You guys are getting played, HARD.



O'rly?? A moderator said differently just yesterday.



This was in response to this inquiry...


So Tool is a proven liar who claims to be a Delta pilot who further claims because no one was willing to meet him...a proven liar...face-to-face that means he isn't a liar.

LMAO

I think it's very, very safe to go with Carl's usually accurate assessment here...

Concepts????

Took awhile to type it without the strikeouts.

OK here it is:

G. Medical Release Requirement

1. The DHS or his designee may request further information from a pilot regarding his sickness or may require a pilot to provide a medical release when:
a. a pilot's sick leave exceeds a medical release threshold, or
b. verification is required, or has been sought under Section 14 F.2., and the DHS is not able to assess the medical basis for the use of sick leave.
Note: Prior to requiring a medical release, the pilot must first be provided with an additional opportunity to submit verification that is acceptable to the DHS.
2. A medical release will be limited to a written authorization for release of medical information to the DHS for:
a. the specific sickness for which the pilot claimed sick leave, and
b. the day(s) on which the pilot claimed sick leave and the consecutive days(s) off immediately preceding and succeeding the day(s) on which a pilot claimed sick leave.
3. If, following the review of information provided pursuant to a medical release, the DHS is not able to satisfactorily assess the medical basis for the use of sick leave, the release may be expanded to include a Company designated doctor and the senior Vice-President of Flight Operations.

The verification threshold is 15 days in a 365 day period.

The medical release is defined as: A medical release will be limited to a written authorization for release of medical information to the DHS for:
a. the specific sickness for which the pilot claimed sick leave, and
b. the day(s) on which the pilot claimed sick leave and the consecutive days(s) off immediately preceding and succeeding the day(s) on which a pilot claimed sick leave.

So yes, this is the same thing we had for C2012. Where's the fire?

Sent this to MEC 44 -
I have a question regarding the new reserve requirement calculations. Old formula vs the new one. I think it means fewer reserves on any given day, except Christmas which looks like twice as many as before, but the math is so convoluded and different as to seem impossible to compare. Is there a way we could get a comparison? Say this months ATLMD88B next to what it would have been under the new computations? Also, is this somehow linked to the LCA trip bidding change? Seems like if those 75% of OE trips are withheld, more reserves would be required in case OE was not conducted on those trips. That rational makes me doubt my initial analysis of the reserve requirement computation.

Response -
What the new formula does is allows the formula to look at your seat not all WB or NB seats. It's an improvement and will allow more swapping and less peaks and valleys like we see now. It's a gain.

Opinion - it's a gain because they say so? Don't think the response answers the question or makes a case either way.

The myth and hysteria here said the company could require your entire medical record.

Myth: BUSTED

Sorry Sharpest, but this guy is sharper and I trust his qualifications much more than yours.



PROLOGUE

Remember in C2012 when new medical note requirements came up? DALPA said, “The Company can already ask for a note. [So don’t worry].” DALPA went on to say that there were transcripts of the actual agreement with the negotiators so this would not be a problem. Remember what happened? The company went on a rampage demanding notes from many sick calls. In the end, DALPA resolved this issue and we currently are in a steady state.

I do not know the answer to this question, but the question to understand is “Under our current contract, how many pilots are subjected to Section 15B review annually?” My guess is that it is a very small number. (BTW Section 15 is not in the published TA. You should read it.)

We have precedent in both of these situations that will be subject to change as soon as the contract changes. Think about this change and what you would do if you were on the management side.



MY QUALIFICATIONS

MBA Wharton School of Business, Ex McKinsey consultant, Current manager of small New England Psychiatric practice, Current Delta Pilot



PRESENT DAY

Section 14 Small.png

WHAT IS IN A MEDICAL NOTE?


This chart below is part of a reminder card handed out to all doctors in our local hospital. Any doctor will recognize this as the first part of a standard initial visit medical note. When you go to the doctor’s office, someone documents many of the things below. The important part to understand is the PMH (past medical history – which can include whatever you or other doctors share with this doctor – Of Note: IT IS HIPAA NOT HIPPA and doctors do not need you to sign a release to share your medical information with another doctor associated with your treatment under HIPAA), PSH (past social history – which can include almost anything about your past that the doctor asks about or you share), MEDS (all current meds and many times past medications), Family History (where you share all your family medical history), Social History (which can include employment, incarceration, military, and many other things), ROS (review of systems) where you tell the doctor about what hurts, and then any outside medical reports.


Sorry the medical Note Format won't come up here.



When you sign a release under Section 14 G 2, your release for a “specific sickness” gives DHC potential access to your entire medical and social history.

There is no doctor’s office that is going to redact sections of your medical note and any serious problem requires you to be honest with your doctor about everything if you want proper treatment. Your medical history should be between you, your medical doctors and your AME. Delta has absolutely no place in this.

DALPA will argue that this release is already in Section 15. Remember, section 15B is only for very specific situations related to your FAA certificate, not about justifying a sick absence. [EDIT: DALPA will argue that this release is also already in Section 14 G. Remember, section 14G is only for specific “good faith” situations that is limited under C2012 and precedent. My guess is that this section is severely limiting to the company under precedent. And I believe the devil is in the details of changing the words medical “information” to “release.” A medical release usually has very broad scope.]

You must think like management. By moving this release to Section 14, it will become commonplace for Delta to ask for a medical release and therefore you automatically release your entire medical history to Delta. I cannot foresee the end game in this change, but it is most definitely very bad.

If I were on the other side (DHC), I would start to question every pilot’s medical justification when that pilot breaks the medical threshold. I would question the validity of the content of the doctor’s note justifying a sick absence (allowed by section 14G3). I would require additional information every time.

I audit or read about 80 medical notes a week – granted, many are not what we may experience in our own medical situations, but many are - and I can tell you that in any given note, there is a ton of information that is not related to the “specific sickness” for which you are seeing the doctor. I also spend a lot of time communicating with disability companies. Disability companies almost always question the treatment of the physician and their “standard of care.” It is a very low threshold to disagree with a doctor’s treatment or diagnosis when it comes to a disability company or in this case DHC. Literally any doctor can question some part of another doctor’s note and disability companies do this all day long. Your doctor has absolutely no skin in the game except his or her pride when it comes to justifying your illness for sick pay. No doctor wants to spend time writing more letters just so you can get paid for your diarrhea. I believe it would be best to think of Delta (DHC) as a disability company in that, in the end, their sole purpose is to save the company money.

By changing this section of the contract, we are opening a can of worms. In addition, we, the pilots, are responsible for all medical costs under the new verification unless it is under the “good faith” basis. The cost and time will be significant.

This was the most poorly negotiated section of the TA and is enough to vote NO regardless of any money involved. Anyone over 50 will probably already have encountered a medical problem that has required FAA review. Anyone under 50 will encounter this situation sometime in their career. You do not want to spend countless hours and dollars defending yourself to Delta while trying to get back your medical from the FAA or trying to get paid for a legitimate sick leave. And you certainly do not want Delta deciding that they are “not able to satisfactorily assess the medical basis for the use of sick leave.” (Section 14G3) If you believe for one minute that there was not a purpose in moving the medical release to Section 14, you are sadly mistaken. This will become the mother of all harassment programs for Delta pilots.

You are desperate and pathetic.

The game is over.

Finally.

The offer applies to you as well. You name the place and time. I'll travel to where you live on my own time. Care to put money where your mouth is?

Sharpest spin: Busted

He's been de-bunked. Really. Go talk to your reps.