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waitin on meps

Gnar

New Member
Just got my waiver paper work for my past depression. The flight surgeon told me to go see a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist and get diagnosed for adjustment disorder. He said this would be easier to get waived for. I met with a clinical doc and he informed me that he wanted me to take the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) next week. The clinical doc told me that he has seen a few guys with a similar dilemma (e.g., police officer, and military) and said the MMPI would be a good indicator that my mental health is good to go. The cost of this test is $400.00 and takes 1.5 hrs to complete. I love the extra added expense on top of the 4 grand for my PRK.

I will let you know how my waiver works out. Good luck man.
 

The Renegade

LT, SC, USN
Well, my recruiter finally heard from Meps and the word is that I am me medically not qualified for the officer program because they need more information for two things. One is my eyes which I have to get a thorough eye exam to establish whether or no they are correctable to 20/20. The other part has to do with the depression. It seems I need a psychiatric evaluation saying that I am fit to serve in the military. My recruiter told me that he would be happy to keep pushing things through but he did tell me though that he feels that even with the eval its probably going going to get rolled just because of what is written in my record about dysthemia and major depression. I know their are guys on Air Warriors who have had issues with major depression and are now serving. Did you guys this same sort of talking to when you applied for waivers. Also did you guys have to get pysche evals as well?

Cgoetz,
I work at a MEPS and your problem is not unusual. Firstly, let me tell you DO NOT… let me repeat, DO NOT go out and get your own medical consults, you will only be wasting your money. If you were PDQ’d during your MEPS physical, then your recruiter or liaison office will have to request for an 00M waiver (this use to be called BUMED waivers until they told us to not call it BUMED and start calling them 00M waivers, for what reason I have no idea). 00M may come back and say “disapproved, no further processing warranted”, in other words… your screwed. Or, they may come back and say “resubmit with Ophthalmology and Psychiatric consult”.

I have seen them come back and say for the member to get the consult done, then resubmit but that is rare and only if the condition was recently dealt with by a family doctor. People get in with your conditions… OPTO consults are normal… psych consults, not so much (we call them crazy tests, no offence). Depending on how long you were depressed and how heavily medicated you were, the Navy might not have a problem with it.

However, keep in mind that we are getting a lot of applications in for people to join the Navy, both on the E side and O side. So I’ve seen a lot of disapprovals come back in the recent months because we have a larger pool applicants with no medical problems, just my opinion. I work at a MEPS, so I can address many of your concerns… just let me know if you have any further questions.
 

Makk85

604KTS
pilot
cgoetz, I just applied for my history of depression waiver too and am waiting on the results. From what my OR is saying it is possible to get a waiver as long as it has been over 6 months and they don't feel it will be a problem when you're under stress. He does not think it will be an issue at all, we just have to go through the process. From what other people are saying on here there are more variables like the ever changing needs of the navy and what not, but don't give up just because it looks grim. Go through the motions and see what happens, the military will pay for any testing you need in the process.
 

cgoetz

Member
To The Renegade, who should I get my consult from? I have already through the Meps physical and the results just came back last week and my recruiter said they want me to go to my physician/pschiatrist and get a psychiatric evaluation. They said the same thing for the optometry stuff. Right know I'm trying to get a referral from my doctor to get the eval done. I'm guessing you must have thought that I hadn't gone through the Meps yet.
 

The Renegade

LT, SC, USN
To The Renegade, who should I get my consult from the? I have already through the Meps physical and the results just came back last week and my recruiter said they want me to go to my physician/pschiatrist and get a pschiatric evaluation. They said the same thing for the optometry stuff. Right know I'm trying to get a referral from my doctor to get the eval done. I'm guessing you must have thought that I hadn't gone through the Meps yet.

Normally, the Navy pays for your consults. But like I said before, the Navy sometimes have the member get additional information from his/her doctor. So, if the recruiter is telling you to get the consults, then additional information is being requested from the Navy. Double check with your recruiter and ask why is the Navy not paying for the consults… there must be a reason. If they still say “no, you have to get the consults” then you better get the consults. But ask “why?” first…
 

cgoetz

Member
When I talked with my recruiter he was reading out of the record the paperwork that MEPS had sent him word for word and it stated specifically that I had beenphysically disqualified because they needed more info. (i.e. the eval and eye exam) After the recruiter told me this I made it a point to ask him if the eval had to be done by someone assigned from the Navy and he said no, I had to go to my doctor to get them.
 

The Renegade

LT, SC, USN
When I talked with my recruiter he was reading out of the record the paperwork that MEPS had sent him word for word and it stated specifically that I had beenphysically disqualified because they needed more info. (i.e. the eval and eye exam) After the recruiter told me this I made it a point to ask him if the eval had to be done by someone assigned from the Navy and he said no, I had to go to my doctor to get them.

That sucks... well, here in Cleveland we pay for consults/evaluations for applicants, except for rare cases; you may be one of those rare cases. Good luck....
 

cgoetz

Member
You think it has something to do where I got the MEPS or is because of mycondition that they are not paying. I mean is the reason that they are not paying for it is because they don't feel that its worth spending money on.
 

The Renegade

LT, SC, USN
You think it has something to do where I got the MEPS or is because of mycondition that they are not paying. I mean is the reason that they are not paying for it is because they don't feel that its worth spending money on.

I work in the liaison office, but tomorrow when I go to work I will ask the MEPS doctor/medical technicians what would cause them to make a person pay for their own evaluations instead of having the service (Navy) paying for it. I’ve seen it done once or twice, but never know the full reason. I’ll get some good gouge for you from the pros and report back tomorrow… standby!
 

cgoetz

Member
I'll be waiting.

Hey, commodore mid do you remember when you went for your waivers if they had you go to your own doctor for the evals or did they doit for you? Only reason I ask is because renegade says that they usually have the applicant go out and do it themselves for special cases, and I'm wondering if by special cases that might lessen my chances of getting the waiver. I mean after all you did say you had major depression and had to get waivers right?
 

The Renegade

LT, SC, USN
Correctable to 20/20 evaluation is something that MEPS nor the Navy will NOT pay for because correctable to 20/20 vision exceeds minimum standards for entrance into the Navy (the minimum is correctable to 20/40). Correctable to 20/20 is required for special programs or jobs, such SEAL, or in your case aviation. Therefore, you will have to get that eye consult if the Navy need to know if you are correctable to 20/20.The psychiatric consult is something the Navy will pay for IF you went through MEPS for a physical. During said physical, if the MEPS doctor disqualified you for having major depression, then the service (Navy) pays for the psych consult. IF you did not go to MEPS for a physical, and your recruiter just sent up medical documents to MEPS for a pre-screening to see if you are medically qualified, then a continue to process waiver would have been sent to 00M for your major depression. 00M could come back and say “have member phys, then resubmit with phys and psych consult” (a paid consult). Or 00M could comeback and say “have member phys, and resubmit with phys and evaluation from family doctor” (meaning they are not paying for it). So, based on my conversation why my MEPS medical people, it seems you will have to pay for those specific consults. Let me know if you have any other questions/concerns.
 

kat27

New Member
Are MEPS and the PRT done on the same day? Do you know how far in advanced you have to schedule them? I haven't been prorec yet, I am just waiting for the March board results.
 
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