It’s the time of year when we look back on the excesses of the holiday season and start making resolutions. For most of us, at least one of those resolutions usually has something to do with improving our health, such as losing weight, eating better, or exercising more. Being healthy is especially important for pilots, who need to renew their medical certificates at least every five years and as often as every six months for airline captains. Besides, being fit and healthy is part of being at the top of our game, ready to handle the challenges that come with every flight.
Because being healthy goes hand in hand with being able to fly, AOPA has always offered tools and services to help you with medical certification, including a list of FAA-allowed medications and TurboMedical®, AOPA’s interactive medical application planning tool that allows you to complete a “draft” FAA medical certificate application and identify potential problems before you get to the medical examiner’s office.
But we also wanted to offer something more—a more comprehensive approach to helping you manage your health and maintain your medical certification. And it had to be an exceptional value. What we came up with is the new AOPA Medical Services Program.
It starts with giving you unlimited access to a tremendous health management Web site, WorldDoc. All the medical content on the site is written by doctors and reviewed by an editorial board made up of physicians. You can use the site to evaluate symptoms and learn more about your medical conditions and how they may affect your decision to fly. You can also use it to compare prescription prices at pharmacies in your area, ensuring you get the best price on the medications you need. Plus the site offers a robust assessment tool to help you manage your health.
The plan also includes a pharmacy discount card that can be used by the entire family to save from 15 to 60 percent off retail prices for your prescription medications at more than 48,000 participating pharmacies nationwide. This can be a big help if you’re just starting out on an aviation career. I know many pilots who are building time en route to the airlines don’t have the benefit of employer-provided health insurance.
Even if you have health insurance with prescription benefits, you may find this discount valuable to help you minimize your out-of-pocket expenses if you are purchasing a prescription drug not covered by your insurance, have reached your maximum insurance benefit, or are looking to reduce drug costs for a parent on Medicare or an adult child who is no longer covered on your insurance.
The AOPA Medical Services Program also allows you to store electronic medical records, giving you access to your health and prescription information anywhere in the world—a great benefit if you ever become ill while traveling. Your information is stored securely and protected in compliance with federal HIPAA standards to ensure your privacy.
As a plan participant, you’ll also have unlimited access to AOPA’s medical services staff to answer your certification questions. This team of experts works closely with the FAA’s medical certification staff, and is always on top of the ever-changing regulatory landscape.
All plan participants also receive a bimonthly newsletter focusing on wellness issues that matter to pilots, including changes to FAA medical certification policies and procedures that may affect your flying.
I mentioned earlier that when we were putting this plan together, we determined that it needed to offer real value. That’s why all the benefits I’ve described are just $37 a year. That’s the essential plan, but if you know you’re facing a medical certification challenge, you may want an aviation medical expert to take a more hands-on approach to your case. That’s why we’re also offering a comprehensive plan, which includes a complete medical records review in addition to the other benefits of the program for just $99 a year.
Why a records review? If you’re facing a health issue that you know could disqualify you from renewing your medical, you may need someone to review your package, identify problems, and help you resolve them—before you apply for a special issuance medical. Experience has shown us that you can increase your chances of being approved for a special issuance—and get that medical certificate much faster—if you submit everything the FAA needs the first time. A medical records review can help ensure that you have a complete package from the start.
This is an initiative that I really believe provides a vital service to AOPA members. So while you’re making resolutions about having a healthier New Year, take some time to think about how to fly healthy, too. You can learn more about the AOPA Medical Services Program and sign up by calling us at 800-USA-AOPA or online.
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