Medical/Technology Rant

[mmm..bacon]

Medical time again...so, off I go to my CAME, fill out my side of the form, cut a cheque for $200, yes, I can hear you, E, FP, TOZ, look through the red lens jobbie, look at the pretty number/colour plates, blood pressure, ECG, etc, etc, etc...
And - "we'll send it in..."

So, I can file my taxes, check medical lab test results, do most of my banking - all electronically, and yet Transport Canada is using paper forms and the mail or fax to handle this stuff??

WTAF? Why isn't there a dedicated, secure server that everything just gets entered into right in the examination room so that the moment your medical is stamped at the Dr's office, then the Regional and National offices have a copy of the supporting data?

Now, part of the reason for my frustration is that my medical is suspended at present. It took them about a day to turn around a registered letter suspending me - during Covid, but I'm told that it could take weeks to reinstate me - because of covid delays. That being said, I can't be in a unique situation - there must (have been) be dozens of people in my shoes in normal times who wait weeks for this stuff to get sorted.

[youhavecontrol]

Yeah, It's terrible. I just got a letter from them saying I owe money and they are going to be getting the money through collections. ...no bill was ever sent to me. The online file I have with TC has no section with my financial account with them. My online profile has my name, address, email and phone number, yet they've never contacted me until now. The letter doesn't even say what I owe them for and when I call the office, it goes to a full inbox. It's insane. It's embarassing.

[prop2jet]

Not sure why you are dealing with the paper forms... I had my medical done in September 2020 and my CAME promptly told me to bear with him, new system in place, all electronic etc.... I am not inclined to think this process makes things move any faster, perhaps saves the step of a clerk scanning the paper form into their system. At present I am still waiting for my medical as mine was suspended too.

[200hr Wonder]

Now, part of the reason for my frustration is that my medical is suspended at present. It took them about a day to turn around a registered letter suspending me - during Covid, but I'm told that it could take weeks to reinstate me - because of covid delays. That being said, I can't be in a unique situation - there must (have been) be dozens of people in my shoes in normal times who wait weeks for this stuff to get sorted.

As someone who is going through a similar ordeal right now. If you are well and your ready to go back to work your CAME can help make it happen faster. I have in the past had my CAME call the RAMO and get me re-instated right then and there in his office. Generally if your lack of a medical is causing financial hardship, IE you can not go back to work and your CAME thinks you are well enough, you can get back pretty quick.

[PilotDAR]

Allow an important distinction in your mind: What you do at your medical examiner's office is the medical examination, they stamp your booklet saying that you have had the examination. The "Medical" for your license is issued by TC, not your examiner. Once your examiner "sends in" the results of your examination results, TC may, or may not issue or reissue your medical.

A few years back, my examiner said I was fit, and she stamped and signed, but based upon some injuries I had sustained a year earlier, she said I should expect to hear from TC. I sure did (three months after the examination). To TC's great credit, while asking me to have some additional tests to verify my fitness, they left my cat 1 medical in force, so I was never without it, but they made it very clear that the stamp in my booklet was not a "medical" the sticker was, and they could pull that.

Ultimately, once I understood the nuances of the system, I was fine with it, and I was very fairly treated all the way around.

[DHC-1 Jockey]

You can always check the status of your medical online at https://gart.tc.gc.ca/secure/galro-aglie/aut.aspx

The issuance of a sticker will probably lag behind the online system.

You can see every written exam and flight test (with scores), medical, type ratings, etc going back to the beginning of your first training. Really interesting stuff.

Screen Shot 2020-11-05 at 5.04.06 PM.png (61.92 KiB) Viewed 2904 times

[Blueontop]

The cames are open for medicals again? What about the self attestation?

[photofly]

CAMEs have been open since last summer. The attests toon was/is an option for the people meeting the specified conditions.

[NotDirty!]

IIRC, the medical has been electronically submitted since about 2013. I have not noticed any improvement in processing times! Fortunately for the most part the only outcome of them processing your medical is they send you a bill for $55 (or at least once in my case didn’t actually send the bill, then threatened to send me to collections for non-payment almost a year later).

In my current situation, my medical was suspended, and once I was able to pass the medical, my CAME had to submit the medical report as “deferred”, and I am waiting for TC to decide whether to issue a new medical, and what restrictions to put on it. This was submitted electronically on November 3rd, 2020... still haven’t heard back from them 3 months later!

[AirFrame]

You can always check the status of your medical online at https://gart.tc.gc.ca/secure/galro-aglie/aut.aspx

Only if you have a GCKey login. I've applied for one three times over the last two years and never heard "boo" from them. The Sign-on Partners link (that would let you authenticate using your bank) doesn't work either, at least it just links to the GCKey sign-in page.

[digits_]

You can always check the status of your medical online at https://gart.tc.gc.ca/secure/galro-aglie/aut.aspx

Only if you have a GCKey login. I've applied for one three times over the last two years and never heard "boo" from them. The Sign-on Partners link (that would let you authenticate using your bank) doesn't work either, at least it just links to the GCKey sign-in page.

It depends on the browser you use. It doesn't play nice with adblockers either. 4 years ago I only got it to work in internet explorer. Today it also works in Chrome if I disable most plugins.

The safest website is one nobody can use!

[RatherBeFlying]

I made a serious mistake by asking for my medical to be downgraded from Cat I to III (no longer any need for CPL privileges). It took just short of FOUR months to get my new sticker, even though there was NO change from my previous report.

[youhavecontrol]

It depends on the browser you use. It doesn't play nice with adblockers either. 4 years ago I only got it to work in internet explorer. Today it also works in Chrome if I disable most plugins.

The safest website is one nobody can use!

I use Chrome even with adblocker and I've found their new website and login works great. I just don't understand why they can't link billing and finance to it. It would be nice to see what I owe online, and not just my test results.

[mmm..bacon]

Thanks for that link! Just looked everything up..Sadly, no medical yet.

On the bright side, it says that I passed my IFR PPC on a B25 Mitchell back in 2009, which is a great relief to me, as a friend actually did one, and it cost him ~$3k/hour, whereas mine was absolutely free and effortless!

eta: I've never even seen a B25 in real life. Thank jeebus for paperwork glitches!

[NotDirty!]

Yes, I likewise apparently did a PPC on a BE18 in 2007, because apparently the ACP’s 0 looked like an 8.

[tps8903]

Does anyone have an approximate time it's taking to process a medical on their profile. I did my medical in October 2021, and I just applied for a verification letter for a FAA license and it came back with the old expired medical. I confirmed with a lady at TC that they have my medical there (it was done electronically) but they haven't processed it yet.

[co-joe]

Classic government bureaucracy. The AB government web site requires a 2 factor authentication to open an account. 2FA is quite common with email, AB uses the postal service mail??? They mail you a code that's good for 10 days from when they mailed it.

[imjustlurking]

I made a serious mistake by asking for my medical to be downgraded from Cat I to III (no longer any need for CPL privileges). It took just short of FOUR months to get my new sticker, even though there was NO change from my previous report.

Maybe I am missing something, but why would anyone willingly want their medical to be downgraded?

As a category 1, you are entitled to greater privileges than the cat 3?

Anyway, all you need to do to automatically move your category to 3 is not to renew after 12 months (or 6 if you're an old fart).

[photofly]

I made a serious mistake by asking for my medical to be downgraded from Cat I to III (no longer any need for CPL privileges). It took just short of FOUR months to get my new sticker, even though there was NO change from my previous report.

Maybe I am missing something, but why would anyone willingly want their medical to be downgraded?

A

Because you may have been diagnosed with a condition that precludes you holding a category 1 medical (and invalidates the one you do hold) but which is permitted for category 3 medical certificate holders.

[imjustlurking]

I made a serious mistake by asking for my medical to be downgraded from Cat I to III (no longer any need for CPL privileges). It took just short of FOUR months to get my new sticker, even though there was NO change from my previous report.

Maybe I am missing something, but why would anyone willingly want their medical to be downgraded?

A

Because you may have been diagnosed with a condition that precludes you holding a category 1 medical (and invalidates the one you do hold) but which is permitted for category 3 medical certificate holders.

The way I have interpreted CARS 404 is that the requirements are for the issuance and renewal of a medical. There is no mechanism or requirement to announce change of medical status until your next medical examination

With that said, I would expect that there might be another regulation that would cover said scenario.