Timing of Going to BasicMed and CPAP Use

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Bill Harbour

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BHarbour
My Class 3 is due in July of this year (2021). I use a CPAP and have an SI. I will have to schedule a visit with my sleep Doc, and mail in my SI paperwork by the end of May if I'm to continue to hold the Class 3.

How does the above affect the timing of going to BasicMed? Do I hold off on sending in the SI paperwork, then get the BasicMed physical the day of the expiration of my Class 3? Will I get a nasty letter from the FAA saying my Class 3 has expired and I'm grounded thereby messing up the BasicMed?

The SI paperwork submittal is a pain.
 
I went BasicMed while still holding a Class 2 on an OSA SI like you have.

The medicals just expire, they don't transform into denials. If you anticipate a gap in your flying, the gap in your medical validity won't matter and you can get BasicMed whenever it suits you, including from now.

$0.02
 
I also have the OSA SI.
The FAA has accepted my regular GP doc’s status letter.
 
I believe the question is: if you don’t mail in your paperwork due in May for your current SI, will you lose your medical before July? I believe the answer is that yes, you will eventually lose it. It may take some time for the paperwork to catch up.

Last time, submit the paperwork and in July go get your basic med and be done with the SI and FAA medicals.
 
That does sound like a good plan.

bflynn said:
I believe the question is: if you don’t mail in your paperwork due in May for your current SI, will you lose your medical before July? I believe the answer is that yes, you will eventually lose it. It may take some time for the paperwork to catch up.

Last time, submit the paperwork and in July go get your basic med and be done with the SI and FAA medicals.
Click to expand...
 
I had the same question a while ago, but it was right after I renewed my Class III so I have a little time to deal with it later.

Can you just get Basic med at any time, regardless of any SI reporting requirements? If you do have a Class III with an annual SI that needs to be renewed, will FAA look at that Class III and see that you did not renew that SI per the annual requirement? Or should you wait for the 2nd year (if over 40) when both the Class III physical and the SI come due at the same time?

I think the consensus was: With an annual SI, your Class III medical will say "Not Valid For Any Class After <1 year from the last time it was renewed>". Even though the physical exam isn't required every year, the SI to renew the medical is. It looks like the medical expires annually (unless you do the SI and SI/Exam when required), so Basic Med can be used at any time and the medical simply expires.
 
You can get basicmed at any time. But... if your SI requires action on a shorter timeframe than the medical itself, i.e. if the SI expires before the class III does and you don't take action to renew it or comply with any reporting requirements, then the class III will be revoked instead of simply expiring, and then you can't use basicmed. Until the class III itself expires, you have to comply with the SI requirements, even if you also (already) have basicmed.

I got my basicmed a couple of months before my class III expired, because that's when I happened to visit my regular doctor for a checkup.
 
You can have a Class 3/2/1 medical and basicmed at the same time, but you have to comply with both. In particular, having basicmed does not remove the need to comply with an SI. Once you have an SI expired and and expired FAA medical (which should be at the same time but might not be?), then you can go basicmed with no need for the SI
 
Then it seems that's about what is to happen in my case (both will expire at same time) as this year I have the SI paperwork due and the Class 3 due. Last year I only had to submit the SI paperwork.

My medical certificate (which was sent to me after I filed the SI paperwork last year) says not valid for any class after July 31, 2021. The original Date of Examination was July 9, 2019.

bflynn said:
You can have a Class 3/2/1 medical and basicmed at the same time, but you have to comply with both. In particular, having basicmed does not remove the need to comply with an SI. Once you have an SI expired and and expired FAA medical (which should be at the same time but might not be?), then you can go basicmed with no need for the SI
Click to expand...
 
Bill Harbour said:
Oh...so there's not a difference then? Still got to submit the SI even with BasicMed?
Click to expand...
My comment was for renewing a third or higher.

For me, I haven’t seen my sleep doc in years as there isn’t a need to. For the FAA, they accept a letter from my regular doc.
 
I think you all may be mis-using terms. The Special Issuance granted by the FAA is good for 6 years. I have OSA, and am on a SI. Each year, I have to submit paperwork to show CPAP compliance in order to get my Class 3 renewed. I don’t consider that SI paperwork. My Class 3 is only valid for one year with submittal of the compliance paperwork, and every other year a class 3 exam. My plan would be to get the Basic Med, and then let the Class 3 expire, along with the SI after the 6 years is up, although without the submittal of compliance data, it may become invalid when the class 3 expires that year.
 
AggieMike88 said:
My comment was for renewing a third or higher.

For me, I haven’t seen my sleep doc in years as there isn’t a need to. For the FAA, they accept a letter from my regular doc.
Click to expand...

Aggie... does your PCP look at and submit the compliance data from your CPAP machine, along with a letter to the FAA or give you that info to submit?

Actually, I bet we could submit the compliance data ourselves if you have the SW to read the machine, and use the Self Certify Attestment form.
 
Rcmutz said:
Aggie Mike... does your PCP look at and submit the compliance data from your CPAP machine, along with a letter to the FAA or give you that info to submit?

Actually, I bet we could submit the compliance data ourselves if you have the SW to read the machine, and use the Self Certify Attestment form.
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I supply a copy of a report generated by OSCAR from the data card out of my CPAP. Doc then does the required physical exam and observations. Then writes the letter before I leave.

The letter and OSCAR report is provided to the AME

OSCAR software: https://www.sleepfiles.com/OSCAR/
 
AggieMike88 said:
I supply a copy of a report generated by OSCAR from the data card out of my CPAP. Doc then does the required physical exam and observations. Then writes the letter before I leave.

The letter and OSCAR report is provided to the AME

OSCAR software: https://www.sleepfiles.com/OSCAR/
Click to expand...

Sounds identical to what I do, only with the sleep center. I may ask my new to me PCP if he would be willing to do the letter for me. I hope to go Basic Med at some point. Thanks.
 
Just so everyone's clear, your obligation to adhere to the requirements of the special issuance ceases once the medical certificate expires. So even if you have a 10 year SI letter, you no longer are required to comply with the letter if you allow your medical certificate to lapse. You can then opt to go BasicMed from there (which has no special issuance component).

Just so y'all don't think I made this up, I did get this in writing for you...

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...ngo-AFX-1-2 - (2018) Legal Interpretation.pdf
 
Even more important you can have BOTH, you don’t have to wait until the end of you 3rd (though you must serve out the conditions of the SI), to get the Basic.
 
For me...serving out the conditions of my SI would be July 31st of this year?

bbchien said:
Even more important you can have BOTH, you don’t have to wait until the end of you 3rd (though you must serve out the conditions of the SI), to get the Basic.
Click to expand...
 
Great info...thanks!!!! That was my main worry...that the FAA would revoke the medical if they didn't get the SI paperwork.

Brad Z said:
Just so everyone's clear, your obligation to adhere to the requirements of the special issuance ceases once the medical certificate expires. So even if you have a 10 year SI letter, you no longer are required to comply with the letter if you allow your medical certificate to lapse. You can then opt to go BasicMed from there (which has no special issuance component).

Just so y'all don't think I made this up, I did get this in writing for you...

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/agc/practice_areas/regulations/interpretations/Data/interps/2018/Domingo-AFX-1-2 - (2018) Legal Interpretation.pdf
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Bill Harbour said:
For me...serving out the conditions of my SI would be July 31st of this year?
Click to expand...
If your certificate says, "not valid for any class after 07/31/2021", yes. But note, for Sleep Apnea all you have to do to comply is use your CPAP.

Now everyone would hope you would see the benefit of using it under Basic med, and if your PCP has a ounce of sense he will SPECIFY that to you as a condition of his signature....since 95% of accidents are due to pi__ poor pilot performance, and untreated Sleep Apnea tests out a equivalent to BAC 0.04 in the lab......well I think you "get it".

Incidentally, the least medicolegally threatening time for a PCP to sign a Basic, is WHEN YOU STILL MEET FEDERAL STDS, e.g before July 31, 2021.
 
I do use my CPAP exactly as prescribed and have done that for years. That's not a problem. I let my medical lapse before long ago when I got out of flying for a while and I didn't get any nasty letters from the FAA then. But this time it's different...I have the SI and I've heard horror stories of folks going to BasicMed or Light Sport and getting their medical revoked for not sending in the paperwork.

I talked to my AME last week and he's even gone to BasicMed himself.

From what I've gathered here...I'll do my annual sleep doctor visit, gather up all my CPAP compliance paperwork and take that with me to the PCP doing the BasicMed, but not send to the FAA. Before July 31st I'll get my BasicMed physical done...and continue to use my CPAP as prescribed.


bbchien said:
If your certificate says, "not valid for any class after 07/31/2021", yes. But note, for Sleep Apnea all you have to do to comply is use your CPAP.

Now everyone would hope you would see the benefit of using it under Basic med, and if your PCP has a ounce of sense he will SPECIFY that to you as a condition of his signature....since 95% of accidents are due to pi__ poor pilot performance, and untreated Sleep Apnea tests out a equivalent to BAC 0.04 in the lab......well I think you "get it".

Incidentally, the least medicolegally threatening time for a PCP to sign a Basic, is WHEN YOU STILL MEET FEDERAL STDS, e.g before July 31, 2021.
Click to expand...
 
Bill Harbour said:
I do use my CPAP exactly as prescribed and have done that for years. That's not a problem. I let my medical lapse before long ago when I got out of flying for a while and I didn't get any nasty letters from the FAA then. But this time it's different...I have the SI and I've heard horror stories of folks going to BasicMed or Light Sport and getting their medical revoked for not sending in the paperwork.

I talked to my AME last week and he's even gone to BasicMed himself.

From what I've gathered here...I'll do my annual sleep doctor visit, gather up all my CPAP compliance paperwork and take that with me to the PCP doing the BasicMed, but not send to the FAA. Before July 31st I'll get my BasicMed physical done...and continue to use my CPAP as prescribed.
Click to expand...
Correct. Once you go BasicMed, no medical documents get sent to the FAA. It's between you and the state licensed physician conducting your examination.
 
Apologies for bumping an old thread, but I'm still a bit confused about BasicMed timing for a Class 3 SI for OSA.

Currently, I'm on year 1 of a 2 year Class 3 and compliant with the SI.

I'm planning to go BasicMed before the 1-year SI "renewal" date.

If I did that, is there anything that should be submitted to the FAA besides the BasicMed documentation? In other words, if I go BasicMed, do I still need to provide the OSA information to the FAA as if I was continuing under the Class 3 cert?
 
Do what you need to do to comply with the SI until the medical certificate expires. After that you don't need to do anything other than complying with the requirements for BasicMed.
 
bbchien said:
If your certificate says, "not valid for any class after 07/31/2021", yes. But note, for Sleep Apnea all you have to do to comply is use your CPAP.

Now everyone would hope you would see the benefit of using it under Basic med, and if your PCP has a ounce of sense he will SPECIFY that to you as a condition of his signature....since 95% of accidents are due to pi__ poor pilot performance, and untreated Sleep Apnea tests out a equivalent to BAC 0.04 in the lab......well I think you "get it".

Incidentally, the least medicolegally threatening time for a PCP to sign a Basic, is WHEN YOU STILL MEET FEDERAL STDS, e.g before July 31, 2021.
Click to expand...

That doesn’t sound very dangerous actually.



Just jump the FAA hoops until the exp date on the medical is past, go basic med and don’t look back.

No real health issues here, now if I didn’t need a 1st class I would go basic med and never look back at the FAAs fairytale land of fake medicine.
 
Brad Z said:
Do what you need to do to comply with the SI until the medical certificate expires. After that you don't need to do anything other than complying with the requirements for BasicMed.
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Got it, thanks. Then I see no reason to do BasicMed right now. Might as well wait until the second year of the medical cert.
 
Brad Z said:
Just so everyone's clear, your obligation to adhere to the requirements of the special issuance ceases once the medical certificate expires. So even if you have a 10 year SI letter, you no longer are required to comply with the letter if you allow your medical certificate to lapse. You can then opt to go BasicMed from there (which has no special issuance component).

Just so y'all don't think I made this up, I did get this in writing for you...

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/agc/practice_areas/regulations/interpretations/Data/interps/2018/Domingo-AFX-1-2 - (2018) Legal Interpretation.pdf
Click to expand...

The link to that interpretation letter has expired since that post was written. Here is an updated link:

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...Domingo-AFX-1-2_2018_Legal_Interpretation.pdf
 
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