I DID IT!!
After a grueling 15-month battle, my Special Issuance authorization and 3rd-class medical certificate arrived in the mail on Wednesday, March 15th. It’s finally done! Now I can transition to BasicMed and never have to deal with this ever again (although, to be fair, the only thing they are asking me for in order to renew the medical if I wanted to do so is just a clinical progress note - not too hard!).
The table below represents my total expenses to receive the special issuance, pending the bill for the 24hr EEG. I’ve engaged the federal PPDR process and an internal review with Sutter Health, but haven’t heard a peep from either of them. Perhaps it’s better to let a sleeping dog lie.
In any case, this is cause for celebration! I am considering moving back down to San Luis Obispo temporarily to pick up my flight training with my previous instructor and knock out my certificate!
Total Costs (Estimated)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Initial examination with a regular AME | $150 |
| Consult/neuro exam with PAMF neurologist | $536 |
| EEG | $884.80 |
| MRI | Free (thanks to Kaiser) |
| Printing medical records | $30 |
| USPS Certified Mail, envelope, and postage to send everything in | $12.70 |
| (24hr EEG) | ($7920) |
| Neuropsychological Evaluation | $3500 |
| USPS Certified Mail and postage for the EEG | $9.25 |
| Total (Estimated) | ($13,042.75) |
