FAA Rescinds Onerous Medical Denial Policy | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.12.25

Airborne-NextGen-05.13.25

AirborneUnlimited-05.14.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-05.15.25

AirborneUnlimited-05.16.25

Sat, Apr 26, 2025

FAA Rescinds Onerous Medical Denial Policy

Pivots To Educating Pilots On Facilitating Applications

On April 23, the acting administrator of the FAA announced that the agency will not move ahead with its policy of issuing denials of incomplete medical applications when the prior long-standing policy was to defer them until the applications were complete.

The agency said it will instead work with the aviation community to establish initiatives that will give pilots information on best practices to facilitate their medical applications as well as assist the FAA in processing applications deferred by AMEs.

The federal air surgeon and deputy air surgeon relayed updates on some of the initiatives already underway to improve both the application process and their processing.

The FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine is making a strong effort toward the goal of processing applications “in a timely, consistent, and transparent” manner with the intent of returning as many airmen as possible to flying status.

There has been a significant increase in the number of medical applications over the past few years, and many of them are what the agency calls “complicated” and require additional information and agency review through the ‘special issuance’ process. The agency explains that up to half of those cases – which are required to be deferred by the AME – are incomplete and require even further communication between the FAA and applicant. Such back-and-forth can easily add weeks to the review process, and that time can be saved by the applicant providing the information at the initial exam.

Medical advocacy groups including the EAA and others have focused on reducing the number of conditions or diagnoses that result in “complicated” applications. And the FAA responded by specifying more than two dozen conditions that would have previously required special issuances, but have been classified as “Conditions AMEs Can Issue” or CACIs. Such conditions can easily be certified by the AME on the day of the exam by completing a checklist and obtaining any medical documentation needed prior to the exam.

FMI:  www.faa.gov/

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.18.25): Flight Recorder

Flight Recorder A general term applied to any instrument or device that records information about the performance of an aircraft in flight or about conditions encountered in flight>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.18.25)

“We have the engine design; we have the integration plans for the launch airframe; we have the solutions to provide the hydrogen fuel; and we have the customers wanting to op>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: ELA Aviation Sports New Vertical Takeoff Gyroplane

From 2024 (YouTube Edition): Innovative Pitch Control Eliminates Runway Accidents Aero-News Network’s Rex Alexander spoke with Herbie Lewis of ELA Aviación, who discus>[...]

Airborne 05.19.25: Kolb v Tornados, Philippine Mars, Blackhawk Antler Theft

Also: Tentative AirVenture Airshow Lineup, Supersonic Flight Regs, Private Pilot Oral Exam Guide, Boeing Deal The sport aircraft business can be a tough one... especially when Moth>[...]

Klyde Morris (05.16.25)

Klyde Has No Patience... FMI: www.klydemorris.com>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC