Congress Examines Pilot Medical Record Fraud

CONGRESS EXAMINES PILOT MEDICAL RECORD FRAUD
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#195656)
Does the FAA need to do more to ensure that pilots are not lying
about dangerous medical problems so they can keep their
certification? That's the question that was discussed in
Washington, D.C., on Wednesday at a hearing

(http://transportation.house.gov/hear...spx?NewsID=217)
before the House Subcommittee on Aviation. Investigators with the
DOT Office of Inspector General say they have discovered thousands
of "egregious cases" of airmen lying about debilitating medical
conditions on their applications for airman medical certificates.
The FAA said it would be too labor-intensive to cross-check and
verify every application, and the safety risk would not justify
the resources it would consume. The subcommittee said that
response was "unacceptable," and this week's hearing was part of
the continuing effort to address the issue. Among the witnesses
was AOPA President Phil Boyer, who proposed some simple steps
(http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsite...17medical.html)
to inform and educate pilots and cross-check a random sample of
applications.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#195656

This begs the question, by what means did the DOT IG substantiate the
thousands of alleged "egregious cases" of airmen lying about
debilitating medical conditions on their applications for airman
medical certificates?

Larry Dighera wrote:
CONGRESS EXAMINES PILOT MEDICAL RECORD FRAUD
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#195656)
Does the FAA need to do more to ensure that pilots are not lying
about dangerous medical problems so they can keep their
certification? That's the question that was discussed in
Washington, D.C., on Wednesday at a hearing

(http://transportation.house.gov/hear...spx?NewsID=217)
before the House Subcommittee on Aviation. Investigators with the
DOT Office of Inspector General say they have discovered thousands
of "egregious cases" of airmen lying about debilitating medical
conditions on their applications for airman medical certificates.
The FAA said it would be too labor-intensive to cross-check and
verify every application, and the safety risk would not justify
the resources it would consume. The subcommittee said that
response was "unacceptable," and this week's hearing was part of
the continuing effort to address the issue. Among the witnesses
was AOPA President Phil Boyer, who proposed some simple steps
(http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsite...17medical.html)
to inform and educate pilots and cross-check a random sample of
applications.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#195656

This begs the question, by what means did the DOT IG substantiate the
thousands of alleged "egregious cases" of airmen lying about
debilitating medical conditions on their applications for airman
medical certificates?

Well they either lied to the FAA or they lied to the SSA.

On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 11:49:15 -0500, "Gig 601XL Builder"
wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in
:

Larry Dighera wrote:
CONGRESS EXAMINES PILOT MEDICAL RECORD FRAUD
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#195656)
Does the FAA need to do more to ensure that pilots are not lying
about dangerous medical problems so they can keep their
certification? That's the question that was discussed in
Washington, D.C., on Wednesday at a hearing

(http://transportation.house.gov/hear...spx?NewsID=217)
before the House Subcommittee on Aviation. Investigators with the
DOT Office of Inspector General say they have discovered thousands
of "egregious cases" of airmen lying about debilitating medical
conditions on their applications for airman medical certificates.
The FAA said it would be too labor-intensive to cross-check and
verify every application, and the safety risk would not justify
the resources it would consume. The subcommittee said that
response was "unacceptable," and this week's hearing was part of
the continuing effort to address the issue. Among the witnesses
was AOPA President Phil Boyer, who proposed some simple steps
(http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsite...17medical.html)
to inform and educate pilots and cross-check a random sample of
applications.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#195656

This begs the question, by what means did the DOT IG substantiate the
thousands of alleged "egregious cases" of airmen lying about
debilitating medical conditions on their applications for airman
medical certificates?

Well they either lied to the FAA or they lied to the SSA.


Why do you feel that this alleged lying _only_ concerns airmen who are
receiving disability compensation from the government? Is it not
plausible that there exists a medical reporting database that might
document medical conditions undisclosed by airmen on their FAA medical
application?

On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:43:24 GMT, Larry Dighera wrote:

Is it not
plausible that there exists a medical reporting database that might
document medical conditions undisclosed by airmen on their FAA medical
application?

We have some very strong medical privacy laws in effect, does the
government even have the power to snoop into someone's medical records for
any reason?

--
Dallas

Larry Dighera wrote:
This begs the question, by what means did the DOT IG substantiate
the thousands of alleged "egregious cases" of airmen lying about
debilitating medical conditions on their applications for airman
medical certificates?

Well they either lied to the FAA or they lied to the SSA.


Why do you feel that this alleged lying _only_ concerns airmen who are
receiving disability compensation from the government? Is it not
plausible that there exists a medical reporting database that might
document medical conditions undisclosed by airmen on their FAA medical
application?

I don't, but the cross-referencing between the SSA and FAA databases is
where this came from.

Do you have reason to think that they are getting the data from somewhere
else?

Larry Dighera wrote:

CONGRESS EXAMINES PILOT MEDICAL RECORD FRAUD
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#195656)
Does the FAA need to do more to ensure that pilots are not lying
about dangerous medical problems so they can keep their
certification? That's the question that was discussed in
Washington, D.C., on Wednesday at a hearing

I was discussing the health of airline pilots with a recently retired
captain of a major airline. He commented that the flying public would be
upset if they knew the truth about medical conditions being hidden. He
also told of pilots going to MEs on the other side of the country from
home to get their physicals with sympathetic examiners.

"RomeoMike" wrote in message
...


Larry Dighera wrote:
CONGRESS EXAMINES PILOT MEDICAL RECORD FRAUD
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#195656)
Does the FAA need to do more to ensure that pilots are not lying
about dangerous medical problems so they can keep their
certification? That's the question that was discussed in
Washington, D.C., on Wednesday at a hearing
I was discussing the health of airline pilots with a recently retired
captain of a major airline. He commented that the flying public would be
upset if they knew the truth about medical conditions being hidden. He
also told of pilots going to MEs on the other side of the country from
home to get their physicals with sympathetic examiners.

I'm curious: Is there an actual problem based on statistics suggesting that
pilots lying on their medical exams is
a significant contributor to accidents, or is this more likely driven by
paranoia, ignorance or politics?

-c

C Gattman wrote:
"RomeoMike" wrote in message
...


Larry Dighera wrote:
CONGRESS EXAMINES PILOT MEDICAL RECORD FRAUD
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#195656)
Does the FAA need to do more to ensure that pilots are not lying
about dangerous medical problems so they can keep their
certification? That's the question that was discussed in
Washington, D.C., on Wednesday at a hearing
I was discussing the health of airline pilots with a recently retired
captain of a major airline. He commented that the flying public
would be upset if they knew the truth about medical conditions being
hidden. He also told of pilots going to MEs on the other side of the
country from home to get their physicals with sympathetic examiners.

I'm curious: Is there an actual problem based on statistics
suggesting that pilots lying on their medical exams is
a significant contributor to accidents, or is this more likely driven
by paranoia, ignorance or politics?

-c

No statisticly you are probably more likely to get shot in the face by the
Vice President. What SHOULD be ****ing folks off is that there are people
getting SSA payments who shouldn't be.

"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in message
...
Larry Dighera wrote:
This begs the question, by what means did the DOT IG substantiate
the thousands of alleged "egregious cases" of airmen lying about
debilitating medical conditions on their applications for airman
medical certificates?

Well they either lied to the FAA or they lied to the SSA.


Why do you feel that this alleged lying _only_ concerns airmen who are
receiving disability compensation from the government? Is it not
plausible that there exists a medical reporting database that might
document medical conditions undisclosed by airmen on their FAA medical
application?

I don't, but the cross-referencing between the SSA and FAA databases is
where this came from.

Do you have reason to think that they are getting the data from somewhere
else?

Being that at least one airplane manufacturer (Diamond?) has a option to get
it configured for being flown by disabled pilots, is it not possible that a
person can be disabled "enough" to draw SS but not disabled enough to not
have a medical?

On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:11:05 GMT, Dallas
wrote in
:

On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:43:24 GMT, Larry Dighera wrote:

Is it not
plausible that there exists a medical reporting database that might
document medical conditions undisclosed by airmen on their FAA medical
application?

We have some very strong medical privacy laws in effect, does the
government even have the power to snoop into someone's medical records for
any reason?

It would seem the Bush administration has the power, if not the
authority, to snoop at will. :-(