FAA Announces Change in Special Issuance Medical Certification

April 11, 2013 - This week the federal air surgeon announced a major change to the medical certification process for several common diagnoses that have previously required a special issuance and a review process by the FAA prior to issuing a medical certificate.

Under the new policy, termed "Certificates an AME Can Issue" or "CACI," applicants with arthritis, asthma, glaucoma, chronic hepatitis C, hypertension, hypothyroidism, migraine and chronic headache, pre-diabetes, and renal cancer can receive their medical certificates directly from their AME. Further diagnoses are expected to be announced in the coming months.

The AME will require certain documentation but this does not have to be forwarded to the FAA as in the case of a special issuance. The resulting medical certificate is good for the normal duration, depending on the age of the applicant and/or the class of medical.

Members of the EAA Aeromedical Advisory Council were heavily involved in bringing about these changes. "We are incredibly fortunate to have the Aeromedical Advisory Council at EAA," said Sean Elliott, EAA vice president of advocacy and safety. "These six AMEs are among the most experienced and respected doctors in the aeromedical business, and this announcement represents the culmination of several years of hard work on this policy they have done on behalf of our membership."

Aeromedical Advisory Council member and Senior AME Greg Pinnell will host a free webinar on the new CACI policy at 7 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, April 17. Sign up to attend the webinar.