Frustrating Waiver Process

[mq9_reaper]

So for the past week I have been gathering my medical history for a scar on my back and for my vision defect. For the past week I have been calling the surgeons officer to have my records faxed to me and was told multiple times that they were being faxed over and I never received them. Only when I told the secretary I would be making the trip to pick them up in person today (a week after I first started calling) did I get a phone call saying that sicne my surgery was in 1999, they do not still have my records -- thanks for telling me this a week later and lying to me about faxing over records that you do not even have. So I call up the hospital to get these records and not only do I have to wait up to 30 days to receive them, but it will cost me 2 dollars a page.

I already have my vision records that cost me 20 dollars, and at this point I am just getting very frustrated with the mendacity of these people, Hopefully I will receive my vision waiver (I have something called juvenile retinoschisis, recruiter thinks its no problem to get the waiver, but I am skeptical)

It's just a very frustrating process and I am disapointed that these doctors are charging exorbitant rates for peices of paper on procedures I have already spent money to receive, especially considering it is for entry to into military service.

I just had to get that off my chest, and partake in a healthy venting session to relieve this stress.

If you read this far, I am legitimately surprised, haha.

[MacSteve]

I think if you talked to your recruiter.. they might be able to go to the hospital with you and get those records free of charge......

[DK3]

The military will teach you hurry up and wait. Once you are in, this term will become very clear.

I know it can be frustrating, just come on here to vent. We know what you are going through.

[KYmom]

Maybe your primary care has a copy or consult letter regarding the surgery.
But yeah most dr's office are not required to keep records past 7 years.
You are better off to go to the hosital in person and talk to medical records.
LOL... Take them a box of chocolates and that might persuaded them to put forth a better effort.

[sailor_pianist]

I had to get a medical waiver to for a surgery I had when I was 9. It took the hospital a little over a month to get my medical records to me (I suppose because they were in the archives), THEN I had to pay for the records when I got them, which was also frustrating. Trust me though, you're just approaching the beginning phases of the medical waiver process. When you receive your do***ents, you're going to have to fill out some additional paperwork (daily/work activities report/current medications etc) to fax to MEPS. Depending on how MEPS responds (if they disqualify you, approve the waiver, or ask for more info/consultation) you'll have to go to MEPS for an initial physical, THEN you'll have to wait on the final approval of the waiver from Millington, Tennessee. I started the medical waiver process at the end of July (after waiting a month to receive my medical records) and didn't go to MEPS to select my job until November. I leave in basic training for a month, so basically it took me a year from walking into the Navy office to shipping out and that includes getting a medical waiver (which really isn't THAT long looking back on it).

This wait is nothing. Wait until you're just sitting around hoping to hear if they've approved your medical waiver from your recruiter! Everything hangs on that one decision. If they disqualify you, that's it, supposedly you have no other options (my recruiter told me a disqualification applies to all branches and is final, but I've run into some discrepancies on this).

I agree, the waiver process sucks. Just try to find something to keep your mind occupied while you wait.

I don't know if I'm allowed to post this, but there is a guy on another navy website who will guide you through the waiver process and can predict which conditions will/won't be approved for a waiver with amazing accuracy. He's a retired command career counselor, so that's probably why.

http://www.navycs.com/blogs/2009/09/17/navy-recruiting-medical-waiver-process

He really helped me through the process. Everything he said would happen--happened. Maybe he can help assuage some of your fears as well.




Edit: OMG, I just realized what I wrote. I leave in a month for boot camp!!!! I'm getting nervous and really really excited!!!! Aghhhh

[Retired Navy Chief]

Edit: OMG, I just realized what I wrote. I leave in a month for boot camp!!!! I'm getting nervous and really really excited!!!! Aghhhh

Time flies when you have a plan, eh ?? We are all excited for ya !!

Cheers,
PISTOL

[mq9_reaper]

Thanks for all of the replies.

I know it is a long drawn-out process to join, I was just hoping to know whether or not I would be disqualified medically before I had to notify the graduate school I plan to attend whether or not I will be going in the Fall of 2010 or the Fall of 2017. =)

[mq9_reaper]

Congrats on leaving for bootcamp next month Sailor.

Should be an especially trying challenge considering your 8-9 weeks will be in the dog days of July and August.

[sailor_pianist]

Time flies when you have a plan, eh ?? We are all excited for ya !!

Cheers,
PISTOL


Chief, my biggest concern is being able to keep up with the 18 and 19 year-olds. I feel so old when I'm running with them at our DEP meetings and sometimes I can barely keep up!

[Retired Navy Chief]

Chief, my biggest concern is being able to keep up with the 18 and 19 year-olds. I feel so old when I'm running with them at our DEP meetings and sometimes I can barely keep up!

The concern is understandable .... but you have to use that temporary disadvantage to your advantage. (stand by for the Jedi mind trick :biggrin:)

You will need to push yourself farther and work youself harder and in various ways to get yourself to exceed their level and in doing so will push them to excel as well .... you will be doing what the Navy preaches to all of us ..."Lead by example".

At 38 years old I took orders to a SEAL unit full of much younger, world-class atheletes ... and while I knew that I could never come close to keeping up with that group ... I still pushed myself to reach MY potential and that was noted by both my superiors as well as my crew.

Respect up and down the chain of command is earned that way and that is how leadership is forged.

Besides ... 24 is NOT old by any stretch of the imagination :cool:.

Cheers,
PISTOL

[LeeFJ]

[QUOTE=sailor_pianist;18129]

This wait is nothing. Wait until you're just sitting around hoping to hear if they've approved your medical waiver from your recruiter! Everything hangs on that one decision. If they disqualify you, that's it, supposedly you have no other options (my recruiter told me a disqualification applies to all branches and is final, but I've run into some discrepancies on this).

So now I am worried. My recruiter sent me to MEPS, and of coarse I got disqualified, and then started the waiver process. Am I hosed?

[Retired Navy Chief]

Depends on what your were DQ'd for .... some things just require additional medical reports. The MEPS doctor can't make more than an educated assessment of you during your short time in front of them. When you have (or had) a medical condition that requires more than a standard physical exam will show ... then they need to spend some time reading the reports to see if it's somethng that will affect you (or your shipmates) later on .... primarily out in the the middle of the big blue pond !!


Cheers,
PISTOL

[sailor_pianist]

[QUOTE=sailor_pianist;18129]

This wait is nothing. Wait until you're just sitting around hoping to hear if they've approved your medical waiver from your recruiter! Everything hangs on that one decision. If they disqualify you, that's it, supposedly you have no other options (my recruiter told me a disqualification applies to all branches and is final, but I've run into some discrepancies on this).

So now I am worried. My recruiter sent me to MEPS, and of coarse I got disqualified, and then started the waiver process. Am I hosed?


No LeeFJ, not necessarily.

The way my recruiter did my paperwork was he faxed over my medical do***ents to MEPS and I was initially disqualified. After submitting more paperwork (relating to physical activity, etc) I was allowed to go to MEPS for a physical. After the physical, I had to wait for the doctors up at Millington, TN to make a decision on my waiver based on the paperwork, the physical activity statement, and the results from the MEPS physical.

Basically:

1. If you have any underlying issues your recruiter will request that you gather your medical do***entation to submit to MEPS. This should also include a statement from your physician saying you're fit for service (it really helps).
2. Your recruiter should have submitted this paperwork to MEPS. MEPS may or may not disqualify you (although I hear that more often than not they will disqualify you). This is when you start the waiver process.
3. You submit do***entation showing how physically active you are (I submitted my workout schedule and my college classes showing intensive cardio and fat-burning classes I'd taken), and you will also submit a statement on your physical routine (from what my recruiter told me, this holds a lot of weight when making the decision to grant you the waiver). Also, MEPS may request any current medication you're taking. It's best if you're not taking ANY.
4. Your recruiter will submit these do***ents to MEPS and if they think you have a chance at getting the waiver, you'll be allowed to have a physical (I think this is where you are in the process Lee, so your chances look pretty good).
5. After about a month of waiting, you'll get the final result on whether your waiver has been approved.

My recruiter said they look at a plethora of things other than your current physical state when deciding on whether to grant a waiver. For example he said my ASVAB score (95) probably had something to do with me getting the waiver. I honestly believe him because when I was talking to an Army recruiter, he said that with my ASVAB score he could get me a medical waiver very quickly as well.

Also, when I was at MEPS, the medical doctor said who examined me asked why I needed a waiver. When I told him what my problem was (a congenital heart defect that was corrected by surgery when I was born), he said that I should be granted a waiver and he was right. If the doctor at MEPS told you anything referring to the waiver I would heed his advice.

EDIT: Actually Lee, from what I gather from your other posts it looks like you were temporarily disqualified because of a shoulder or arm injury. I'm not sure how temporary disqualifications/prior enlisted waivers work. It could be a completely different process for you.

[LeeFJ]

Thank you for all the great info Sailor Painlist. It seems similar in some ways, I don't know the process is very confusing. I'm waiting for my medical records from the Army, which have to be mailed from Texas, to Idaho, than to MO. It's frustrating not knowing. I know I've spammed all over the place on this site, bad etiquette on my part so I apologize. It's like what they say I think, the waiting is the hardest part.

[ABH Oldtimer]

no need to worry about boot sailor pianist. if your in any kind of shape you'll make it through just fine. you'll see when you get there. The main thing is make sure you pass them tests.