I need some help form any military or knowledgeable people about the MEPS process.
I need to know if they'll find my private civilian records or anything like that.
>I've taken an anti-depressant (Duloxetine) in the past 6 mos. Have seen a therapist also.
>Taken ADD medicine from about 7th-10th grade.
Will they find the duloxetine in my system or can they see that i've been to a psychiatrist?
My recruiter through clever word play tried to tell me it'll be fine and that HIPAA protects me so that whatever I don't tell them, they don't know. I'm not so sure. Is it true?
I was on reddit trying to find an answer to this question. I found one about a guy who took ADD medicine years before enlisting then 2 weeks into basic he got called into a lieutenants office at medical and they kicked him out.
I did tell my recruiter. I was prescribed them by my psychiatrist. After I told me recruiter he told me since i'm tapering off them and i'll be fine in a month to not tell meps about it. But I'm still worried. Advice?
>>18522705
HIPAA (the Federal health care privacy law) applies to DOD but there are many exceptions to HIPAA. If the individual collecting the records is a member of the health care team (usually a corpsman in the Navy) and their job requires access to your record (such as if they are responsible for assembling your record for the physician to review - or entering your information into a computer) they fall under the "healthcare operations" exemption to HIPAA and will have access to your record. In general, anyone involved in providing you health care, including physical exams, will have access to your health records.
here is an article from a retired Air Force JAG with some specific information on HIPAA and DOD.
http://www.americanbar.org/newslett...ine_home/gp_solo_magazine_index/hipaamil.html
Generally they don't check your civilian medical records. They will try to get you to self-confess to any issues.
They will create a new medical record record for you from scratch. I believe you will be blood tested though.
>>18522723
I've seen that before but didn't quite understand it. So does that mean when I got MEPS and they do my physical exam they'll have access to my civilian records?
>>18522729
They literally can't check your records. They aren't doctors, and don't assist the doctors in any capacity. That said, if you outright lie on your admission, and a doctor can prove that you knowingly lied later, it can potentially bite you in the ass. I doubt it would in this instance, though. But if you lie, saying you are fit as a fiddle, and actually have a torn ACL, and tried to hide it so that the military would cover the surgery, you can bet your ass that shit will come back to bite you.
>>18522742
Not unless they are doctors or assist doctors regularly. See: >>18522745
>>18522745
>>18522748
All right thanks for the advice. I have tons of potentially disqualifying things about my medicine and add on my records but if you're 100% sure they can't find out then thanks.
>>18522757
If a doctor can't prove that said issues weren't fixed by the time you went did MEPS, you're in the clear. That said, if you have shit in your blood, they ARE gonna catch that. Depending on how long you've been on the medicine, you should give yourself a full month off the meds to let your body clear it out. Also, drink a shit ton of cranberry juice during that month, just to be sure.
>>18522705
Bump. Any more advice from anyone?