European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 4, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes wednesday february 4,1987 Faa medical chief resigns amid certification criticism Washington api the Federal aviation administration s lop medical officer resigned his Post monday amid criticism that he had certified Commer Cut pilots who were not medically fit to Fly. At the same Lime the Faa said it would revamp the personnel Structure and ,. Procedures in the Federal air surgeon s office because of findings by special Industry panel of inadequate record keeping on Pilot certification cases. Paa administrator Donald Engen said in a written statement that or Frank Austin the Federal air sur Geon was being reassigned at hit own request in a Effort to end polarization in the aviation Community Over the medical certification  Engen nevertheless praised Austin for reducing the backlog of Pilot appeals for medical certificates and for mating a positive change by applying state of the Art medians to certification decision making Austin a Veteran Navy doctor and Pilot who be came Federal air lure on in october 1984, was re assigned to the Faa s office of air safely. His duties i that office were not dear. The action brought Praise from several members of Congress who had scheduled further hearings into the controversy surrounding the Federal air surgeon. Rep. James of Ersler d-mlnn., chairman of the in Kennedy we refs health coverage Washington a sen Edward Mkennedy a Masi proposed monday that All businesses be required to provide medical insurance for their worker and dependents Kennedy chairman of the Senate labor and human resources committee said businesses have been required since 1938 to pay a minimum wage to their workers and in 1987 to is Lime to insist that they provide at lease a minimum health insurance  made Bis remarks in a speech prepared for be american Hospital association an organization of Hospital administrators and trustees. He said a minimum health Benefit package does no mean thai workers should have All their expenses paid or be Given exotic  minimum Benefit package does not mean Cadillac plans or first Dollar coverage of health expenses,1he said. It does mean Basic coverage of Hospital and physician Bills and it also Means Protection against catastrophic costs. No american worker should have the fear of serious illness compounded by the fear of financial ruin Kennedy said 75 percent of All workers without insurance have jobs with firme of 25 employees or less. And he said the medical insurance he is proposing win place an additional Burden on those companies. However he said there Are ways to minimize those burdens. He said Small businesses must pay up to 40 percent More than Large firms for identical health insurance coverage when they negotiate separate packages. He said the expense is often out of reach and near impossible to Purchase at any Price for individual workers who want their own plans. Many employees play russian Roulette with their own and their family s health because food and shelter and clothing Are More pressing needs said Kennedy. Vestiga ions subcommittee with jurisdiction Over Thefan said the resignation restores the integrity of the Pilot certification  but he Aid his panel still plans hearings in april on the Way the Faa candies medical review  is not the end of the Issue Bentar said in an  in recent months came under intense criticism from physicians a a number of major airline and the air line pilots Jocia Tion who charged that commercial pilots were being  the Paa despite serious medical problems. The Industry physician said pilots had been provided special waivers by Austin even Hough they had significant heart problems or other ailment. In som cases the airline doctors Cid they refused to allow the pilots into the cockpit despite an Faa  dispute which came to a head during a congressional hearing dec 10 in which Austin was sharply criticized prompted Engen to form a special Industry panel to review we Pilot medical certification  s reassignment came after the Industry panel reported problems in the Way Austin s office was handling certification cases according to sources familiar with the findings. Specifically these sources said the panel uncovered cases in which pilots were cleared for  without adequate documentation to show them to be medically tit. Firms to provide for All workers painful toss of work Days a