Originally Posted by
AirBear
I don't think anyone is going to jail for hiding something unless it results in an accident/incident like the JetBlue Captain the F/O had to lock out of the cockpit. (I have no idea what happened to him, or if he knew he had an illness).
People have gone to jail. You got off lightly because you were not trying to hide anything, it was an honest mistake, and they found out about it from you.
If they find out by some other means, it's a serious condition, and you failed to report it at a regular medical, that's when DOJ gets involved.
In theory they can access any federal records, although this has been sporadic to date. Eventually they will gain access to all medical records, which are now all digital (federal law). Eventually I expect they will use automated record screening. If you're young you might see retroactive, automated screening of all your old records later in your career. This is why honesty is more important than it used to be.