The Do's and Dont's of the Doctors Office

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SofiaGarcia

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A couple of questions...

1. When going to the doctors office as a pilot, is their anything to keep in mind? I know there are many forms to be signed that are usually in relation to HIPAA and insurance. Is there any reason not to make certain things available to providers?

2. How long are Medical and Insurance records available to a pilot? If I wanted to go back and look at doctors notes (to help in filling out the FAA medical form) from a certain appointment say 16 years ago for high blood pressure, would I be able to do so? Or are records expunged after a certain period of time. (Looks like I have to check one of the boxes and I would like the medical records on hand).

3. Do doctors offices delete records after there legal time required to keep them? If so, why? I am worried they wont have them.

It's almost time for me to solo and this will be my first medical. Happy I found this forum!
 
It doesn't matter how long medical records are available to you. What matters is how long they are available to the FAA, which by all accounts is forever.

Edit: You can ask your doc for the details of that visit, including the specific diagnosis, etc. Just make DAMN sure you discuss the details with your AME before you apply for a medical and make absolutely sure there will be no problem getting a certificate issued. If there's anything troublesome in your medical past (going all the way back to childhood) you still have flying options available to you that could be lost forever if you submit an application and get denied. Chances are you'll be fine... but don't take chances.
 
Just tell the doc's you feel great, no problems. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you.

The FAA has a long memory!
 
Joe_B1 said:
Just tell the doc's you feel great, no problems. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you.

The FAA has a long memory!
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And risk getting a felony after they find out you failed to disclose a disqualifying condition? Not a good thing to be recommending.
 
RyanB said:
And risk getting a felony after they find out you failed to disclose a disqualifying condition? Not a good thing to be recommending.
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For example, I had a kidney stone 35 years ago as a result of medication I was prescribed and I reported it. 35 years later, not one issue, and I still have to get my doctor to write a report each time I renew my medical. Yes, the FAA has a very long memory!

ETA: I had self grounded during that period.
 
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Just be sure your PCP and AME are not the same guy, or even in the same practice.
 
Joe_B1 said:
For example, I had a kidney stone 35 years ago as a result of medication I was prescribed and I reported it. 35 years later, not one issue, and I still have to get my doctor to write a report each time I renew my medical. Yes, the FAA has a very long memory!

ETA: I had self grounded during that period.
Click to expand...

Why do you have to get a status update yearly for a 35 year old kidney stone if there are no recurrences? There is a CACI that says you are fine. Report “previously reported - no changes”.


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Joe_B1 said:
For example, I had a kidney stone 35 years ago as a result of medication I was prescribed and I reported it. 35 years later, not one issue, and I still have to get my doctor to write a report each time I renew my medical. Yes, the FAA has a very long memory!

ETA: I had self grounded during that period.
Click to expand...
You have had a SI for 35 years for a kidney stone?
 
ttexrbomb said:
Why do you have to get a status update yearly for a 35 year old kidney stone if there are no recurrences? There is a CACI that says you are fine. Report “previously reported - no changes”.


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Because I have a letter from the FAA that says I have to. It states that I must have a report from my PCP stating that there have been no re occurances and that I must have an AME issue my third class. Up until a few years ago, the AME would issue my medical and a couple of weeks later OKC would suspend it. That seems to have stopped and now if I get a report from my PCP that I supply to the AME, it seems to have somewhat fixed the issue.

Like I said, the FAA has a long memory.
 
Joe_B1 said:
Because I have a letter from the FAA that says I have to. It states that I must have a report from my PCP stating that there have been no re occurances and that I must have an AME issue my third class. Up until a few years ago, the AME would issue my medical and a couple of weeks later OKC would suspend it. That seems to have stopped and now if I get a report from my PCP that I supply to the AME, it seems to have somewhat fixed the issue.

Like I said, the FAA has a long memory.
Click to expand...


So go Basic Med and stop complying with stupidity.
 
To amplify, never trust a provider to retain the important records. I've got a big file full of all of my records and CDRoms with various radiology tests.
 
Joe_B1 said:
It says that I must have an AME issue my 3rd class. I cannot go basic med!
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You certainly can, right after the AME issues your medical (IF you have such a letter from the FAA since the last one was issued). Just don't renew after that, and switch to BasicMed.
 
Joe_B1 said:
It says that I must have an AME issue my 3rd class. I cannot go basic med!
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I don't see how that means you can't go Basic, if you have held a valid medical any time since July of 2006 and have never had it revoked or denied. What do you think would happen if you didn't do anything at all and just let your medical expire?

You can have a Class 3 and Basic Med at the same time. Get the Basic and just let the 3rd class expire.

Maybe @Brad Z can chime in and clarify.
 
Half Fast said:
I don't see how that means you can't go Basic, if you have held a valid medical any time since July of 2006 and have never had it revoked or denied. What do you think would happen if you didn't do anything at all and just let your medical expire?

You can have a Class 3 and Basic Med at the same time. Get the Basic and just let the 3rd class expire.

Maybe @Brad Z can chime in and clarify.
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@DaleB and @Half Fast are correct. You can jump over to BasicMed. Once the medical expires, the obligation to adhere to the requirements of the SI expires as well.

This question came up often so I asked the question to the Office of the Chief Counsel so they could weigh in an official opinion...

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...ngo-AFX-1-2 - (2018) Legal Interpretation.pdf
 
I'm not a lawyer, I am a pilot. This all seems to be working for me the way it is. When I have to renew, I go to my PCP, get a routine check-up, get a report, go to the AME and get my 3rd class. For years, FAA was up my ass and I fought them, now, not so much. I am okay with things the way they are. So no pulling the tigers tail, I get to fly my plane!
 
Joe_B1 said:
For example, I had a kidney stone 35 years ago as a result of medication I was prescribed and I reported it. 35 years later, not one issue, and I still have to get my doctor to write a report each time I renew my medical. Yes, the FAA has a very long memory!

ETA: I had self grounded during that period.
Click to expand...

Might by your AME, I had a kidney stone in 1999 got my first medical in 2016 and only reported it and have never needed a report from my doc in the 2 subsequent medicals after the initial.
 
Joe_B1 said:
For example, I had a kidney stone 35 years ago as a result of medication I was prescribed and I reported it. 35 years later, not one issue, and I still have to get my doctor to write a report each time I renew my medical. Yes, the FAA has a very long memory!

ETA: I had self grounded during that period.
Click to expand...
After five years if no further episodes, “CACI qualified retained renal stones” and that ends the SI...
The AME needs re-education
 
...half fast, I would add that if the OP needs a preventative medication for stones and has a retained stone even that isn't doing a thing, that is a "condition requiring medication and treatment". So I might have been hasty as to the AME, two posts above. A so called "Staghorn Calculus" might be a cause of 35 years of SI.
 
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