No Medical? No camp. No Refund.

[Gunny2862]

We had to do this this year, no form = no ride.

In the past we could run them out to town and pay $30 and get it turned around in about 1/2 a day but the camp no longer allows that, late check-in fine, bad check-in go home.

[Papadaddy]

SWMBO is a school nurse, and the rules are the same. No shots or physical, no school, no excuses. You'd be amazed at the parents who think they are special and she should give them a break..."we were in Europe", "they were at their Dad's all summer", "we have Tricare and I can't get an appointment until November 10th"...yada yada yada. No form, no school. That's the law. She can lose her job and nursing license if she doesn't enforce it. Unfair? Too bad.

[5scouthouse]

Scout physicals drive me crazy as a parent. We have to get the physicals every spring or summer for fall sports and Scout camp. The problem is that our insurance wouldn't pay anything unless the physical was at least a year later than the previous one. Getting an appointment usually meant that the date of the physical was moved a week or two later every year. Last year, we couldn't get the physical until just days before summer camp. Our troop doesn't mind as long as they know we'll be bringing the completed form during check-in. We went ahead and made the appointment for this year and it happens to fall DURING THE WEEK OF SUMMER CAMP! That was enough of a problem, but then my husband lost his job (our only income). We have the ability to move the appointment to an earlier time since we don't have any insurance now dictating the date, but now we need to come up with the money. Please try to give parents a little leeway. I'm usually very organized about things like this, but unexpected things can sometimes make it harder.

[Tampa Turtle]

During the H1N1 scare the flu hit several camp populations hard. The CDC actually has an after-action report on what happened--I do not think camps are going to more lenient. If you are playing football at a public school they aren't going to "spot you" a physical--ya gotta have it. It puts the adult leaders in a pretty bad situation. Furthermore more and more camps seem to want National Accreditation Standards and all that entails. Let a boy in without a completed health form--I do not think so.

 

I agree on the "anniversary creep" problem--I had to have mine a month early and it messed all sorts of things up. But it was the price of going.

[Callooh! Callay!1428010939]

Dear Parent,

The troop must make reservations and commit funds for summer camp by date X.

Between now and that date, your son can secure his spot at summer camp by turning in his completed medical form and a fee of $X. We won't accept any payments or make any reservations for boys whose med forms are not up to date.

 

Is that reasonable?

 

 

[RememberSchiff]

That is the quandary. The BSA and ACA (American Camp Association) requires a physical exam (health evaluation) no more than a year before camp while many health insurers will only pay for a physical exam no more frequently than one year (two years for me ). I have heard rumors that the ACA might tighten requirements to 6 months particularly for those with asthma and other existing conditions. There is your pediatrician's schedule. There is the camp's schedule, i.e., they need the forms 2 or 4 weeks in advance to review medical histories and develop any health management plans. And around here, if your son does fall school sports, the physical exam must be after June for the coming fall. Good luck trying to schedule a June physical even 3 or 6 months prior.

 

Some scout parents opt for a drop-in clinic at $75 or more. Recently, a couple of parents have asked if money from their Scout's account (Scoutbucks) can pay for a physical exam. No answer yet, but I cannot see an objection. Other parents throw up their hands and say no can do, their scout does not go to camp. This maybe a contributing factor to flat summer camp attendance and fewer returning campers.

 

My $0.01(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

[boomerscout]

"Please try to give parents a little leeway. I'm usually very organized about things like this, but unexpected things can sometimes make it harder"

 

Depending on where you live, having the physical before camp starts may be a state law and not just a camp ruling

[Lisabob]

One way I've found to deal with the 1-year insurance window:

 

Suppose you get your physical in mid-June 2012.

 

3 or 4 months later, ask the Dr's office to fill out another copy of the form, based on the previous physical. If you don't have major health issues, many Drs will do this for free, no hassles. They'll date the new form on the day they fill it out again.

 

Now your paperwork is good for a year and 3 or 4 months from the original physical - through September or October 2013.

 

When your insurance kicks back in you can schedule a new physical without the hair-pulling frenzy because summer camp in 2012 AND 2013 is covered by the extra 3 or 4 months the second form got you. And now you have some leeway to set your annual (covered) physical in a month other than June going forward, so that you don't have to worry as much about whether your troop is going to camp early/late this year, or whether your Dr's office is really busy the week before you go to camp.

 

 

 

 

[RememberSchiff]

That workaround faded after one summer here. It became so popular that the volume of paperwork for doctor offices soon led to service fees (in our case first $5 then $10, not bad). But word got around and their legal advisers ixnayed the altering of the physical exam date to a date when no appointment was made and hence no exam conducted. Fraud?

 

Glad to hear this workaround works elsewhere, but I think one or more groups need to flex here, otherwise all the kids will be allowed to do in summer is "safely" play Xbox .

 

Another $0.01

[moosetracker]

Our camp always looked at the date of the last examination. Not at the date the Dr filled out the paperwork.

 

Luckily when I did health forms kids and younger adults had a 2 year window their health forms were good for, it was only the over 40 adults that needed a yearly physical.. That was tough enough.. So glad I never had to do it when everyone became an annual physical.

[RichardB]

http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/HealthandSafety/ahmr.aspx

 

Has lots of info including FAQ's that maybe, just maybe ask and answer several of the issues discribed in this thread. And also point out some practices you should not be doing.

 

What my question is - why do you have to have a date related to camp that drives part c completion "if" you are year round camping?

 

I know of only one camp that has a 90 day before camp requirement, and although there are a few quirky local, state camp statues why wait and be set up to fail a youth?

 

Is camp the time to review validity? Of course, but why don't your folks just update them every time the see a doc?

 

Is it because they never see a doc?

 

 

[moosetracker]

With a healthy kid (or adult), the routine physical may be the only time they do see a doctor.. Now with health Insurance becoming poorer and poorer, a person who should maybe see a doctor more often, no longer does..

 

Part C is not needed for anything not lasting longer then 72 hours.. So with most troops they use part C as long as valid, but only need it updated for Summer camp as their other outdoor activities are over a weekend, and it is not needed..

 

Of course we pretty much pushed for the update of health forms all year long. As stated, I did it when it was only required every 2 years for most.. In the Fall I would look up who would not pass for next summers Camp, and I would start in right in the Fall, to get parents to update them..

 

This FAQ will be helpful to some..

Q. What is meant by Annual and valid for 12 calendar months?

A. If you completed your record on March 9, 2012, it will be valid through March 31, 2013, but you must complete a new Annual Health and Medical Record by April 1, 2013. Please note that the next national Scout jamboree in 2013 will have a specific window when the record must be submitted

 

It would have helped me this year when I was on WB staff. I had my physical for last years WB staff on a date that was in-between the first weekend and the last weekend.. So I had to pay out of pocket for a new exam, had I known the old one was good through to the end of the month, then the old physical would have worked just fine.. I believe our Course Director had the same problem, as he turned in a physical that he said, "I know it will take me only half way through the course, I have an apptment just after the this lapses and will get you a new form for the 2nd half of the course."

[Lisabob]

RichardB, do you have kids at home these days? If so, are you the one who takes them for their annual camp physicals? I'm guessing you don't, based on your questions. Three responses:

 

1. The "end of the month" thing might be ok with BSA, but not with some state laws about camps, or with some camps regardless of state law. The camp our troop attended this year was one. They would not accept a physical that "expired" mid-week (which was also mid-month). Since the troop went to camp about a month earlier than usual, there were lots of folks with mid-week/mid-June expiration dates, who all were required to get their forms re-done before camp, or else not go. The camp said this was part of state law regulating youth camps. Maybe the camp was being overzealous in their interpretation, but arguing with them about it wasn't going to get us in the gate.

 

2. While many Drs WILL fill out a form with a new date based on a physical within the last calendar year, many of those same Drs WILL NOT fill it out based on a routine check up. Don't ask, I've been told it is something to do with billing. And anyway, as Moosetracker said, if you have a healthy teenager, they may have no need to see the Dr in between physicals (immunizations aren't frequent for teens). Since most of us have to pay a hefty co-pay every time we walk in the Dr's door, most folks aren't interested in a frivolous visit just to say hello.

 

3. Some of this is "if I knew then what I know now" stuff. For example - the first time my son needed a class C med form for BSA camp was the year he crossed over. Cross-over was in March. We didn't know about camp, let alone whether he was going and what forms he needed, until about May. By the time he got his physical it was June.

 

OK so that puts us on a June physical schedule from here to the end of time, assuming he needs one annually, and assuming we don't want to drop $100 or more to have an extra physical just for paperwork reasons that our insurance won't cover.

 

Keep in mind, I'm talking about a healthy teen who does not need any updates on his immunizations at this point in time. Argh.

 

[moosetracker]

All our immunizations came on the yearly physical.. Dr. looked over what needed updating, shot was given.. See you in 2 years.. (remember my son was before the yearly requirement..)

 

I had good insurance then.. Wish I had a hefty co-pay for non-routine things.. My health insurance is now something where routine is covered, and anything that is not routine, I pay the full price until I have spent at least 2,500 of my own money, then health insurance kicks in to help with stuff after that amount..

 

Therefore, it needs to be emergency surgery to get us to a Doctor.. Routine, or non-routine.. Don't need Routine check-up to figure out things we need to do that are not going to be routine.

[Scoutfish]

Everybody should check with their provider about yearly "prevention physicals"

 

My insurance will pay 100% for an annual physical.

 

No, they aren't being nice, they are trying to catch an illness/ issue while it is only $100.00 and keep if from becoming a $1,000.00 illness/issue.