FAA Simplifies Sleep Apnea Medical Requirements

The FAA has significantly simplified the certification and recertification process for pilots with treated obstructive sleep apnea. Wingman Med reported earlier this week that the changes came into effect on May 27 and should reduce the paperwork and reporting burden for pilots who have been diagnosed with, and are under active, successful treatment for, the potentially life-threatening condition. “For pilots, treating physicians, Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs), and the FAA itself, this change reduces paperwork, streamlines review, and makes the certification process more efficient,” Dr. Keith Roxo of Wingman Med wrote in his announcement of the welcome news.

Previously, the diagnosis and treatment of the disorder, which causes numerous sleep interruptions that can cause serious medical issues, prompted a battery of expensive tests and a blizzard of paperwork to demonstrate the condition is under control and not a flight safety risk. For many pilots, that regime is replaced with a single standardized form to be filled out by a sleep physician and submitted to the AME. If all the answers on the form are “yes” the AME can issue a one-year medical certificate. “The new FAA OSA Treated Status Report is a very pilot-friendly certification change,” Roxo wrote. “If your obstructive sleep apnea is successfully treated with a PAP device or dental appliance and all questions on the form can be answered ‘Yes,’ you can often avoid submitting sleep studies, compliance reports, and additional supporting documentation altogether.”