Maintain Copies Of Your Medical Records

Medical Conditions Normally Waiverable

August 14th, 2008

Part two of the what will and what won’t keep you out of the United States Navy medically (provided in the cases listed a waiver is granted). Part one discussed conditions that normally would not qualify for a waiver – this installment discusses the conditions in which a waiver may be granted.

If you appear to be, in all other respects, qualified for enlistment but reveal a history of one or more of the following common conditions you must be advised that the treatment records or a written summary from your private or attending physician will be of value to the examining Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) physician during the pre-enlistment physical examination and may reduce the possibility of temporary medical disqualification.

If you are considering a future in the armed forces there is no time like the present to start gathering the records of your medical past. The medical records will be sent to the MEPS in advance for a medical review so having them ready will save you a ton of time. Having the records may also preclude you from having to attend outsourced consultations which could ultimately delay even further your enlistment.

Please keep in mind this list is not all-inclusive.

Medical conditions which are normally considered waiverable (information consolidated from MEPCOM and COMNAVCRUITCOM Instructions);

History of Ophthalmologic Disorders such as excessive refractive error: +/- 8.00 diopters sphere, +/- 4.00 diopters cylinder. LASIK and PRK surgery to include preoperative refractive measurements. Note: PRK, LASEK, and LASIK are disqualifying if:

pre-surgery refractive error was greater than +-8 diopters
less than 6 months have passed since surgery
you still need medications or treatment stemming from the surgery
your eyes have not stabilized
you have not had an eye exam measuring refraction at least 3 months after the surgery
you have keratitis
you have corneal vascularization or opacification that puts your vision below enlistment standards
you have uveitis or iridocyclitis

History of Respiratory disorders such as childhood Asthma, Reactive Airway Disease or Exercise-Induced Asthma, pneumothorax (traumatic or spontaneous).

Asthma waivers are generally granted if within the past 3 years ALL of the following criteria are met;

No use of controller or rescue medications (including, but not limited to inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene receptor antagonists, or short-acting beta agonists).
No exacerbations requiring acute medical treatment.
No use of oral steroids.
A current normal spirometry (within the past 90 days), performed in accordance with American Thoracic Society (ATS) guidelines and as defined by current National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) standards. (If approved for further processing, the MEPS will schedule and pay for any required testing/consults)

History of Orthopedic surgery or injury (ORIF, retained hardware, ACL or Arthroscopic, Bankhart repair, bunionectomy).

History of Gynecological disorders such as Endometriosis, Cervical Dysplasia, or abnormal PAP smear.

History of Cardiovascular disorders such as repaired congenital heart malformation or conductive disorder (WPW) treatment.

History of Abdominal/Gastrointestinal disorders such as Hernia repair (must be 60 days postoperative with release from care statement), GERD, hemorrhoids.

History of Neurological disorders such as back pain, surgery or asymptomatic mild Scoliosis, sleepwalking, childhood epilepsy, concussion.

History of Urinary disorders such as kidney stones, proteinuria, or childhood enuresis.

History of Psychiatric disorders such as mood, personality, conduct, or behavior disorder. History of ADD/ADHD with medication use. (Must provide medical treatment records/ transcripts regarding work or school performance after discontinuation of medication. Applicant must have been off medication for one year).

History of Dermatological disorders such as mild skin disorders (i.e., acne, pilonidal cyst, contact dermatitis, urticaria, and warts).

Hearing. Pure tone hearing loss at 500, 1000, 2000 Hz of not more than 30 db on average with no individual level greater than 35 db at these frequencies in either ear. Pure tone hearing loss at 3000 Hz of not more than 45 db and 4000 Hz not more than 55 db in either ear.

A note to everyone: The advice and prognostications I deliver in the comments and via email are based on my experiences, and only take into account the information you provide. I do not have the benefit of the “whole person.” So, please see a Recruiter, no matter what, and have your documentation sent to MEPS for a definitive review. I am not answering for the Navy!
Although rare, I have been known to be wrrree, wrea, wrong

Read Comments (575)

575 Responses to “Medical Conditions Normally Waiverable”

jessika says:

January 23, 2012 at 3:26 pm

Hey NavyDoc,
I have mild scoliosis. It does not effect me in any way possibe but will I be automatically disqualified at MEPS? Thank you.
Navydoc says:

January 24, 2012 at 4:52 am

Jessika,
Scoliosis must be less than 30 degrees in both the thoracic and lumbar spine, when measured by the Cobb method, to qualify. Higher than that will DQ you and not be waived.
ED says:

January 24, 2012 at 12:55 pm

Hey Doc,

I was recently cleared by my VA Cardiologist stating that I have no physical limitations and even have it on a VA document signed and dated by her. I am a prior service Army Medic that had mitral valve replaced and not on disability or SSI or TDRL. What is the outlook of joining the navy reserves.
Navydoc says:

January 24, 2012 at 1:49 pm

ED,
Waiver for a prosthetic mitral valve is unlikely.
jessika says:

January 24, 2012 at 8:28 pm

Thank you! My scoliosis is <15, that means that I'll be able to be in U.S. military? Is it posible to be disqualified?
Navydoc says:

January 25, 2012 at 4:48 am

Jessika,
Scoliosis less than 30 degrees is not disqualifying.
Sotokid says:

January 31, 2012 at 7:02 pm

Hey i just finished my physical and by blood pressure came out a little high! Can that disqualify me from joining? Is it possible to get a waiver for it??
Navydoc says:

February 1, 2012 at 5:42 am

Sotokid,
If your blood pressure remains high (above 140/90) you will be DQ with no waiver authorized.
Christine says:

February 2, 2012 at 9:02 am

My son had shoulder surgery at 15 yrs old. He was just disqualified before going to MEPS because of the wording on the medical records. He is devastated. Had the dr not stated that it was reoccuring he would have made it through. It was reoccurring before the surgery. That was the purpose of the surgery.
Navydoc says:

February 2, 2012 at 11:00 am

Christine,
That is correct, a history of shoulder instability or dislocations, as well as surgery to correct those (commonly called Bankart repair, SLAP repair, or capsulorrhaphy) are PDQ for all services. Generally the Marines and Coast Guard will not waive this particular disqualification, but the other services will. If your son is joining the Navy, AF, Army or National Guard, he has a good chance of getting a waiver.
sparklez33 says:

February 2, 2012 at 10:48 pm

Hello Navy Doc,

My husband had plans to join the Navy last year but was delayed due to a back injury that happened at work. He had no history of back pain, surgeries or any injuries to his back before this incident. His job concluded that he had a bulging/herniated disk with sciatica due to the bending and lifting that was a required part of his job. He has since then completed all required physical therapy that was asked of and has since cleared to return to work with no limitations. Does his back injury qualify as a DQ even though it wasn’t a pre-existing condition? And if he can get a medical waiver for what is the likelihood of them approving it. Thank you for your time.
Navydoc says:

February 3, 2012 at 8:58 am

sparklez33,
Yes, your husband’s condition will DQ him. Waiver is possible after a good 6-12 months of pain-free normal activities. How likely the waiver is to be granted depends on the length of time since recovery.
sparklez33 says:

February 3, 2012 at 10:56 am

Thanks Navy Doc for your reply. Just one mre thing. I was doing some research last night and I found this:

(g). Current herniated nucleus pulposus (722) or history of surgery to correct (CPT 63001-63200). A surgically corrected asymptomatic single-level lumbar or thracic diskectomy with full resumption of unrestricted activity DOES meet the standard.

What exactly does this mean? Does it mean only if you had surgery to correct the problem you would qualify? It was a PDF file of the standards to serve in the military that was revised September of 2011. Thank you again for your help and clarification.
Navydoc says:

February 3, 2012 at 1:50 pm

sparklez33,
That is correct, if your husband had surgery to correct the herniation (and assuming he recovered fully and the 12 month waiting period had passed) he would not require a waiver. However, given the facts as you stated, having gone through only conservative treatment, he is PDQ and will require waiver.
jessika says:

February 3, 2012 at 2:11 pm

hey navydoc, it’s me again. Thank you for your reply, I am relieved. But, why are the recruiters questioning about me qualifying just by having scoliosis?
sswartz says:

February 5, 2012 at 8:44 pm

Hello,
My son is waiting to hear back from BUMED. He wants to join the Marine Corps. He is currently a PO1(and his division LPO and is awaiting approval of his CPO promotion) with the USNSCC(Naval Sea Cadets) He has had some knee problems in the past (has had no treatment, drugs, etc for over 2 years) His right knee was injured in PeeWee football. He had mulitple surgeries over the course of a few years, due to football. He finally gave it up his freshman year of high school since he wanted to join the military and his ortho (who is former military and a well known NFL ortho surgeon) advised that if he wanted any chance of a military career he needed to give up football and spend the time getting his joint stable and the quad strong. He took the advise, and along with Sea Cadets he is in a military program in his high school. He passes all PT test, can do a 10 mile hike with a 40lb pack and has no issues. Since we live in KY, the runs he does always involve hills and or uneven pavement/stones and he never has an issue. He does not take so much as a tylenol. MEPS initially DQ’d him, which was expected and his file just went to BUMED last week.
He just had an ortho consult and everything was clear. He is concerned that BUMED will DQ him..
How long does BUMED really take, his recruiter said 3-6 months (really???)
He has participated in some rigorous Advanced Trainings with the Sea Cadets in the last 2 years with no problems.
Do you think he has a chance at a waiver based on his current status and ability rather than the number of surgeries?
Nick says:

February 5, 2012 at 9:44 pm

So no way at all can I get a Waiver for one Kidney? What is the reason for not being able to get a waiver for a kidney?
Navydoc says:

February 6, 2012 at 4:54 am

Nick,
Waivers for single kidneys are not authorized. Because of the high risk of abdominal trauma (whether gunshot, blast or blunt) in combat, loss of a kidney is not an unusual injury, and when you only have a single kidney to start with, if you lose it, you die. It is not considered an acceptable risk.
Navydoc says:

February 6, 2012 at 4:55 am

sswartz,
I usually get responses from BUMED in about 6-8 weeks. If your son has not heard by then, have him contact his recruiter.
JoJo says:

February 6, 2012 at 11:41 am

hello, i recently went to MEPS and was told to go back for two consults. One is for my eyes since i have stigmatism (i wear glasses). The second one is for my knee (tore acl in 2003 & had surgery that same year). My doctor released me and since then it has been fine. I run and play sports with no trouble at all (excersise on it regularly). I was wondering if i will have any trouble in joining the navy for being asked to go back for consults. Will i have trouble in obtaining the waivers i need to join the navy? thanks!
Patrick says:

February 6, 2012 at 12:20 pm

Hey Doc,
About 3 years ago I had mild back surgery from playing hockey. They did orthopedic surgery and had to cut the herniated disc to release fluids and to relieve the pressure. With that said, will I be disqualified? I still play hockey and do other physical activities. I know someone who is in the navy reserves and he said it shouldn’t be a problem.
Navydoc says:

February 7, 2012 at 4:53 am

Patrick,
It depends on what your “mild back surgery” was. A single level thoracic or lumbar microdiskectomy can meet the standard after 12 months and full recovery. Any instrumentation, fusion or multiple levels is DQ and unlikely to get waived.
Patrick says:

February 7, 2012 at 9:12 am

Yeah, I have no rods or anything metal in my back. I just don’t if i even should get a waiver?
JoJo says:

February 7, 2012 at 11:41 am

NavyDoc,
my question was not answered…..
Patrick says:

February 8, 2012 at 2:32 am

Well I have no fusion and what do you mean multiple Levels?

Maintain Copies Of Your Medical Records

Medical Conditions Normally Waiverable

August 14th, 2008

575 Responses to “Medical Conditions Normally Waiverable”

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