FAA to "check" overweight pilots for restful sleep..

layoutshooter · Dec 7, 2013

zorry said:
I think the problem is Chiropractors and such doing physicals.

You got ten fingers, ten toes ? Yeah, you pass. Give me $60.

My DR at the VA will not be allowed to give DOT physicals. Military DR's will not. They ALL must be "Approved" by the Feds. That SHOULD scare the pants off of everyone, it won't, but it should. A government in TOTAL control of health care is a VERY dangerous beast.

cheri1122 · Dec 7, 2013

zorry said:
I think the problem is Chiropractors and such doing physicals.

You got ten fingers, ten toes ? Yeah, you pass. Give me $60.

I don't know, Zorry, I think the exam is like our pretrips: if a problem occurs that could have been avoided by a proper exam, and the authorities can prove it wasn't done, there will be major liability for the examiner. Doctors understand potential liability better than insurance agents, I bet.
DOT says the problem is fraudulent certs, and there's no one to penalize except the driver, if the doctor doesn't actually exist. I can't understand why they didn't just hike the penalty for a fraudulent cert, myself.

cheri1122 · Dec 7, 2013

layoutshooter said:
My DR at the VA will not be allowed to give DOT physicals. Military DR's will not. They ALL must be "Approved" by the Feds. That SHOULD scare the pants off of everyone, it won't, but it should. A government in TOTAL control of health care is a VERY dangerous beast.

You know what scares the pants off me? People who don't know what they're talking about, and can't be bothered to learn. Federal approval is the same thing as having your truck approved by the carrier: nothing sinister in it at all - just CYA, as per usual. "Total control of your health care"? Try finding the facts, rather than repeating what you hear and/or read [without bothering to look further into it.]
Read the info at the link you posted, which refutes your statements. Except the military docs, about which it says nothing. Why would they be barred from DOT physicals?

layoutshooter · Dec 7, 2013

I have almost 14 YEARS of medical history with my primary care DR. Written records, unbroken, going back until 1998. Yet, they mean nothing. ONLY a federally "blessed" DR knows anything according to the DOT. ALL that time is not equal to a 15 minute exam in the eyes of the DOT. Talk about a joke. To top it off, my primary care DR IS employed by the Feds! She is the head of the primary care department at the Ann Arbor, VA. I can see where she has not clue as to what is going on.

It is clear that the Obama Administration knows FAR more about medicine than she does!

I will be checking again, but as of 3 months ago, the VA will no longer be doing DOT physicals. They were not approved by the DOT at that time. Will that change? I don't know, it should. That is what my DR told me the last time I seen her.

I have never had a DOT done at the VA. Why? It is 45 miles from my house and there is a clinic, with MD's, just 8 miles from the house. The cost of the gas just about covers the cost of the exam.

In fact, I am due for a DOT before Jan 3. I will drop my DR a PM and see if there has been any changes to the regulations. I will post the results here. We have secure PM's with our primary care DR's through the VA website. I kinda like that. Saves a LOT of driving time.

layoutshooter · Dec 7, 2013

"The Dept of Transportation has new regulations, effective May 1, 2014, that requires that all doctors doing DOT physicals pass a training course and be certified by the DOT to do those physicals. Will the VA be able to perform this service? I am due by Jan 3, so this next physical will not fall under then new regulations but I need to prepare for the year after. "

This is the msg I sent to my primary care DR. I left her name off of this post. IF she answers, I will post the answer.

MSG sent at 2023, 12/7/13 IF she answers I will post the answer, all names removed for security reasons.

zorry · Dec 7, 2013

Cheri, the Chiropractor that passes you without really examining you, or looking the other way, is selling you a fraudulent physical card.
In the event of a problem, looking back at the Dr's history, or sending in an unqualified driver that passes, will put the "Dr" in a liability problem.
We're talking two sides of the same coin here.
Buy a card in an alley, or buy a card from a quack.
They need to eliminate both practices.

cheri1122 · Dec 7, 2013

layoutshooter said:
I have almost 14 YEARS of medical history with my primary care DR. Written records, unbroken, going back until 1998. Yet, they mean nothing. ONLY a federally "blessed" DR knows anything according to the DOT. ALL that time is not equal to a 15 minute exam in the eyes of the DOT. Talk about a joke. To top it off, my primary care DR IS employed by the Feds! She is the head of the primary care department at the Ann Arbor, VA. I can see where she has not clue as to what is going on. It is clear that the Obama Administration knows FAR more about medicine than she does!

I will be checking again, but as of 3 months ago, the VA will no longer be doing DOT physicals. They were not approved by the DOT at that time. Will that change? I don't know, it should. That is what my DR told me the last time I seen her.

I have never had a DOT done at the VA. Why? It is 45 miles from my house and there is a clinic, with MD's, just 8 miles from the house. The cost of the gas just about covers the cost of the exam.

In fact, I am due for a DOT before Jan 3. I will drop my DR a PM and see if there has been any changes to the regulations. I will post the results here. We have secure PM's with our primary care DR's through the VA website. I kinda like that. Saves a LOT of driving time.

I have the samr complaint: the doctor who knows me and my history doesn't do the DOT. Except I understand that is the doctor's choice, not the government's fault - a distinction you don't seem to get.
If the doctors choose to skip the certification, place the blame where it belongs, please.

Moot · Dec 8, 2013

layoutshooter said:
I have never had a DOT done at the VA. Why? It is 45 miles from my house and there is a clinic, with MD's, just 8 miles from the house. The cost of the gas just about covers the cost of the exam.

If you don't have your DOT physical done at the VA why are you getting all cranked up over this? Your BP will be dangerously high if you don't throttle back a bit before physical time.

In fact, I am due for a DOT before Jan 3. I will drop my DR a BM and see if there has been any changes...

Wow! Your doctor is very thorough. The clinic I go to only wants a urine sample.

My regular health care provider does not do DOT physicals, by choice. I go to a walk-in industrial type clinic. Of all the DOT physicals I have had there over the years, maybe 20% were administered by an MD. Most were done by a PA.

OntarioVanMan · Dec 8, 2013

this' ll end up being a lot of fluff and no substance....LOL

layoutshooter · Dec 8, 2013

Moot said:
If you don't have your DOT physical done at the VA why are you getting all cranked up over this? Your BP will be dangerously high if you don't throttle back a bit before physical time.

Wow! Your doctor is very thorough. The clinic I go to only wants a urine sample.

My regular health care provider does not do DOT physicals, by choice. I go to a walk-in industrial type clinic. Of all the DOT physicals I have had there over the years, maybe 20% were administered by an MD. Most were done by a PA.

I don't get the DOT done at the VA because it would mean ANOTHER 90 mile round trip. I really don't see the need for the DOT physical. I see my DR a minimum of every 6 months. Everything is well documented. The DOT is redundant.

My BP is fine and has been well controlled for over 20 years. Last night at 2215EST it was 110/70 with a pulse rate of 71.I check it AT LEAST 3 times a week, normally more often than that, and record the readings each time in an Excel spread sheet. Then I take that to the DR when I go. Even with a documented 20 year history of controlled BP I can still only get a 1 year card. That does not make sense.

OntarioVanMan · Dec 8, 2013

layoutshooter said:
I don't get the DOT done at the VA because it would mean ANOTHER 90 mile round trip. I really don't see the need for the DOT physical. I see my DR a minimum of every 6 months. Everything is well documented. The DOT is redundant.

My BP is fine and has been well controlled for over 20 years. Last night at 2215EST it was 110/70 with a pulse rate of 71.I check it AT LEAST 3 times a week, normally more often than that, and record the readings each time in an Excel spread sheet. Then I take that to the DR when I go. Even with a documented 20 year history of controlled BP I can still only get a 1 year card. That does not make sense.

crap, my sitting pulse rate is like averaging around 50 now....

layoutshooter · Dec 8, 2013

OntarioVanMan said:
crap, my sitting pulse rate is like averaging around 50 now....

Wish mine was. For the most part it is OK. IF I ever find a way out of this business, and can live a better life, more hunting, fishing etc, it will come down. Along with my weight.

The BP will always need meds to control it. Mine went up when I was much lighter than I am now and was working out, hard, because I was on the PA Specialized Forest Fire crew at the time. My work outs then was, every morning, 1/2 hour on a stair stepper, with a 50LB back pack on, and every afternoon 1/2 hour to 45 minutes running up and down the stairs in a 9 story building. During that time I only lost 8 pounds and had to go on BP meds. My pulse rate then was in the 50's.

OntarioVanMan · Dec 8, 2013

layoutshooter said:
Wish mine was. For the most part it is OK. IF I ever find a way out of this business, and can live a better life, more hunting, fishing etc, it will come down. Along with my weight.

The BP will always need meds to control it. Mine went up when I was much lighter than I am now and was working out, hard, because I was on the PA Specialized Forest Fire crew at the time. My work outs then was, every morning, 1/2 hour on a stair stepper, with a 50LB back pack on, and every afternoon 1/2 hour to 45 minutes running up and down the stairs in a 9 story building. During that time I only lost 8 pounds and had to go on BP meds. My pulse rate then was in the 50's.

I have to add....my BP meds....1 script is for just that purpose....slow pulse rate...I really need another exam....Been over a year of no smoking and another 40 lbs lighter....think I need meds adjusted...

OntarioVanMan · Dec 8, 2013

My DOT is due this time home....

layoutshooter · Dec 8, 2013

OntarioVanMan said:
I have to add....my BP meds....1 script is for just that purpose....slow pulse rate...I really need another exam....Been over a year of no smoking and another 40 lbs lighter....think I need meds adjusted...

Should see the doctor at least once a year anyway.