Waivers

1. Waivers Overview
2. Types of Waivers (Medical and Non-Medical)
3. Applying for a Medical/Non-Medical Waiver
4. Disclaimer

Waivers Overview

Officers can be exempted from a particular basic readiness requirement only if they follow the proper procedures for submitting and receiving an official waiver. Waivers are issued for specific requirements. Blanket waivers are not issued, and officers must still meet all other non-exempted requirements. Waivers can be issued for both medical and non-medical reasons. Officers may apply for a waiver/exemption only when they are unable to meet the requirements due to a medical condition or because of an extreme hardship/deployment/international assignment.

Waivers are not automatic, even if Medical Affairs or RDB is aware of the medical condition and/or deployment, officers must formally apply and get an official approval from Medical Affairs and/or RDB. Officers will be held accountable for meeting all Basic Readiness requirements unless a waiver/exemption is officially granted.

Types of Waivers (Medical and Non-Medical)

There are two types of Waivers that an officer can request:

1. Medical Waiver from Medical Affairs Branch

If a medical condition prohibits an officer from meeting one of the 7 basic readiness requirements (e.g., APFT, BLS), the officer must apply for and obtain approval for the medical waiver to be exempt prior to the official Basic Readiness check.

Officers may apply for a waiver/exemption only when they are unable to meet one of the seven basic readiness requirements due to a medical condition. Medical waivers are specific to the basic readiness requirement; officers must still meet the remaining basic readiness requirements.

APFT Related Medical Waivers. Similarly, if a medical condition prohibits an officer from completing the APFT, the officer will need to obtain an exercise-specific medical waiver. That is, a medical waiver may be obtained for the individual exercise(s) that cannot be completed due to medical limitations. If the officer completes a medical waiver for a specific component of the APFT, the officer will still be required to perform the other components. For example, an officer may be unable to complete pushups because of an injury but can still complete the cardio and sit‐up portions of the APFT. In this case, the waiver would exempt the officer from having to do the push-ups portion of the fitness test. An approved medical waiver must be obtained for each exercise category of the APFT. For more information on APFT related Medical Waivers please visit the CCMIS APFT FAQs site.

1. Non-Medical Waivers (e.g., Deployment/International Assignment)

An officer may qualify for a 90-day exemption by RDB if currently on or was on deployment status during the quarter when the specific readiness requirement was due. Additionally, officers on an international assignment or special circumstances (non-medical related) can request a waiver from RDB.

In case of international assignments, officers may request a BLS or APFT waiver for 90-days past the officer’s return to CONUS.

Applying for a Medical/Non-Medical Waiver

Medical Waivers Instructions

1. Officer will need contact Medical Affairs to obtain a condition specific waiver.  The officer must first receive documentation from the officer’s medical care provider and answer these following questions:

• What are your specific disabling medical diagnoses, condition(s) or disabling symptoms?
• What is your present management of these conditions or symptoms, to include diagnostic and/or treatment plan(s)?
• How does the condition(s) prohibit you from completing readiness requirements including deployments?
• What is the prognosis for your condition(s)/symptoms (if known), permanent or temporary?
• When should the waiver expire or when is the next reevaluation date?

2. Medical waiver requests should be submitted on the Active Duty and Reserve Corps Medical Waiver Request form (312kb, pdf) with the required medical documentation from your provider(s)

Questions related to Medical Waivers should be sent to Medical Affairs at: PHSMACCHQ@hhs.gov. In addition, contact information or additional information can be viewed on CCMIS Medical Affairs site.

Non-Medical Waivers Instructions

Request for non-medical waivers (e.g., deployment, international assignment) should be emailed to PHSReadiness@hhs.gov.

Disclaimer

The HSPAC Readiness Subcommittee will make every effort to ensure the information on this site remains current. If you notice incorrect or outdated information, please send the HSPAC Readiness Chair an email. Officers, not the HSPAC Readiness Subcommittee, are responsible for checking the Readiness website to ensure they are using the most current information. Officers are strongly encouraged to frequently review RDB’s “Readiness, Down-to-Basics Document” for a current listing of all Basic Readiness requirements and detailed instructions for successfully completing each requisite for Basic Readiness.