Can an AME withhold your medical records?

[goincb89]

As the title reads, I my AME and I decided to part ways and i requested my medical records with the following response from the office:

"I apologize for the delay in my response. We cannot release your records to you because they are property of the FAA. If you would like your records you will need to reach out to them directly for your records. Please let me know if you have any questions."

I've never had a doctor do this before....

 

[RangeRider]

Did you pay for the exam?

 

[TCABM]

Is the AME your PCM?

 

[Trevor J]

Your AME's primary job is just to submit their findings to the FAA (and in some cases has the authority to sign off on your flight medical if there's nothing complex or controversial). Your actual flight medical file lives with the FAA in OKC.

If you search for FAA Form 8065-2, that's the form to request your medical file from the FAA. Fill that out and mail it in and you'll get what you want.

 

[Palmpilot]

https://www.faa.gov/pilots/medical_certification/requesting_medical_records

 

[flyingron]

They're full of ****. Notwithstanding the responsibilities they have to the FAA under their designation, they have no right to withhold any records of yours they DO have. The only exception is for certain mental health issues.

 

[RussR]

I don't know the legal answer here, but what medical records does your AME have that you need? Almost anything my AME has is stuff that I provided to him in the first place, or just data like ECG, blood pressure, eyesight, etc., which the next AME is going to test anyway.

Are there some specific records you're after?

Do realize that the AME is not acting as your doctor. They happen to be a doctor, but in this function are more like a DPE. They are acting as a representative of the FAA in evaluating you. So while I don't know legally, I'd have no problem believing that anything they generate is actually the property of the FAA, and not "your records".

 

[goincb89]

I did pay for the exam, he's been my AME for a year with preemptive HIMS monitoring and checkups he is also a family medical practice

 

[bbchien]

You'll eventually get everything he has...but what you won't get is any testimony that he judges you to be in recovery.....and as to the randomness of the urines. Sounds like this relationship has failed and you need to move on...

 

[SidArlington]

Do you have a Michigan AME ?, the response received seems to mimic the tone of responses I receive from mine.