Actually, this sounds like great news.
I went through the OSA SI process while I was still active duty. Had me medically disqualified from flying for about 3 months. One of the biggest contributors to me putting it off so long in the military was the down time required to receive the waiver.
The link you posted shows that pilots will now be able to continue flying, even while starting treatment. Effectively, no grounding what so ever for getting the treatment you need to be a more rested pilot.
No penalty, good reward... Why the negative tone in your post?
The FAA is not changing its medical standards related to OSA; however, it is revising the screening approach to help AMEs find undiagnosed and untreated OSA. The new guidance will improve safety and pilot health by reducing the burdens and disincentives that may have prevented some pilots from seeking an OSA evaluation and treatment...
the new guidance does not rely on BMI and allows a pilot to keep flying during evaluation and treatment. The FAA plans to publish the new guidance in the FAA Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners on March 2, 2015.
the new guidance does not rely on BMI and allows a pilot to keep flying during evaluation and treatment.
OSA screening will only be done by the AME at the time of the physical examination using the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) guidance provided in the AME Guide.
This round says NOTHING about the AME starting, or even recommending testing.
BMI alone will not disqualify a pilot or require an OSA evaluation. The risk for OSA will be determined by an integrated assessment of history, symptoms, and physical/clinical findings. OSA screening will only be done by the AME at the time of the physical examination using the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) guidance provided in the AME Guide. Pilots who are at risk for OSA will be issued a regular medical certificate and referred for an evaluation which may be done by any physician (including the AME), not just a sleep medicine specialist, following AASM guidelines. If an evaluation is required, a laboratory sleep study or home study will not be required unless the evaluating physician determines it is warranted. The pilot may continue flying during the evaluation period and treatment, if indicated.. The airman will have 90 days (or longer under special circumstances) to accomplish this. The FAA may consider an extension in some cases. Pilots diagnosed with OSA and undergoing treatment may send documentation of effective treatment to the FAA to arrange for a Special Issuancemedical certificate to replace the regular medical certificate....The agency is revising the screening approach to help AMEs find undiagnosed and untreated OSA.
So... You're saying there's no change to the actual procedure already in place for doing the testing. Those guidelines are already in the AME guide. Whether they are followed by your specific AME, or not, is open to debate.
However, the release is not suggesting the implementation of any additional screening requirements. Instead, they are relaxing the burden on pilots... Again, sounds likes a good thing.
The FAA is not changing its medical standards related to OSA. The agency is revising the screening approach to help AMEs find undiagnosed and untreated OSA.
The NTSB database lists 34 accidents – 32 of which were fatal – where sleep apnea was mentioned in the pilot’s medical history, although sleep apnea was not listed as “causal” or “contributory” in those accidents.
Applause! You have it right! My PCP (also a PPL and AME is so against OSA studies. iAW him It is driven by own AMA greed and inflated reports. The % rate of anyone failing a sleep study test is very high regardless if yo have sleep Apnea or not. It is not needed! No one have complained about the cost...who is footing the $2,500 dollars it cost to prove you dont have Sleep Apnea? Are we sendi g that bill to the AME or FAA if falsely or erronuosly asked to perfrom the test???What I don't like is the FAA making my AME assess me for things I *might* be at risk for, and then having me jump through hoops that my primary care physician has never considered an issue. I *might* be at risk for a whole host of things, but being "at risk" doesn't mean it's a problem now. I like good cigars, that makes me "at risk" of getting cancer. Should my AME have to start assessing me for that? I'm over 50, should my AME refer me for a colonoscopy because I'm "at risk" for colon cancer?
Nobody knows my medical history as well as my PCP, and I don't like the idea of the AME taking over for him and forcing me into tests which my doctor doesn't feel are necessary, based on the 30 minutes every two years when he bangs on my knee, listens to my chest, and has me read on eye chart. Oh, he checks my ears, too, but since I'm getting older and fly piston airplanes, I guess I'm "at risk" for hearing loss... . Good thing he hasn't referred me to an audiologist to cover that "risk" (yet) while giving me 3 months more to fly.
This should be the same as every other checkbox on the form...have you ever been diagnosed with sleep apnea? No? End of story.