Merged: CASA May Review Fees For Class 2 Medicals
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Pilot Medical Fee Review Planned
An item in the Daily Telegraph today reports that "amateur and non-commercial pilots could be spared from paying the same medical certification fees as professional and commercial Aviators". A discussion paper on the proposal can be found on the CASA website and comment is invited up to 23/6.Maybe the CASA "filing fee" will be scrapped?
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Merged: CASA May Review Fees For Class 2 Medicals
Medical fee under review
Steve Creedy
June 02, 2006
THE Civil Aviation Safety Authority's much criticised processing fee for private and student pilot medical exams is to be reviewed.
Transport Minister Warren Truss will announce the review today when he releases a CASA discussion paper on overhauling the $130 fee for certifying class 2 health checks, introduced on January 1 as part of CASA's push towards cost recovery.
All pilots are required to undergo regular checks by designated aviation medical examiners (DAMEs) to ensure they are fit to fly.
The $130 fee is in addition to the $80-$250 cost of the check up, and is supposed to cover the expense to CASA of issuing a certificate.
CASA deals with 10,000 class 2 medicals every year and says processing time ranges from 20 minutes to more than three hours.
It admits "a significant proportion" do not need any case management or substantive work by CASA staff.
Industry groups have slammed the fee as unnecessary and want DAMEs to be be given the power to certify pilots where there are no issues involved.
CASA is seeking industry feedback on four options considered in the discussion paper and lists what it believes are the pros and cons of each. The options range from retaining the current system to introducing a sliding fee to allow certain or all DAMEs to certify applicants.
Mr Truss said the Government remained committed to cost recovery but believed every effort should be made to ensure the regulator set prices efficiently.
While CASA had a clear policy of concentrating on airlines, charters and other passenger-carrying flights, it made no distinction between the medicals required for private pilots, commercial or air transport pilots.
"This lack of distinction means private pilots are facing the same costs for medicals as their professional counterparts and many people say this is unfair," he said.
Comments should be made before June 23 and the discussion paper and comment form are available online at:
www.casa.gov.au/class2avmed
Steve Creedy
June 02, 2006
THE Civil Aviation Safety Authority's much criticised processing fee for private and student pilot medical exams is to be reviewed.
Transport Minister Warren Truss will announce the review today when he releases a CASA discussion paper on overhauling the $130 fee for certifying class 2 health checks, introduced on January 1 as part of CASA's push towards cost recovery.
All pilots are required to undergo regular checks by designated aviation medical examiners (DAMEs) to ensure they are fit to fly.
The $130 fee is in addition to the $80-$250 cost of the check up, and is supposed to cover the expense to CASA of issuing a certificate.
CASA deals with 10,000 class 2 medicals every year and says processing time ranges from 20 minutes to more than three hours.
It admits "a significant proportion" do not need any case management or substantive work by CASA staff.
Industry groups have slammed the fee as unnecessary and want DAMEs to be be given the power to certify pilots where there are no issues involved.
CASA is seeking industry feedback on four options considered in the discussion paper and lists what it believes are the pros and cons of each. The options range from retaining the current system to introducing a sliding fee to allow certain or all DAMEs to certify applicants.
Mr Truss said the Government remained committed to cost recovery but believed every effort should be made to ensure the regulator set prices efficiently.
While CASA had a clear policy of concentrating on airlines, charters and other passenger-carrying flights, it made no distinction between the medicals required for private pilots, commercial or air transport pilots.
"This lack of distinction means private pilots are facing the same costs for medicals as their professional counterparts and many people say this is unfair," he said.
Comments should be made before June 23 and the discussion paper and comment form are available online at:
www.casa.gov.au/class2avmed
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What a joke this new fee is anyway...
just as they change the whole system so that the doctors enter all the data for them, they invent this fee.
My last medical (class 1) in cost almost $300.00 (including the casa fee)
just as they change the whole system so that the doctors enter all the data for them, they invent this fee.
My last medical (class 1) in cost almost $300.00 (including the casa fee)
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My last medical (class 1) in cost almost $300.00 (including the casa fee)
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$130 per medical. 10000 class 2 medicals only. $1.3 million revenue.
260 working days @ 8 hours per day/1.5 hours per medical equals 6 per day requires 7 admin people.
Allowing for $7000 stationary and 9 admin people (2 on leave at any time)
equates to $143688.88 per admin person
Now we add class 1 medicals....
260 working days @ 8 hours per day/1.5 hours per medical equals 6 per day requires 7 admin people.
Allowing for $7000 stationary and 9 admin people (2 on leave at any time)
equates to $143688.88 per admin person
Now we add class 1 medicals....
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$335 total for medical including casa fee ($110 last year) Casa rang me at 7am local and asked for their $130 7 days after doing medical and asked for a credit card number which i couldn't give them due card maxed out at which they told me i had five days to pay or they send the medical back to doctor.
end of conversation.How on earth are the GA guys surviving.
end of conversation.How on earth are the GA guys surviving.
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Make sure you respond to the comments - vote early and vote often.
Send an email to a friend asking them to reply and send on to another.
The only thing that this government fears is public revolt - the Snowy is a case in point.
Send an email to a friend asking them to reply and send on to another.
The only thing that this government fears is public revolt - the Snowy is a case in point.
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At least if the $130 fee ensured prompt service I may be able to understand if not agree with the scheme...
After a Medical examination on 1 May (after which paperwork was immediately forwarded), and my Visa card debited on 12 May (ie paperwork has reached Canberra), I'm still looking for my certificate (the old one expired on 23 May - lucky for the revalidation).
After checking with CASA, it appears the paperwork quite rapidly got to the financial processing stage then for some reason hit a brick wall before the certificate was issued. Their excuse - "we're really running behind at the moment with certificates". Well don't bloody well debit my card til you're ready to finish the job!! Sheeeesh!
Not even close to being marginally acceptable if they were charging no fee (they want to regulate then they should do it properly!) - but for $130 processing fee, I would expect some of that cash be spent on an overtime budget! How many people do you reckon they have in Canberra working after 5pm to catch up on the backlog?
Revalidation covers me until 1 July. After that, I start losing pay for not being able to fly. Can't wait. Hopefully a phone call every second day might speed it up. Not holding my breath!
VI
After a Medical examination on 1 May (after which paperwork was immediately forwarded), and my Visa card debited on 12 May (ie paperwork has reached Canberra), I'm still looking for my certificate (the old one expired on 23 May - lucky for the revalidation).
After checking with CASA, it appears the paperwork quite rapidly got to the financial processing stage then for some reason hit a brick wall before the certificate was issued. Their excuse - "we're really running behind at the moment with certificates". Well don't bloody well debit my card til you're ready to finish the job!! Sheeeesh!
Not even close to being marginally acceptable if they were charging no fee (they want to regulate then they should do it properly!) - but for $130 processing fee, I would expect some of that cash be spent on an overtime budget! How many people do you reckon they have in Canberra working after 5pm to catch up on the backlog?
Revalidation covers me until 1 July. After that, I start losing pay for not being able to fly. Can't wait. Hopefully a phone call every second day might speed it up. Not holding my breath!
VI
............(be nice if they actually gave a SH#T)Join Date: Feb 2004
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I'd say processing the medicals would take a maximum of 20 minutes in most cases. It would be simply look at the paperwork, check dame has ticked the pass box, enter new expiry date onto computer and print the new certificate. Then its just a simple task of putting it into an envelope.
How quick is that????? I could do that 10 times in 20 mins!
NK.
How quick is that????? I could do that 10 times in 20 mins!
NK.
Why, if you have passed your medical with no problems, can't the DAME issue you with a new piece of paper on the spot?!
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They rang you? The caller didn’t happen to say he/she had a good bridge to sell … just provide the necessary credit card details and it will be yours, complete with toll booths.
Ask them to follow standard business protocol and send you a Tax Invoice. Their answer will probably be NO because they haven’t funded the necessary administration staff.
Their double standards if they want to purchase your goods and service …
Payment
(1) Subject to subclause 5 (3), CASA must pay for the goods or services within 30 days after the latest of the following:
(a) title in the goods (if applicable) has passed to it and the goods been accepted;
(b) satisfactory completion of the services (if applicable);
(c) receipt of a correctly rendered invoice.
(2) An invoice will be correctly rendered if it:
(a) is addressed in accordance with the purchase order; and
(b) identifies the purchase order; and
(c) is, if explanation is necessary, accompanied by
documentation substantiating the amount claimed; and
(d) is, if required by Australian law, a valid tax invoice within
the meaning of the A New Tax System (Goods and
Services) Act 1999.
Ask them to follow standard business protocol and send you a Tax Invoice. Their answer will probably be NO because they haven’t funded the necessary administration staff.
Their double standards if they want to purchase your goods and service …
Payment
(1) Subject to subclause 5 (3), CASA must pay for the goods or services within 30 days after the latest of the following:
(a) title in the goods (if applicable) has passed to it and the goods been accepted;
(b) satisfactory completion of the services (if applicable);
(c) receipt of a correctly rendered invoice.
(2) An invoice will be correctly rendered if it:
(a) is addressed in accordance with the purchase order; and
(b) identifies the purchase order; and
(c) is, if explanation is necessary, accompanied by
documentation substantiating the amount claimed; and
(d) is, if required by Australian law, a valid tax invoice within
the meaning of the A New Tax System (Goods and
Services) Act 1999.
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I just renewed my CASA Class 1 and FAA Class 1, both on the same day (1/1/06), with the same doc. I admit, this was done outside of Aus with a DAME and so authorised FAA examiner.
My FAA was re-issued on the spot, however my Aus medical was revalidated for only two months, even though the expiry date was 29/6/06, so really I only get one month extra from the original expiry date. Now I have to wait for the paperwork to make it all the way to Aus, be assessed, issued and posted back. I can see that two months is just not enough...
The interesting thing is that the total cost, for both medicals was only about $140 Aus
I don't know how this processing fee is controlled outside of Aus and maybe I should be expecting a call from CASA saying that they will not issue the medical without this $130 payment?? I will have to wait and see I guess?
On another note, I also did a renewal in Aus at the start of May...still no renewed licence paperwork in my mail one month later The system sucks and we, as pilots, are expected to sit on our hands and wait for CASA 
My FAA was re-issued on the spot, however my Aus medical was revalidated for only two months, even though the expiry date was 29/6/06, so really I only get one month extra from the original expiry date. Now I have to wait for the paperwork to make it all the way to Aus, be assessed, issued and posted back. I can see that two months is just not enough...
The interesting thing is that the total cost, for both medicals was only about $140 Aus
I don't know how this processing fee is controlled outside of Aus and maybe I should be expecting a call from CASA saying that they will not issue the medical without this $130 payment?? I will have to wait and see I guess?
On another note, I also did a renewal in Aus at the start of May...still no renewed licence paperwork in my mail one month later
The system sucks and we, as pilots, are expected to sit on our hands and wait for CASA
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Good point, why cant the DAME press print on his trusty VIC 20, and print us out a copy there and then? Then he can press send, and CASA have all the details. Why dont we cut out the useless middleman in this case? Can we submit this to the review?
For a medical, you need 2 things. Doctor, and pilot. Lets look at a system where we circumvent the obvious weakest link. CASA. The DAMES could then look at a system where they bill CASA for doing all their work for them.
Even the vic 20 wont take 2 months to print! (Close).
There, review done. Thanks all.
For a medical, you need 2 things. Doctor, and pilot. Lets look at a system where we circumvent the obvious weakest link. CASA. The DAMES could then look at a system where they bill CASA for doing all their work for them.
Even the vic 20 wont take 2 months to print! (Close).
There, review done. Thanks all.