe it may be a disqualifying condition, you have bigger things to worry about anyway.
 
Ignore your liver, what is the wurst thing that could happen?
Or go, maybe find a new line of work, maybe live.
 
Henning said:
Why?:dunno: Time to die is time to die. Why waste life trying to extend it?
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Convincing people to skip medical care is a pretty slow way to deal with planet overcrowding. Should I have this ebola looked at or go to a crowded show?:lol:
 
Jeff Oslick said:
I don't care if he kills himself, but if he is flying/driving commercial I would hope he has some regard for the safety of others.
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Liver isn't like coronary disease, he won't just drop to the ground, bleeding out your liver takes a couple of minutes.
 
When to a funeral last week of a guy that died of liver disease. Last few years of his life were pretty poor. RIP.

To the OP, if you got the funds, jump on a flight to Thailand. They have as good, if not better hospitals than we do, and their costs are much lower.

There is a whole industry for Americans flying to Thailand for healthcare, for the savings, the travel is free. And, if I was forced to rest for 6 weeks, I can't think of a better place to do it.
 
JoseCuervo said:
When to a funeral last week of a guy that died of liver disease. Last few years of his life were pretty poor. RIP.

To the OP, if you got the funds, jump on a flight to Thailand. They have as good, if not better hospitals than we do, and their costs are much lower.

There is a whole industry for Americans flying to Thailand for healthcare, for the savings, the travel is free. And, if I was forced to rest for 6 weeks, I can't think of a better place to do it.
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Thailand is a good place for medical tourism.
 
The Thailand idea is pretty good. They do have decent health care in the cities. Wouldn't go up country, but in BKK you can get the same tests done for 1/10 the price, and be very sure of your anonymity. Then, take a few weeks down to Phuket, and come home.
 
Just to put a number or two with this...

I got on Orbitz, put in a departure date of a week from now, leaving from Nashville ('cause, why not) and staying a week in Thailand (BKK). Round trip: $1700.

What... double that? For expenses while there and medical care and you're only looking at $3400, total. Still less than some deductibles.

Interesting.
 
Mistake Not... said:
Just to put a number or two with this...

I got on Orbitz, put in a departure date of a week from now, leaving from Nashville ('cause, why not) and staying a week in Thailand (BKK). Round trip: $1700.

What... double that? For expenses while there and medical care and you're only looking at $3400, total. Still less than some deductibles.

Interesting.
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Not sure how accurate a source this is, but it kind of falls in line with numbers I have seen elsewhere, and, it was in an easy format to post into the thread.

medcosts.gif



You can pay for a lot of plane tickets and hotel rooms with the savings.


Would your payment in Thailand go towards meeting your annual deductible???
 
Mistake Not... said:
Just to put a number or two with this...

I got on Orbitz, put in a departure date of a week from now, leaving from Nashville ('cause, why not) and staying a week in Thailand (BKK). Round trip: $1700.

What... double that? For expenses while there and medical care and you're only looking at $3400, total. Still less than some deductibles.

Interesting.
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You'll be staying at a high dollar brothel for that.:yes:
 
Well, thanks for all the advice.
I dont know if I have a disqualifying condition, but if I do, id rather it get taken care of privately. I dont understand why the governmnet can do whatever they want in the almighty name of safety. My theory is that the potential for one to lose their job due to medical reasons, causes more shady activity, than if the government just minded their own damn business. But in the name of safety, they think everything is their business. However, if they werent involved, I would have gone to a doctor a long time ago. But as it is now, I will do whatever it takes to find the black market, rather than potentially mess up my career opportunities and dreams, due to an oppressive overbearing bureacracy.
Oh by the way, what are the checks and balances on a bureacracy? THE SHEISTKOPF BUREACRACY!!! Unbelieveable.
Really, all i want is a diagnosis. But no, its too risky. Well, MAybe I will go to Thailand with my next tax return.
See you in the skies,.....hopefully not passed out on my way to Cuba...safe flying!!
 
They don't 'think' it, the insurance industry demands it. This isn't about safety of life, it's about safety of money. Airlines carry "Strict Liability" attached to them, that means regardless the cause, they are on the hook. Since the airlines themselves only care about their profits, the financial/insurance industry demands that the government protect their profits by regulating every aspect of aviation to the Nth degree, that includes pilots.
 
Aren't you a self serving jerk. The FAA doesn't really care if you kill yourself, they are concerned with you taking out innocent bystanders ie pax.
If you try to get a commercial job they are going to do a blood test.
Hopefully you die before you kill someone.
 
Paulie said:
Aren't you a self serving jerk. The FAA doesn't really care if you kill yourself, they are concerned with you taking out innocent bystanders ie pax.
If you try to get a commercial job they are going to do a blood test.
Hopefully you die before you kill someone.
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HAHAHAHAHAHA
I would like to see the way you handle a 2 to 3 thousand pound vehicle on the roadways. I bet you've endangered the lives of many many people.I used to teach driver's ed for 8 years and I drive a semi. I see self serving jerks all the time. They all have a class D drivers license and have no idea how many times they almost kill the innocent. Don't give me that BS that YOU are somehow self-less and perfectly safe and HOLY. there's nothing I hate more than the self righteous. If I do ever crash, hopefully it will be into you and your soon to be dead body.
 
The US is probably one of the most lenient in the world when it comes to medical standards. There are very few conditions which can't be granted a special issuance at the least. If your liver condition permanently disqualifies you then you have no business being a commercial pilot. If the FAA adopted a real medical exam like in asia probably half the pilots would be grounded. We have the best system in the world. Don't ruin it by doing stuff like this.
 
onwards said:
Go see a doctor in another country and pay cash?
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Do physicians in the US now require photo ID at first appointments? I know friends who have visited US doctors under an assumed name to get a true second opinion (no online peek at the first diagnosis). Do you now need a fake ID to accomplish that?


What's a fake ID cost these days? Less than $100 I'd imagine...


Paul
 
All it takes is one incident where it is discovered a pilot lied to screw us all over. Is it really that hard to just be honest? The FAA has a very low denial rate.
 
Well, from another perspective, I consider the FAA aeromed to be a huge block and challenge to all aviation processes. I don't know what the OPs problem is, and if he wants to get a Dr to look at it on the QT, I have no problem with that. The number of medical problems which present as catastrophic while operating a plane is vanishingly small. And yet, the FAA was poised to start looking at our weight and neck size for lifestyle problems not directly related to the immediate requirements of pilotage.

Everyone in this av community knows there are thousands of pilots operating in AK without valid med papers. I wonder what the rate of crashes based on aeromedical issues is compared to the lower 48?

Also, threads like this come up once in a while, but more often pilots just find their own way around the system. If the aeromed system is so benign, why do we have so many pilots avoiding them like the plague?

You should have heard the haranguing from the aeromed examiners who deal with the FAA every day. They expressed to me(an outsider) astonishment with the level of gross incompetence, backbiting, and empire building in the face of what would normally be a miniscule med problem, with no affect on the pilots ability to operate the plane. Does anyone think that the liver is going to just asplode and spill pilot goo all over the panel one day? Has it happened in the past? Evar?
 
Unregistered said:
All it takes is one incident where it is discovered a pilot lied to screw us all over. Is it really that hard to just be honest? The FAA has a very low denial rate.
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Oh please, one incident? It happens constantly and always has, pilots lie on medicals all the time. The FAA sets the rules the Insurance Industry demands, and it all goes on the honor system from there. If the AME doesn't figure out your problem, you'll have a fresh medical. Just don't collect govt benefits for your problem and the only likely way they'll ever find out is in the post crash autopsy if there's enough of you left to scrape up.
 
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