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Has anyone had Kaiser NorCal perform a BasicMED?

tdhanson

Well Known Member
I made an appointment with Sacramento area Kaiser through the member services number. I explained the purpose was to obtain a physical to satisfy the FAA BasicMED process. I explained this in some detail saying the physician would have to sign a form. They made the appointment and I showed up. I got the initial basic height/weight/BP/questions done with the assistant, then when the Dr came in he started asking some questions, but then it quickly came to 'I can't do that'. Then later said it wasn't their policy to sign off such forms.

I've seen some posts on websites indicating other Kaiser members have been able to get BasicMed processed... I found one located in Madera, and a few in Oregon.

Has anyone in the greater NorCal or Sacramento area been able to have Kaiser do this for them? Please PM or email me.

I did submit a complaint through member services as they basically wasted my time and knew up front what I wanted. I'd like to know if such policy not to do them truly exists or any other information.

For now, back to my normal Class 3 process/AME...
 
No experience with Kaiser NorCal but I sent an email to my primary care physician, explained what I wanted, and provided him a link to the FAA website which explained the basic med process. About a week later I got an email back and stated he had not heard of the process but after researching it he would have no problem doing an exam for me and completing the paperwork. He stated it was very similar to a routine exam he does for commercial truck drivers. It would be nice if AOPA or the EAA could start a data base of physicians who will do a basic med.
 
Not Kaiser, but I did ask my PMP from Palo Alto Medical Foundation/Sutter Health if he'd be game, and he was. I pointed him to the AOPA website and went through the drill. Frankly, it was a better exam than the regular 3rd class, and was basically free (with insurance)
 
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Kaiser Littleton Colorado Did My BasicMed

Dr. Faulkner, a physician with Kaiser, did my BasicMed physical and signed the forms. Also, since this is on the list of preventative care, there was no charge for the visit. The office I went to is in Littleton Colorado.
 
I *heard* (third hand) that Kaiser has left this to the individual physicians. I?m due for my (Bay area Kaiser) physical, I need to ask about this too.
 
Both myself and my hangar mate had ours done by different Kaiser doctors at two different Kaiser sites in the South Bay. We both didn?t call about it in advance. We just sprung it on them during routine physicals. Both experiences were the same. The doctors briefly looked at the paperwork, checked off the boxes, and signed it. The standard physical covered everything on the form.

I told mine it was very similar to what some driver licenses require. He wasn?t too interested. Very easy.

I suggest no advanced calls...just spring it on them. You don?t want to give them too much time to think about it!
 
Kaiser sign off

My Kaiser physician in San Ramon signed off on my Basic Med based on my annual physicals. I just emailed him the request, and then sent the letter for him to sign. No problem although I've had cancer a couple of times.
 
Depends on doctor I guess

One of the local pilots here in Sacramento told me that his Kaiser doctor was not even allowed to do BasicMed. Maybe this has changed. I switched to another medical plan and my new doctor had never even heard of BasicMed even though he has other pilots as patients.
 
What to say to Basic Med Dr

Just sharing my experience for your edification.

In today's litigious world I believe their greatest fear is being sued if there was an accident flying under a Basic Med exam he performed..
My regular physician initially balked a little when I first raised the subject in a regular appointment, prior to the effective date of Basic Med, saying he was reluctant to certify that I was fit to fly since he knew so little about the demands of piloting, and asked for more info on what basic med was all about.
I printed out a ton of info from AOPA, individually researched every prescription I take, referred him to web sites, etc.etc.
But he was still reluctant when I talked to him in a subsequent appointment.

The key to getting him aboard was to point out the wording in the "Physician's Signature and Declaration" he needed to sign at the end of section 3 on the FAA Basic Med form.
Namely: "I certify that I am not aware of any medical condition that, as presently treated, could interfere with the individual's ability to safely operate an aircraft." (emphasis added)

Once he understood he was NOT certifying I was fit to fly, but rather saying in effect he didn't see any reason I couldn't, he was way more comfortable. We completed the exam with him signing off, I bought a beautiful RV4, got the transition training I needed, And I'm back in the air again.


PS ? He was even willing to check off number 9 question in section 3 by concluding I have one, instead of actually taking a look.

Basic Med is a wonderful thing.
 
He stated it was very similar to a routine exam he does for commercial truck drivers.

Don't forget some AME's will do basic med as well. Mine did for the same price $100. I also did as others, contacted my PCP and shared printed data with her, she texted me and said no issue ( like DOT physicals she does)....she would sign the paperwork annually at the conclusion of my annual well care physical. YMMV
 
The great part of having your PCP do BasicMed as part of your Annual physical is that insurance will usually cover it. Mine did!
 
I live in So Cal. But I am a kaiser member, and had my PCP do my BasicMed. I do have a very good relationship with my PCP, and have been seeing him for probably close to 10 years now. But he had signed me off in the past for Scuba Diving. I do have an irregular medical history too. So clearly he felt that I was more than healthy enough for Scuba. I figured no harm in asking about BasicMed. And no surprise, he had no problem with it. There was a single sticking point though. It asks for some eye pressure test, that he had no way of doing. However, I had just seen my eye doctor the week prior. So a quick phone call later, and it was all squared away for the next four years.
 
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