Aviation medical fees

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dave_091
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Aviation medical fees

Post by dave_091 »

Quick question:

I have just finished my third medical ever for licensing purposes. All I ever remember doing in the past was going to a aviation medical doctor, giving him a cash payment, he examines me, and then that's it. He stamps my book and I am done.

However this time I have received a 55 dollar processing fee from transport canada to process my medical. Is this new? I don't remember paying this in the past? Is this something commercial pilots have to pay to Transport Canada every 6 months (or 1 year) every time they have a medical in addition to the fees already paid to the doctor doing the exam?

I received a bill from TC for 55 bucks and I don't ever remember getting this bill before?
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Cat Driver
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by Cat Driver »

That is the way socialism works.

How do you expect the drones in society to live like you do unless you give them the money you worked for.
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by timel »

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dave_091
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by dave_091 »

Thanks for the link.

I guess TC randomly sends out these 55 dollar fees because this is the first time I have ever received he bill. Perhaps it's only for commercial pilots?
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by LousyFisherman »

No, I think you were just lucky. I only have a PPL and they have invoiced me after every medical I have had. Even the one before I had the PPL :(

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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by North Shore »

Cat Driver wrote:That is the way socialism works.

How do you expect the drones in society to live like you do unless you give them the money you worked for.
Nice rant, except for the fact that in the past, medical fees were paid out of general revenue (the pockets of other, non-pilots.) Every right-wing website I visit rants about the government taking their money and spending it ways that they don't approve of - socialism in action.
The current system is much less socialistic - you want the service, you pay for it out of your own pocket...

Now, whether it actually costs $55 to process the medical is a different matter altogether :wink:
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by Cat Driver »

Nice rant, except for the fact that in the past, medical fees were paid out of general revenue (the pockets of other, non-pilots.)
Yes a few decades ago all of T.C. 's services were paid out of general revenue.

So why do we now have to pay extra fees for almost every T.C. Service?

Couldn't be because government under socialism just gets to bloated could it?

By the way, yes I lean to the right politically.

I find that far more comfortable than leaning forward to take it from socialists.
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by North Shore »

What? So a program that benefits you, yet is paid for by others is not socialism, but programs that benefit others, but are paid for by you are 'bloated government'?
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by AirFrame »

North Shore wrote:Now, whether it actually costs $55 to process the medical is a different matter altogether :wink:
Yeah, it's nice that they at least give us a discount off the actual cost. :wink:
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by 7ECA »

I had to renew my Cat 1 when I was getting ready to write my CPL written, and sure enough got nailed with the $55 fee a few months later.

So I decided to "fight" TC about it, and wanted someone, anyone, at TC to explain what I was paying for. I used the same argument, that I already paid the CAME a fee, and that should cover things. According to the person I ended up talking to at TC, the fee was put in place many years ago, when TC would mail out publications to pilots, such as AIP Amendments, etc. So I was told that I was paying for these mailed publications that I had been receiving. When I told this person I had never gotten anything from TC, other than my ADB, rating stickers, and bills, they relented and said, thats because we don't mail those out anymore, they are online now. :roll:
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by shimmydampner »

North Shore wrote:The current system is much less socialistic - you want the service, you pay for it out of your own pocket...
Except they are not providing a service. They are not providing anything. The doctor is, and I pay him. He stamps and signs my book. TC is doing nothing more than trying to reach into pilots' pockets for a quick cash grab. It is absolutely nothing more than government sanctioned attempted robbery. I suppose most pilots are spineless enough to roll over and let them do it. I do not.
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by Cat Driver »

Easy there Shimmy, you are comming off as a right winger and that may annoy some of the mods here.
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by Kokanee »

Pilots pay something other than the $55 TC fee? I've never paid the Doctor I go to for my Medicals.
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by 7ECA »

shimmydampner wrote:I suppose most pilots are spineless enough to roll over and let them do it. I do not.
It doesn't much matter if you do not "pay" TC. In the end TC gets their money one way or the other, be it through a collections agency (which they can get to harass you), or the other option is to take the fee off of your income tax return.
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by Redneck_pilot86 »

I' stopped paying the $55 fee when I stopped getting AIP updates, 8 medicals. My invoice this year was for about $460, 8x55+some interest. If they haven't went after it for 8 years, I don't expect them to now.
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by Pop n Fresh »

I'm not spineless, spineless might be good for me since I have had issues with the thing, maybe I pay my bills because I have bad discs and stuff.
Redneck_pilot86 wrote:I' stopped paying the $55 fee when I stopped getting AIP updates, 8 medicals. My invoice this year was for about $460, 8x55+some interest. If they haven't went after it for 8 years, I don't expect them to now.
That reminds me of the guy in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy getting a tax invoice notice. The other guy asks why he cares, the Earth was destroyed years ago. He says, "You don't understand. They will still want those taxes."

Difficult to say how it will turn out until it unfolds. Good luck though. So far so good.
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by AirFrame »

Redneck_pilot86 wrote:I' stopped paying the $55 fee when I stopped getting AIP updates, 8 medicals. My invoice this year was for about $460, 8x55+some interest. If they haven't went after it for 8 years, I don't expect them to now.
For $55, a collection agency isn't interested. For $500, they might be. It may take 10 or 15 years, but eventually that account will get large enough that someone will want a piece of it in exchange for collecting.
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by duCapo »

I refuse to pay that bill when it shows up. Every few years my accountant screws up and I have a tax return and the CRA steal it from me. This year they got $495. There have been lots of threads on this subject.
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by Bede »

I found it much cheaper to just slip the old TC accounts lady a $20 and she makes the $55 charge go away.
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Re: Aviation medical fees

Post by Collidingwiththesky »

AirFrame wrote:
Redneck_pilot86 wrote:I' stopped paying the $55 fee when I stopped getting AIP updates, 8 medicals. My invoice this year was for about $460, 8x55+some interest. If they haven't went after it for 8 years, I don't expect them to now.
For $55, a collection agency isn't interested. For $500, they might be. It may take 10 or 15 years, but eventually that account will get large enough that someone will want a piece of it in exchange for collecting.
Very true. They are waiting for the $500 to billed interest and once it's a ridiculous amt, then they will come with a vengeance. :s
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