Special Issuance questions

[Sam Gordon]

After months of waiting, I finally got my 3rd Class Special Issuance. At issue was diabetes (discovered during my medical exam) and sleep apnea (disclosed on the form before my exam). But I have questions about what I'm supposed to do next.

The certificate has the restriction "Not valid for any class after June 30, 2022". The way I read this, I have 4 1/2 months to get this figured out.

In the letter it says "This authorization expires: June 30, 2027."

In the instructions, it says "At 12 month intervals, beginning in June 2022, please have your treating physician complete the attached diabetes mellitus worksheet" and "At 12 month intervals, beginning in June 2022, you will be required to submit a current status report from your treating physician regarding your Sleep Apnea... as outlined on the enclosed specification sheet"

It goes on to say I meet the Conditions AMEs Can Issue program criteria for asthma. "Prior to your June 2023 FAA medical exam, and every 24 months thereafter, you should do these steps:
* Identify the reports and/or testing required by the FAA
* Get a current Medical summary that includes that information
* Give that to the AME

"If your FAA flight physical is not required at the time your follow-up reports are due, no FAA physical examination needs to be performed."

"You may take the specifically required information to your AME for review & consideration.... If the AME is able to conclude that there is no significant adverse change in your medial condition... he may issue a new medical certificate with the appropriate time line restriction."

(Paraphrasing) "if you don't want to pay the AME, you can send documents to the med certification at the following address"
Question 1
How does the 2027 date reconcile with the June 2022 date?

Question 2
Do I need to wait until June 1, get appointments with my treating doctors for diabetes and apnea and get that information?

Question 3
Can I then take the information from the treating doctors to the AME and get the "normal" certificate?

Question 4
Knowing how long it takes the Certification division to react to anything, does it make any sense to mail the information to them?

Question 5
If I take the information to a local AME, what kind of appointment am I asking for? It sounds like I wouldn't need a physical until June 2023.

Question 6
According to the diabetes form, I need an A1C reading within 90 days of "recertification". Does that mean I can get that form filled out anytime after February (90 days before June 30, 2022)?

Sorry for the length, I just want to make sure I get this all done properly and in time.

Thank you

 

[Tools]

I can answer a couple.

the earlier date is when your medical expires. The 2027 date is the length of time FAA headquarters has allowed a local AME to renew. Basically your local AME is gonna review everything yearly until then, headquarters will revisit in 2027.

the way I see it, you do need all that info by Jun this year? It was good for a year but took so long to review and issue this first round only has 5 months left. It’s a normal sort of glitch...

I don’t know the best way to submit. Someone will come along and chime in with something useful soon.

 

[Dave Theisen]

I wouldn’t ever submit something directly to the FAA that my AME hasn’t reviewed.

 

[wayneda40]

Might be the right time to go get a BasicMed?

 

[brcase]

I wouldn’t ever submit something directly to the FAA that my AME hasn’t reviewed.

To submit the required information to the FAA take the required information to your AME in June and have him send it to the FAA, He will issue you a new 1 year SI certificate. if you are unsure what you need to bring, consult your AME prior to June so you can have all the required test results, letters, and information ready when you visit him in June. In fact best to send the AME Copies of all the required information prior to you visit so he can tell if you have what you need or not.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

 

[Sam Gordon]

To submit the required information to the FAA take the required information to your AME in June and have him send it to the FAA, He will issue you a new 1 year SI certificate. if you are unsure what you need to bring, consult your AME prior to June so you can have all the required test results, letters, and information ready when you visit him in June. In fact best to send the AME Copies of all the required information prior to you visit so he can tell if you have what you need or not.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

Thanks. Do I have to wait to get the information IN June (not just turn into the AME)? Or if I get the data in the middle of May, will that suffice? I guess it's up to the AME.

What I was thinking was schedule appointments with my treating physicians the first week in June and an appointment with my AME the second week. Do I need to bring any other forms with me to the AME? I figure I'd bring the letter I got with the 5 month SI.

 

[Half Fast]

If you’d rather not put up with all this caca, you can get a Basic Med exam and just let the 3rd class expire 30 June 2022. Will Basic Med privileges be sufficient for your flying?

 

[Sam Gordon]

If you’d rather not put up with all this caca, you can get a Basic Med exam and just let the 3rd class expire 30 June 2022. Will Basic Med privileges be sufficient for your flying?

I'm pretty sure it will. I guess I just had it my head that I had to hold SOME med certificate before doing Basic Med, but I guess I have that now.

 

[brcase]

Thanks. Do I have to wait to get the information IN June (not just turn into the AME)? Or if I get the data in the middle of May, will that suffice? I guess it's up to the AME.

What I was thinking was schedule appointments with my treating physicians the first week in June and an appointment with my AME the second week. Do I need to bring any other forms with me to the AME? I figure I'd bring the letter I got with the 5 month SI.

I don't see issue with getting the information in April or May, unless you letter says something specific about that. But asking you AME 1st is a great idea. I tell my students, with medical issues as much as possible don't try guess, ask the best experts you can find to know as well is practical what you need to do and when.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

 

[Matthew]

With an OSI SI myself, the terminology is pretty confusing:

There's a 6 year letter that authorizes your special issuance. That's the 2027 date. In my case, when the 6 years is up, I've automatically been sent a new authorization letter that's good for an additional 6 years.

Each year, you'll need to get your SI renewed. That's the annual status report and why the medical says "not valid after xxx", or one year since the SI was issued.

There will be a time when your medical expires AND you'll need a new medical exam. I don't know your age, but assuming >40, then every other year you'll get a new medical exam AND an SI renewal.

I can't speak towards the diabetes or anything other than OSA, but approx 90 days before your SI renewal or your combined medical and SI, you'll need to get your personal doc to evaluate your OSA treatment and compliance. FAA seems to want "current" reports and they consider within 90 days as current.

On the years you need both your SI and your physical, take the OSA documents in and the AME can do the medical exam and hand you a new medical while you are there (assuming there is nothing else wrong).

On the off year when you need to renew the SI but don't need the physical exam, you have two choices - send the documents in to FAA medical and wait, or visit the AME and let him or her re-issue in the office (you'll probably be charged for the visit, but you won't need the whole physical exam.)

Towards the end of this year, I'll hit the time when both my medical and SI need to be renewed at the same time. That's when I'll be looking at the Basic Med option.

 

[Matthew]

Do I need to bring any other forms with me to the AME? I figure I'd bring the letter I got with the 5 month SI.

For OSA, there should be a couple of forms. One is the status report from your treating physician. There will be another one that's kind of a personal statement. The OSA SI requires a one-year report from the CPAP showing compliance (>6hrs/night for >70%(????)) of nights. I can't remember if that 70% is correct or not, it should be on your letter. Also, be aware that most CPAP reports default to 4hrs as a compliance limit, but FAA wants 6. For a first time OSA SI, there's a pretty good chance that you won't have 12 months of data, so there's a document for you to sign attesting that you have been compliant even though you don't have 12 months of data in the report. I *think* that's it, I seem to remember there being another form, though. Everything should have been included in that letter you got. Since you won't get another letter for 6 years, you'll need to make copies or scan those in so you can print them and fill them out each year.

 

[Sam Gordon]

For OSA, there should be a couple of forms. One is the status report from your treating physician. There will be another one that's kind of a personal statement. The OSA SI requires a one-year report from the CPAP showing compliance (>6hrs/night for >70%(????)) of nights. I can't remember if that 70% is correct or not, it should be on your letter. Also, be aware that most CPAP reports default to 4hrs as a compliance limit, but FAA wants 6. For a first time OSA SI, there's a pretty good chance that you won't have 12 months of data, so there's a document for you to sign attesting that you have been compliant even though you don't have 12 months of data in the report. I *think* that's it, I seem to remember there being another form, though. Everything should have been included in that letter you got. Since you won't get another letter for 6 years, you'll need to make copies or scan those in so you can print them and fill them out each year.

Your information (in both posts) is EXACTLY what I was looking for and how I *THOUGHT* I had read it. It's nice to get the confirmation.

When I asked about "other documents", I get needing the reports asked for in the SI letter, I didn't know if I needed an "application" or something like that. The good(?) news is I've been on CPAP for over a year now, so as long as my doctor can provide me the report, I should be good. I was part of the great Phillips CPAP recall, so I just changed my machine last month. Again, I'm hoping the doctor (treating) can get me the 12 month report.

The letter and forms got scanned in yesterday.

So, unless I go to BasicMed, in April, May, June of this year, get the supporting docs from my treating doctors. Before June 30, go to the AME, show him the docs and he should be able to give me an updated 3rd class that should last until June 30, 2023.
In April, May, June of 2023, I go to my treating doctors and get supporting docs again, then before June 30, 2023, go to the AME, turn in the docs, get a new physical, and I should be good.
Rinse & Repeat (even years just turn in docs, odd years turn in docs & get a physical).

If I have that all right, THANK YOU!

 

[Matthew]

Your information (in both posts) is EXACTLY what I was looking for and how I *THOUGHT* I had read it. It's nice to get the confirmation.

When I asked about "other documents", I get needing the reports asked for in the SI letter, I didn't know if I needed an "application" or something like that. The good(?) news is I've been on CPAP for over a year now, so as long as my doctor can provide me the report, I should be good. I was part of the great Phillips CPAP recall, so I just changed my machine last month. Again, I'm hoping the doctor (treating) can get me the 12 month report.

The letter and forms got scanned in yesterday.

So, unless I go to BasicMed, in April, May, June of this year, get the supporting docs from my treating doctors. Before June 30, go to the AME, show him the docs and he should be able to give me an updated 3rd class that should last until June 30, 2023.
In April, May, June of 2023, I go to my treating doctors and get supporting docs again, then before June 30, 2023, go to the AME, turn in the docs, get a new physical, and I should be good.
Rinse & Repeat (even years just turn in docs, odd years turn in docs & get a physical).

If I have that all right, THANK YOU!

I think you have it. Alternating years will have either the OSA paperwork or the paperwork plus physical. I don’t know about your other issues. I use my AME for those years I only need the reports. Only takes a few minutes and I have a fresh medical in my hand. I do pay for the convenience, the alternative is to send it to FAA medical and wait.

A couple things to clarify: your treating doc needs to write a status report each year. It basically documents that your doc has discussed your treatment, efficacy, and compliance and that you show “no excessive daytime somnolence”. This is in addition to the report out of the machine. In your case you will probably want to print one from each to show a continuous 12 months worth of data. You can do it yourself if you can pull the SD card and you download s/w called “OSCAR”. Do an interweb search, you’ll find it. It can import data from the SD card (make sure to write protect it as soon as you pull it from the CPAP and reset it when you put it back.) It’s simple to generate the compliance report and it will also print a histogram that shows every night for the last 12 months that makes it very simple to see your compliance. Make sure to set the compliance filter to 6hrs.