Poll: Is The FAA Right To Investigate Pilots Also Receiving VA Disability Benefits?
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What next? Your political affiliation will be an aviation cause for alarm from FAA?
Bless your heart – I guess you’ve forgotten that certain medical conditions that lead to disability are disqualifying for receiving a first or second class medical. I’m sure you don’t condone a person lying in order to receive some benefit to which he or she is not entitled, or to be able to act as a PIC with a disqualifying medical condition. I also can’t imagine you’d be against the government using its investigation and enforcement authority to uncover potentially criminal behavior, would you? Or perhaps you have no issue with flying with a pilot who lies to achieve his objectives? I know that I would not be comfortable with that.
As an Iraq Vet I would bet the 33% yes group never served an extended period overseas in a combat zone, inhaled “burn pit” fumes or has been shot at every time they flew For those who have we have a disdain for any agency with no internal checks or balances corrupting their absolute power, absolutely.
RR
As a veteran of that same campaign I am infuriated and embarrassed that some would accept disability payments while PERFECTLY ABLE BODIED and fully employed !!! This is an abuse of the system and anyone that does this type of subterfuge should have enough backbone to knock it off !
There is a question on the medical application asking if the applicant is receiving disability benefits. If the applicant answers in the negative while he is receiving benefits, he is lying on the application.
If he or she answers yes, he must describe the condition for which he or she is receiving the payments. That condition often is not disqualifying for a medical.
Should the FAA have access to EVERYONES medical records? Where is the overreach of government going to end? The FAA has established their procedures for obtaining a medical, they should be mandated to remain within that. No reaching out to ANY outside agency to obtain other information. The AME askes the questions, the applicant answers. If everyones medical can be reviewed through a records search to be equal, then maybe the FAA can look to the VA for medical information. This is just wrong!
Yes, war is hell.
Veterans are held in esteem by most Americans, this kind of behavior by 5,000 commercial pilots taints us all.
Interesting that the first three questions are a virtual tie percentage wise. Another case of no consensus.
A real shame that someone would even think of getting veterans’ disability benefits who doesn’t deserve them. On the other hand the thought of a government agency going to another agency to get around privacy laws doesn’t sit well either. Pilots have to sign consent questions for enough items. Amazing that Congress allows pilots’ rights to be thrown away. Maybe congressional candidates need to sign some of the same forms that pilots have to, after all the decisions they are supposed to make affect the lives of each and every one of us! Oh well, one can always dream.
The VA denies coverage to otherwise eligible vets who have annual incomes over a certain amount. These 5000 cheating pilots almost certainly earn above the cut off. I have no respect for these stolen valor” cheats. I was deployed for 22 consecutive months and honorably discharged. I receive no benefits and am fortunate not to need the care. I hope my fellow pilots who are not vets and who thru ignorance and/or political views don’t realize how stunningly greedy and ignorant this finding is will reconsider their response to this pole
Bear in mind that the FAA already cross-references state DOT driver’s records to determine if pilots have lied on their medical applications regarding certain types of driving infractions (such as driving while impaired). What is the difference regarding other types of checks for other types of lying?
Let’s just start with “I’m from the government and here to help….” NOT. I have friend a Private pilot, Air Force vet, who was prescribed a medication that he never took and ended up having his license suspended for a year because he did not report the drug that he never took. His response to me was “so much for HIPAA” . So, how did the FAA find out in the first place? Yes there is abuse of the disability payments etc.. but there is more abuse in almost every government agency including the FAA.