Sleep Apnea VA claim
 

I am separating from Active Duty and filling out my VA claim, wondering if I should claim Sleep Apnea. I had a sleep study done 5 years ago that said I had "mild" sleep apnea but no need for a CPAP or surgery.

I have aspirations to apply to the airlines in about 10 months (after I build time to that magical 1500 mark) and wondering if claiming sleep apnea would jeopardize getting my medical? If anyone has good info on this or can refer me to someone who does I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks!

Do you have a first class medical? If not, you need to call someone and find out what the FAA will want.

If you are a member, Call AOPA medical. If you are not, become one, then call.

Medical Information for Pilots - AOPA

Unless you have been specifically diagnosed, and use a CPAP nightly, you probably don't have it, therefore shouldn't list it.

The less you put on that form, the better.

My personal opinion is "absolutely not".

Are you collecting disability for sleep apnea?

Don't list it. First discuss your concerns with a non FAA doctor and take it from there.

I agree with Huggy's sentiment, but, to play Devil's advocate....

If you were diagnosed with it, you have to disclose it on your FAA medical app. I'd recommend an offline discussion with both your flight surgeon and a civilian AME *prior* to actually applying for the FAA medical to get their take.

So, barring some medical legerdemain, if the condition is already & permanently in your records (and you *do*, in fact, have it), you're not making the certification situation any "worse" by having it in your VA profile.

Me, I "claimed" everything that was in my med records, and nothing more or less. Other than sitting down with a nice gentleman in the local VA office (they had a detachment right on base, in the MPF building, in my case), who went over my records page-by-page and found stuff I hadn't even remembered, I didn't make any effort to influence my claim via addition nor subtraction. All that info is now in my VA profile, I have to check the box about "disability compensation" on the FAA medical, and the only explanation I have to provide is "military service-related VA disability." My AME didn't even blink.

That's all addressing the certification part of the issue. The medical side, that's for you & your doctor to figure out the best course of action....

I agree with Huggy.

That said, I know exactly one airline pilot with Apnea, retired Navy guy. He said it was not really a big deal, took 3 months to get his medical back. So with a sample size of one, it can be done.

If it were me personally, I'd call ALPA medical and ask them. That might not be an option for you.

Apnea used to be a decent payout, I think 80% disability. But I know it's gone down in recent years. Even if it hadn't, I'd rather be an airline pilot than 80% VA disabled.

Sleep Apnea
 

Silent. You're not a doctor. Talk to a AME

1500? if you were military pilot all you need is 750.... if you were army or non flying position, then ah ok

This is the best advice on the thread. An individual AME could unintentionally steer you wrong. The FAA is reevaluating the sleep apnea regs as we speak after last year's debacle.

I know of one guy at FedEx that brings his CPAP with him on trips.

I'm going to make a few assumptions here. First you are either a non-rated officer or enlisted based on the flight time and not mentioning a grounding for SA by a flight surgeon and subsequent waiver. Unfortunately the proverbial cat is out of the bag since you've done a sleep study. Since SA can give you up to 50% disability, there is no reason not to claim it. If you apply for a FAA medical certificate and do not report the sleep study and its results, there will be some serious legal ramifications from the FAA once they find out about it...and they will. SA is becoming a big deal with the FAA right now so you don't want to hide a diagnosis. Your best bet is to get with an AME (AOPA is a great start too) and begin the process to get the waiver from the FAA. It's not a major process, but you have to fully disclose this or it could get ugly.

Reposted from your other thread:
I'm going to make a few assumptions here. First you are either a non-rated officer or enlisted based on the flight time and not mentioning a grounding for SA by a flight surgeon and subsequent waiver. Unfortunately the proverbial cat is out of the bag since you've done a sleep study. Since SA can give you up to 50% disability, there is no reason not to claim it. If you apply for a FAA medical certificate and do not report the sleep study and its results, there will be some serious legal ramifications from the FAA once they find out about it...and they will. SA is becoming a big deal with the FAA right now so you don't want to hide a diagnosis. Your best bet is to get with an AME (AOPA is a great start too) and begin the process to get the waiver from the FAA. It's not a major process, but you have to fully disclose this or it could get ugly.

I wouldn't follow the last few advices personally.

First you don't even have a diagnosis so don't go reporting something that doesn't exist to the FAA. Don't be stupid here.

Go see your private primary care doc and discuss it, he would likely refer you to have the test done again. See the results first.

Then, figure out what to do about it with the FAA and your airmen medical doctor.

Go ahead then, roll the bones. You did a sleep study, most likely paid for by Tricare, it and the results are most likely in your official DoD medical records meaning it has a diagnosis, however slight. Good luck.

if VA accepts your claim it is reportable ... faa though is in a data collection phase of this and other 'disabilities'

I'm active duty Navy. I was diagnosed with OSA about five years ago, and prescribed a CPAP. I was granted a waiver by Navy medicine, but was leary of the process with the FAA. Not wanting to retire and not be immediately able to pass a 1st class medical, I went ahead and sought out a 1st class medical two years out. From the time of my medical, it took about three months to recieve my 1st class medical from the FAA. I had to provide my most recent sleep study , a download from my ccpap, and a letter from my doctor. Only restriction is that it will expire in all classes in one year (no 3rd class). Bottom line, I'm glad I went through the trouble now while I have a pay check. Talking to the FAA, next year I will need to send in the download and letter from the doc and all should be good.

Best of luck!

I have a sleep test next week for my VA process. I purposely pushed the test post retirement. I have two family members with CPAP machines and have same symptoms. I have already spoke with ALPA med. Can share more as the situation unfolds. Bottomline from ALPA...if I get any diagnosis (mild, moderate, or severe) then I need to call and let my carrier know and stop flying. ALPA will then roll in and work with me to get the paperwork done. ALPA says depending on severity the process can take 2-3 months depending on treatment options recommended. It has gotten easier the past few years but there is still bureaucracy to get through. On the FAA sides it falls under the special issuance process (versus waiver for military flying). New rules take affect for AMEs in March so that they are more involved in identifying pilots with this condition.

Thank you to everyone for the info. I'm a Flight Officer (back seater) so I fly but don't fly the airplane. I do have a job flight instructing though and need that job to pay some bills and build my time to the Regionals.

I think I'm going to delay on filing it now so I can continue to flight instruct and do some more research. They told me I have "mild" apnea and did not require a CPAP or surgery.

Thanks again for all the input!

Thank you to everyone for the info. I'm a Flight Officer (back seater) so I fly but don't fly the airplane. I do have a job flight instructing though and need that job to pay some bills and build my time to the Regionals.

I think I'm going to delay on filing it now so I can continue to flight instruct and do some more research. They told me I have "mild" apnea and did not require a CPAP or surgery.

Thanks again for all the input!

You've missed the point I (and several others) have tried to make above. Your VA filing (or not) has nothing to do with this; if you have a diagnosed condition that you do not disclose to the FAA (via your AME), Very Bad Things can & will happen to you. If you are serious about pursuing a career in aviation, you do NOT want that to happen.

x2.

Unresolved sleep apnea is a NO GO for the FAA.

Might as well claim it with the VA since you MUST report it to the FAA. The FAA has computerized access to some government medical records and will presumably eventually access military/ex-military records. I personally think they have steered clear of that so far to avoid a public perception that they are picking on veterans during war time. But that may not (probably won't) last forever...there are many vets in airliner cockpits and that's just too tempting an opportunity for FAA enforcers to pass up for long.

If you have an FAA medical, and have not reported the sleep apnea then you need to talk to a lawyer or aviation medical consultant to figure out how to fix that problem without hanging yourself out to dry. This is not optional, otherwise it will probably bite you in the arse in a big way.

I know the Army can and does pull from VA records. I had a flight candidate whose physical was rejected because they knew she visited the VA a couple of times post deployment for mental health counseling.
Did this girl have PTSD? No. Did she tell the Army about the VA visits? No. Are your health records at the VA supposed to be protected by HIPPA? Yes. Was the Army allowed to look at her VA medical records? YES.

I researched this issue with the VA folks. They claim no one can see you records but then they told me about people being rejected on firearm applications because they had visited a mental health professional in the previous 2 years. Guess where the ATF got that information? Yep, VA medical records.

I don't think HIPAA prevents federal government agencies from sharing info with each other...it's all one big happy government.

Sounds similar to all those pilots living in Cali who didn't report to the FAA they were on disability and receiving benefits as they held current pilot medicals.

Nobody can share anything without consent from the airman who's records are requested.
I have OSA and have an SI medical. It's a PITA, but as long as one complies with CPAP usage, the FAA will leave you alone. It's just a hassle getting that initial waiver.

A good podcast from Dr. Brent Blue regarding the latest effort by CAMI/FAA to address Sleep Apena.

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...t=email#223460

Interstingly enough - - the last commment he makes about the FAA flight physical being an assessment of your health conditions as related to perfroming flight duties; my AME starts out nearly every medical by reminding me that this is not a true physical and that I need to make sure that I am getting any necessary health assessments and treatment outside of the 6 month FAA physical.

Some AMEs just check boxes and issue medicals while others do thorough exams

New FAA guidelines coming out March 2, 2015 for OSA. Talk with your AME. This problem is NTSB driven.

That neck circumference is truly amateurish . Some of us really are ex athletes. I wear an 18" shirt. They had better make some adjustments to this horse crap and look at an individual's full health mark up.


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I'm no obese and I don't have a large neck size
Yet I still have moderate to severe sleep apnea.
What I believe they're doing ins profiling and singling out pilots who are big in stature thinking they all have sleep apnea.
Just because one maybe overweight, doesn't mean they have it.
I know of two people who are thin as a rail and still have OSA.
It should still be of the responsibility of the airman to report any medical conditions once they find out about it

Sorry for the typos

^This. I'm 6'2", 160lbs and have moderate OSA. This BMI thing is a joke.

I have Sleep Apnia and have the joy of having to use a CPAP machine for the rest of my life...I'm active duty Air Force and have a waiver.

So this seems like good advice. Provide a copy of the most recent sleep study, a download from my CPAP machine, and a letter from my doctor.

Does anyone know of a medical examiner in Atlanta that has experience with giving a 1st or 2nd class medical to someone with Sleep Apnia?

I have sleep apnea and hate the machine...My wife loves it because I don't snore when I use it. I need to download the data every three months but since I fly for a foreign airline my case is really not relevant to this discussion.

Guys I need help, sorry if this is the wrong thread, I just cant find the answer anywhere and i'm waiting in a reply from my AME.

I got my first class medical in March and fell into the OSA screening zone. I do not have Sleep Apnea, and did an evaluation with a physician. I was just told the physician did an eval which is NOT VALID in the eyes of the FAA.

I need to know what evaluation to do, and who is valid to do it.

If anyone has done this please let me know.

thank you very much for your help