Chiropractors are eligible to perform the Federal Aviation Administration's new BasicMed medical exam for private pilots provided they are considered a "chiropractic physician" by their state chiropractic licensing board and state scope provisions include the ability to perform the basic components of the exam. Private pilots can now complete the exam (with exceptions) in addition to or instead of obtaining the 3rd class medical certificate required before they can fly solo.
The new exam, available as of April 24, 2017, initially appeared to exclude chiropractors as exam providers, as eligibility language stated only physicians licensed by their state medical board could administer the examination. However, on July 14, the FAA confirmed that DCs are considered specialty physicians subject to the requirements above.
More than 160,000 pilots hold private pilot certificates, according to 2016 FAA statistics.
Michael Megehee, DC, president of TeamCME, a nationwide network of DOT medical examiners who has authored several previous articles for Dynamic Chiropractic on related topics, said the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards has contacted state boards with information on how to proceed, subject to individual state physician status and scope language.
Contact your state licensing board for more information and to see whether you can provide this exam to private pilots. According to Dr. Megehee, "chiropractic physician" is qualified in chiropractic scope language in at least 31 states, and "there are many reports of [private pilots] having difficulty finding a provider willing to perform [the exam]."
To learn more about the BasicMed exam, a provision of the FAA Extension, Safety, Security Act of 2016, click here.
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