• Medical Affairs

  Frequently Asked Questions

  When will I be required to submit my PHU?

  1. You must complete and submit the PHU during your birth month period (the first day of the month preceding the month in which you were born and the last day of the month after the month in which you were born - three-month window).
  2. A small number of officers commissioned in 2022 or early 2023 will not have to do a PHU until 2024. Please check your readiness dashboard to verify.

  When will newly commissioned officers get their first PHU?

  Newly commissioned officers will get their first PHU in their birth month window that is >12 months from their accession physical exam and >6 months from their call to active duty.

  I am currently serving with the Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or the Department of Defense, can I have an annual Periodic Health Assessment (PHA) done instead of the PHU?

  No, as a Public Health Service officer you must complete and submit an annual PHU.

  Do I need to report my weight and height on my PHU?

  Your weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) recorded in your PHU on the DD-2808 “Report of Medical Examination” is your official annual weight submission. If your BMI is over 27.5 kg/m², your provider or another healthcare provider recommended by your provider must determine your estimated percent body fat by the “taping” method. Those results must be entered on a PHS 7044-1 form and returned with your PHU. Officers who have active Pregnancy Medical Waivers are not required to submit “taping.”

  If your BMI is under 19.0 kg/m² and you do not already have a weight standards waiver, your provider must provide documentation as to whether you have any medical or mental health issues contributing to your low weight. If possible, historic weights from your medical record should be included, as well. That documentation should be attached to an Active Duty/Ready Reserve Corps Medical Waiver Request form with “Weight Standards” checked.

  My provider is only offering “virtual” physicals. What should I do?

  Virtual PHUs will no longer be accepted. Medical Affairs Branch (MAB) recognizes that there may be rare circumstances when you cannot get an in-person physical. In those rare situations, you must contact MAB (PHSMACCHQ@hhs.gov) and provide documentation from your clinic. If MAB grants you permission to get a virtual PHU, you will receive a form from MAB which must be completed and signed by you. This form must be scanned or merged with your other PHU forms as Page 1 of your PHU PDF file. Waiting until the last four weeks of your birth month period to begin the appointment scheduling process will not be considered a justification for a virtual PHU.

  What is the behavioral health survey? Why is it included in the PHU?

  The Behavioral Health Survey (PHS-7083) contains four screening surveys that can help identify signs of possible alcohol abuse, depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Similar surveys are being used by the military services.

  The Behavioral Health Survey serves two important purposes: (1) The survey can start a conversation with your provider about your mental well-being and (2) The survey provides a baseline survey for comparison with future post-deployment surveys.  

  What form is required to document my dental examination?

  The DD-2813, “DoD Active Duty/Reserve/Guard/Civilian Forces Dental Examination.”

  Can I submit my dental examination on the PHS-6355?

   If you already have a record of your dental examination on a PHS-6355 form, you can submit that form. All new dental exams must be written on the DD-2813 form.

  Do I have to get my dental examination during the birth month period?

  That would be ideal, but MAB will accept a dental examination done up to twelve months prior to your birth month.

  What is the PHU Submission Checklist?

  The PHU Submission Checklist is a form that allows you to document what you are submitting in your PHU package. It will help you to ensure that all required documents are included.

  What do I need to do prior to seeing my provider and what do I need to bring to my appointment?

  Complete the DD-2807-1, “Report of Medical History”. Also, complete the PHS-7083, “Behavioral Health Survey” as close to your medical appointment as possible. Print both documents as well as a DD-2808, “Report of Medical Examination,” and “PHU Instructions for Healthcare providers.” At the time of your appointment, give all four documents to your provider. All documents needed for your PHU are in a single PDF Portfolio file named PHU Appointment Documents under Forms/Medical on the CCMIS website.

  What testing is required?

  You should get health screening examinations (e.g. cervical, breast, colorectal cancer screening) as recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The only mandatory tests are your vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, etc.), weight/height, and, if necessary, “taping” to determine estimated percent body fat. The comprehensiveness of your PHU and additional testing is at the recommendations of your provider, however your provider should follow up on your current active health conditions or risks as clinically indicated. MAB expects to see in the PHU submission, your latest laboratory studies or other tests documenting the status of your chronic conditions that are being actively treated. Examples include:

  Condition	Submission
  Elevated Cholesterol	Lipid panel
  Hypothyroidism	Thyroid Function Tests
  Chronic Anemia	Complete Blood Count
  HIV	Viral levels and CD4 counts
  Diabetes	Hemoglobin A1C level
  Chronic Hepatitis	Viral levels and Liver Function Tests

  These tests do NOT need to be done at the time of your PHU. The last test that you had during the previous year, is acceptable.

  Do I have to complete required USPSTF recommended screening during my birth month period? What if the result will not be available until after my PHU is due?

  You should be on a regular schedule for your screenings based on the recommendations of USPSTF and your provider. Remain on that schedule and do not delay screening or get screening too early just to align with your PHU. When submitting your PHU, please include the report(s) of your last completed screening test(s).

  If test results are not available until after your PHU is due, submit your PHU on time. When the test results are available upload the documentation in a single PDF through eDOC-U using the document name, Medical Records. MAB reviews all documents submitted by officers.

  Has the retirement physical examination changed as well?

   Retirement physical examinations are strongly recommended, but they are not mandatory. Their use is to document the status of all health conditions that you may have developed while in service. As such, if you are going for a retirement examination, ask your provider to complete a PHU with a more comprehensive physical examination. Retirement physicals are uploaded through eDOC-U using the document name, “Periodic Health Update.” Be certain to check that you are submitting a retirement physical on the 2023 PHU Submission Checklist.

  How do I submit my PHU?

  All components of the PHU (Medical History, Physical Examination, Behavioral Health Survey, Dental Examination, Additional testing, Disclosure form, and 2023 PHU Submission Checklist) must be scanned into a single PDF file and uploaded through the medical section of eDOC-U using the document name, “Periodic Health Update.” If your upload is rejected, consider scanning your documents at a lower resolution (200 dpi) to decrease the file size. If you are merging your documents with a PDF application, please do not use the “Portfolio” merge function.

  I cannot open the DD-2808 or the DD-2813. What should I do?

  The links for these forms go directly to the Department of Defense forms site. For some reason, they often do not open properly. Please try the following:

  • Right click the link and select “Save link as.” Save the link to your desktop or another folder on your computer. Attempt to open the link from there.
  • If that does not work, open the link that you downloaded. If the Adobe message is still appearing, move your mouse to the right of the message and identify the download icon. Download the document (yes, you cannot see the document, yet) to a folder. Open the document after downloading. This usually works.
  • If you are still having trouble, open your PDF viewing application, select file/open and find the file that you downloaded and select it.
  • All forms needed for your visit are in a PDF portfolio file, “PHU Appointment Documents.” The DD-2808 and DD-2813 often can be opened from this file.

  When I open the PHS-7083, “Behavioral Health Survey” from the website and try to complete it, my responses are not saved. What should I do?

  You must download the form to your computer before you complete the survey. Your responses will then be saved.

  Who can complete my PHU?

  The dental portion of the PHU should be completed by your regular dentist. The other sections of the PHU should be completed by one of your regular healthcare providers. It is critical that the provider that completes the PHU have access to your medical records to verify your medical history. That provider must also be able to follow up any health conditions that are identified in the PHU.

  Your PHU cannot be completed by a colleague in a clinic where you work unless that clinic is where you have been authorized by TRICARE/DHA to get your routine care. Your PHU should not be completed by a walk-in clinic or an urgent care center. If you are PCS’ing or have recently PCS’ed, it is your responsibility to obtain your records from your previous providers and give them to your new providers. In these circumstances, you must be proactive in arranging for completion of your PHU on time.

  My provider won't schedule a PHU because it has been less than a year since my previous exam.

  An MTF should schedule your PHU accordingly. If you are using a non-MTF provider, you can bring them a copy of the PHU letter to providers regarding reimbursement. The letter informs providers of the active duty service requirement and that TRICARE will cover the annual exam.

  Last Updated: 1/10/2024

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