This is the only level of info that I intend to give the company. Under the Federal law known as HIPAA, we are entitled to privacy regarding release of medical records. This law is enforced by the Office of Civil Rights and cannot be coercively taken away from you because of an employment contract.

If they want more than the most general description of the illness from my doctor, I will press to test this issue through a grievance, and through the Office of Civil Rights. My opinion is that they (management/DALPA) simply hope pilots voluntarily give up their rights to privacy under HIPAA. If a denial of sick pay happens to me, we'll see if my opinion is right.

Carl