va disability question

I

Ironclad2171

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Sep 24, 2019
Messages
3
Display Name
Display name:
Ironclad2171
Hey folks,

So I'm wanting to get my CFI through one of the pilot mills and had a question that may throw a wrench into the works. I'm 90% disabled with no disqualifiers. However, I was screened for PTSD and got denied for it. Am I dead in the water or is there still a chance to get in the air professionally?
 
Depends on what your disabilities are. Don't lie to the FAA about it, bad stuff will happen to you.
 
Ironclad2171 said:
Hey folks,

So I'm wanting to get my CFI through one of the pilot mills and had a question that may throw a wrench into the works. I'm 90% disabled with no disqualifiers. However, I was screened for PTSD and got denied for it. Am I dead in the water or is there still a chance to get in the air professionally?
Click to expand...

Are you a pilot holding an FAA medical now?
 
Not yet no. I've only got 12 hours in a 172. I just want to be sure of my chances before I sink a bunch of money into a new career
 
"Disability" is occupation based, versus "impairment" which is function based. They're not the same, and having a disability for which you are receiving income is not in and of itself disqualifying. But as mentioned above it depends on the nature of the disability, and if the VA knows about it the FAA will also. Same with Social Security, and years ago a number of pilots lost certificates, mostly because of fraudulently hiding the disability rather than a denial for the condition.

Can you explain exactly what "90% disabled with no disqualifiers" means?
 
There are two guys here who specialize in helping pilots with these issues @bbchien and Dr Lou, I don't remember his online id. Consulting with someone like this before the exam will help tremendously in determining if you can be certified and shortening the special issuance time if required.
 
Back injuries, leg surgeries, broken jaw, and a few other things. As far as service connected disability, nothing I have is an automatic denial as far as the FAA is concerned.

My biggest fear is that I have a denied PTSD claim that potentially can come back to haunt me.

Can denied claims be damning when it comes to getting cleared?

The name Chien keeps coming up, I'll get in touch with him. Thanks
 
Ironclad2171 said:
Back injuries, leg surgeries, broken jaw, and a few other things. As far as service connected disability, nothing I have is an automatic denial as far as the FAA is concerned.

My biggest fear is that I have a denied PTSD claim that potentially can come back to haunt me.

Can denied claims be damning when it comes to getting cleared?

The name Chien keeps coming up, I'll get in touch with him. Thanks
Click to expand...

I think being denied PTSD is a good thing for your case. What will hurt you is if you are on any SSRI meds or meds for mental issues. Arrests and dui issues will be a problem too. You need a consult with Dr B. Pay is fee for the consult, it's worth every penny. Be honest and listen to what he says. The injuries should be no big deal unless you can't actuate the controls. Send doctor B an email via his website http://www.aeromedicaldoc.com/.
 
Ironclad2171 said:
Back injuries, leg surgeries, broken jaw, and a few other things. As far as service connected disability, nothing I have is an automatic denial as far as the FAA is concerned.

My biggest fear is that I have a denied PTSD claim that potentially can come back to haunt me.

Can denied claims be damning when it comes to getting cleared?

The name Chien keeps coming up, I'll get in touch with him. Thanks
Click to expand...

Understand what you have to report re: disability payments. That’s here:
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...m/ame/guide/app_process/app_history/item18/y/

The big packet that came back to you with the individual claims and award (denied, 0%, other) will probably need to be submitted, so you’ll want an experienced AME like Dr Chien to review it before applying for the medical, as the details matter.

Also, if there’s an A15 or other NJP, you’ll want to discuss that with Dr Chien as well. It may be a nothing burger, but let him make the call.
 
I know some 100% VA disabled people who could get a class two right now. If you are not rated for PTSD, then what is the problem? I've had 2 prostate exams and a couple of PSA screenings. Doesn't mean I need to tell Aeromed anything. If ya aintt got it, theres nuthin to disclose.....
 
Ironclad2171 said:
Back injuries, leg surgeries, broken jaw, and a few other things. As far as service connected disability, nothing I have is an automatic denial as far as the FAA is concerned.

My biggest fear is that I have a denied PTSD claim that potentially can come back to haunt me.

Can denied claims be damning when it comes to getting cleared?

The name Chien keeps coming up, I'll get in touch with him. Thanks
Click to expand...

You are looking at this all wrong. Before you made a PTSD claim, someone gave you a PTSD diagnosis. That is your issue.
 
Unit74 said:
I know some 100% VA disabled people who could get a class two right now. If you are not rated for PTSD, then what is the problem? I've had 2 prostate exams and a couple of PSA screenings. Doesn't mean I need to tell Aeromed anything. If ya aintt got it, theres nuthin to disclose.....
Click to expand...

Except visits to healthcare providers within the last 3 years have to be reported. In your situation for diagnostic testing.
 
Clip4 said:
Except visits to healthcare providers within the last 3 years have to be reported. In your situation for diagnostic testing.
Click to expand...


All routine visits. None of the FAAs business.
 
Unit74 said:
All routine visits. None of the FAAs business.
Click to expand...

Maybe not the FAA’s business, but they still have to be reported.

19. VISITS TO HEALTH PROFESSIONAL WITHIN LAST 3 YEARS – List all visits in the last 3 years to a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, psychologist, clinical social worker, or substance abuse specialist for treatment, examination, or medical/mental evaluation. List visits for counseling only if related to a personal substance abuse or psychiatric condition. Give date, name, address, and type of health professional consulted and briefly state reason for consultation. Multiple visits to one health professional for the same condition may be aggregated on one line. Routine dental, eye and FAA periodic medical examinations and consultations with your employer-sponsored employee assistance program (EAP) may be excluded unless the consultations were for your substance abuse or unless the consultations resulted in referral for psychiatric evaluation or treatment.
 
Clip4 said:
Maybe not the FAA’s business, but they still have to be reported.

19. VISITS TO HEALTH PROFESSIONAL WITHIN LAST 3 YEARS – List all visits in the last 3 years to a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, psychologist, clinical social worker, or substance abuse specialist for treatment, examination, or medical/mental evaluation. List visits for counseling only if related to a personal substance abuse or psychiatric condition. Give date, name, address, and type of health professional consulted and briefly state reason for consultation. Multiple visits to one health professional for the same condition may be aggregated on one line. Routine dental, eye and FAA periodic medical examinations and consultations with your employer-sponsored employee assistance program (EAP) may be excluded unless the consultations were for your substance abuse or unless the consultations resulted in referral for psychiatric evaluation or treatment.
Click to expand...

Nope
 
Clip4 said:
How you did you get a pilot certificate? Reading English is a requirement.
Click to expand...

Are you kidding me? Gold Seal with Bryan with a Y hooked me up. And my BFRs are cake too. We even did an IPC by just closing our eyes and imagining we were in the clouds.
 
Unit74 said:
Are you kidding me? Gold Seal with Bryan with a Y hooked me up. And my BFRs are cake too. We even did an IPC by just closing our eyes and imagining we were in the clouds.
Click to expand...

Well hopefully you at least imagined you were in an aircraft in the clouds.
 
Clip4 said:
You are looking at this all wrong. Before you made a PTSD claim, someone gave you a PTSD diagnosis. That is your issue.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. OP said he/she was screened for PTSD and denied. Assuming the screening was by VA, that suggests no diagnosis. If there had been a diagnosis by a VA shrink, the claim would have been approved. Even if the degree of disability were so small as to not be compensable money-wise, it would still be considered service-related for purposes of VA treatment. A denied claim suggests that there was never any PTSD diagnosis at all.

Rich
 
RJM62 said:
Not necessarily. OP said he/she was screened for PTSD and denied. Assuming the screening was by VA, that suggests no diagnosis. If there had been a diagnosis by a VA shrink, the claim would have been approved. Even if the degree of disability were so small as to not be compensable money-wise, it would still be considered service-related for purposes of VA treatment. A denied claim suggests that there was never any PTSD diagnosis at all.

Rich
Click to expand...
All true, and the details surrounding the determination of the disability are critical here. The OP must report any visit to a health care professional, and that would include the visits surrounding the disability evaluation, including evaluation for PTSD. The bigger problem is that if there was any diagnosis made by any health care profession in any visit, that diagnosis will be considered by CAMI and may require further documentation even if the diagnosis was incorrect. There are many examples of adolescents being prescribed medication after the visit was coded for "anxiety", or "depression", or any number of other diagnoses. Those codes may have been used by the provider to warrant payment for the prescription and/or the provider him/herself, not necessarily fraudulently but still not accurately. The applicant, however, is the one who may pay the price.

BTW, I have seen pilots on PTSD disability successfully obtain a class 3 medical, so the devil is in the details. The OP should assemble all of his medical records and then consult with Bruce Chien or other qualified (usually "HIMS" AME) professional before submitting any application.
 
For the OP

There is a sub question in section 18 of the medical that asks about military disability. You'll have to answer yes to that and then provide information about your disability. Doing a consult with an AME prior to your actual exam will be a good idea to ensure that you have the proper document. A consult is just a (paid) visit with them to review the rules and ensure that you have your ducks in a row. If you answer yes to any question on the medical questionnaire, then you'll want a consult to ensure that you have the right documentation so you don't have to take a deferral. Once deferred, you'll be working on the FAA's time and if you don't get everything done in their time frame, it becomes a denial and you can't fly at all.

Regards PTSD, a denial is a good thing. As noted above, any SSRI medicines for a presumption of PTSD is not because medicines imply a problem that needed treatment. Bring this up with the AME during the consult if you're taking any medicines. If you've had sustained SSRI use, then the cost and effort of getting a medical goes way up. Sustained use will require evaluation by FAA approved psychiatrists to even get a 3rd class, which you'll need before you solo. If you fail those evaluations, then you're grounded.

Totally possible to get through these things. As you can see, it's a process and there are pitfalls. Ask us or your AME if you need help.
 
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 365 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.
Back
Top