A Little Backstory

Those of you who know me know that I am pursuing a pilot’s license (technically, a Private Pilot Certificate). Part of this process requires a medical certification to ensure that people flying around in the sky are in good enough health to avoid crashing into people’s homes and such. This makes perfect sense, and I’m glad we have this process in place.

However, when I was younger (5-12 years old), I had a neurological condition known as absence epilepsy. Once my parents figured out the correct medication and dosage, this was a non-issue, and by the time I was 12 or 13, I had weaned off the medication and that was the end of it. At the time of writing, it’s been 16 years since my last seizure, and 10 years since I came off the medication. Nevertheless, this history triggered alarm bells over at the FAA headquarters in Oklahoma City. They are requiring a full neurological workup, despite the significant amount of time that has elapsed since my previous disorder. This seems excessive, but fair enough.

The Frustrating Part

The part that is incredibly frustrating, however, is that Kaiser (my health insurance provider) is not willing to cover any of this. They claim it’s “not medically necessary”, and so are refusing to pay. The FAA requires a whole laundry list of testing and evaluations, and it can get very expensive, very quickly. I’m currently trying to get quotes for exactly how much everything will cost, and then try again to get Kaiser to pay at least part of it. Worst case scenario, if it’s extremely expensive and Kaiser won’t pay, I will unfortunately have to give up flying. By submitting a medical application, I removed my ability to fly Light Sport Aircraft (LSAs) with just a valid driver’s license. If I don’t complete the testing, my medical application will be denied, and I will be locked out of LSAs. Fortunately, I’ll still be able to fly gliders, ultralights, and the like. So I’ll at least be able to scratch the itch that way.

Next Steps

At this point, I need to get estimates on what everything will cost, then schedule and undergo the tests, and then send everything back to the FAA - all within their 60-day timeframe. This is a tall order, but I’m hopeful that with some determination (and pestering my doctors/the FAA), I can do it. Here’s to staying optimistic! :)