Medical waiver rejection? Help!

Bigj102

Class of 2023 applicant
Joined
Feb 7, 2019
Messages
13
I was recently offered a LOA for NAPS '20, contingent on a medical waiver. Last year I had a freak kidney stone which was non obstructing and removed . DoDMERB asked for AMI so I sent them every record the hospital had on my case, and I waited. I just received correspondence from a medical records technician this morning that my waiver was denied, and my USNA portal status updated saying that I am "medically turned down", even though I am in perfect health. Can I rebut this at all? Is my application dead in the water? Help!!
 
Hello-
If you haven't done so already, contact your regional admissions officer and ask what options might be available. They should be able to give you some guidance on the situation. You said the portal updated, what did is say before turning to "medically turned down"? Did you receive any other correspondence other than the phone call? Good luck, I wish you well.
 
Did you apply to NROTC as well? Remember each program (ROTC and SA) conducts separate waiver evaluations. You might get the waiver for NROTC but not for NAPS.
 
What does the DoDMERB guide state for kidney stones? Need to review it prior to the call to see if it’s a waiverable condition or if it’s maybe something that needs X amount of months/years post incident/surgery for it to be waivered.
 
The key details are found in DOD Inst. 6130.03 This is the document that defines all the disqualifying conditions and you should become very familiar with it if you want to appeal or contest a waiver denial. Often, the disqualifier is a "history of" something, even if that condition was resolved a long time ago. Sometimes there is a timeline like 12 months or 5 years, other times a 'history of' will be a DQ no matter how long ago it was.
https://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc/nami/arwg/Documents/WaiverGuide/DODI_6130.03_JUL12.pdf

For kidney stones, this is what is says are disqualifying conditions:
Urolithiasis if any of the following apply:
(1) Current stone of 3 mm or greater.
(2) Current multiple stones of any size.
(3) History of symptomatic urolithiasis within the preceding 12 months.
(4) History of nephrocalcinosis, bilateral renal calculi, or recurrent urolithiasis at any time.
(5) History of urolithiasis requiring a procedure

The problem with 'history of' issues, is not that you need to show that you are healthy now. Rather, you need to somehow show strong evidence that you are very unlikely to have a recurrence in the future. It might be worthwhile to talk to you doctor and see if there is any further info or documentation or testing that can be provided that could help make your case. Usually, DODMERB and the waiver authority is happy to consider any new information you might have. But if all you are doing is re-stating what they've already seen you're not likely to get a different decision.
It's getting very late and it's possible that your spot could be assigned to someone on the waiting list soon, so if you think you have additional info you should gather and send it asap.

best of luck!
 
Hello-
If you haven't done so already, contact your regional admissions officer and ask what options might be available. They should be able to give you some guidance on the situation. You said the portal updated, what did is say before turning to "medically turned down"? Did you receive any other correspondence other than the phone call? Good luck, I wish you well.
Thank you, on Monday my status was “conditional offer to NAPS”
 
The key details are found in DOD Inst. 6130.03 This is the document that defines all the disqualifying conditions and you should become very familiar with it if you want to appeal or contest a waiver denial. Often, the disqualifier is a "history of" something, even if that condition was resolved a long time ago. Sometimes there is a timeline like 12 months or 5 years, other times a 'history of' will be a DQ no matter how long ago it was.
https://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc/nami/arwg/Documents/WaiverGuide/DODI_6130.03_JUL12.pdf

For kidney stones, this is what is says are disqualifying conditions:
Urolithiasis if any of the following apply:
(1) Current stone of 3 mm or greater.
(2) Current multiple stones of any size.
(3) History of symptomatic urolithiasis within the preceding 12 months.
(4) History of nephrocalcinosis, bilateral renal calculi, or recurrent urolithiasis at any time.
(5) History of urolithiasis requiring a procedure

The problem with 'history of' issues, is not that you need to show that you are healthy now. Rather, you need to somehow show strong evidence that you are very unlikely to have a recurrence in the future. It might be worthwhile to talk to you doctor and see if there is any further info or documentation or testing that can be provided that could help make your case. Usually, DODMERB and the waiver authority is happy to consider any new information you might have. But if all you are doing is re-stating what they've already seen you're not likely to get a different decision.
It's getting very late and it's possible that your spot could be assigned to someone on the waiting list soon, so if you think you have additional info you should gather and send it asap.

best of luck!
Thank you so much for all of this information, I just read over that whole section... and none of those disqualifying conditions apply to me! I’m getting a hold of my doctor to see if he can type me up a letter saying I meet the standard, or see if he can do any further tests to ensure that I am medically fit. Thank you again, things are starting to look up! :)
 
-Last year I had a freak kidney stone which was non obstructing and removed .-

If by "removed" you mean you needed medical intervention as opposed to it "passing" on its own, I think you are DQ'd for condition #5 listed above. (Or possibly #3 based on the dates) Urolithiasis is a kidney stone.
I hope there is something more you can submit to sway them in your favor. Good luck!
 
That is how I read that too usna77. If it hasn’t been 12 months since your procedure then I can definitely see the DQ. Definitely worth a call and discussion.
 
-Last year I had a freak kidney stone which was non obstructing and removed .-

If by "removed" you mean you needed medical intervention as opposed to it "passing" on its own, I think you are DQ'd for condition #5 listed above. (Or possibly #3 based on the dates) Urolithiasis is a kidney stone.
I hope there is something more you can submit to sway them in your favor. Good luck!
I had a lithotripsy last year, where they hit the stone with ultrasonic waves to break it up. This was done so it would be easier to pass, which I did naturally without any problems. I was never cut open or anything at all, and recovered within a few days.
 
That is how I read that too usna77. If it hasn’t been 12 months since your procedure then I can definitely see the DQ. Definitely worth a call and discussion.
Do you mean a call with my doctor? Or a call with the Naval academy waiver authority? Thank you.
 
I would talk with USNA. Why were you DQ’d is the key detail.
 
-Last year I had a freak kidney stone which was non obstructing and removed .-

If by "removed" you mean you needed medical intervention as opposed to it "passing" on its own, I think you are DQ'd for condition #5 listed above. (Or possibly #3 based on the dates) Urolithiasis is a kidney stone.
I hope there is something more you can submit to sway them in your favor. Good luck!
I had a lithotripsy last year, where they hit the stone with ultrasonic waves to break it up. This was done so it would be easier to pass, which I did naturally without any problems. I was never cut open or anything at all, and recovered within a few days.
I believe it's still a 'procedure'. Procedure doesn't necessarily imply surgery.
 
I had a lithotripsy last year, where they hit the stone with ultrasonic waves to break it up. This was done so it would be easier to pass, which I did naturally without any problems. I was never cut open or anything at all, and recovered within a few days.

Lithotripsy is a "procedure" and usually requires general anesthesia. (Been there, done that, too many times !)

A6E identifies the specific regulation, and this would be "urolithisis requiring a procedure." You would need a waiver - I would recommend that you call Admissions Medical and ask whether this is a condition that is commonly waived. The problem is that that "freak kidney stone" has a tendency to occur again- people who have a kidney stone are much more likely to repeat - and often at inopportune times. You may consider yourself in "perfect health" , but there are reasons for the medical regulations , and many disqualifiers that really don't manifest themselves until they are debilitating.
 
-Last year I had a freak kidney stone which was non obstructing and removed .-

If by "removed" you mean you needed medical intervention as opposed to it "passing" on its own, I think you are DQ'd for condition #5 listed above. (Or possibly #3 based on the dates) Urolithiasis is a kidney stone.
I hope there is something more you can submit to sway them in your favor. Good luck!
I had a lithotripsy last year, where they hit the stone with ultrasonic waves to break it up. This was done so it would be easier to pass, which I did naturally without any problems. I was never cut open or anything at all, and recovered within a few days.


Based on the info you provided, you may have been DQ for:

(1) Current stone of 3 mm or greater... probably this one. A stone less than 3mm will most like pass on its own. The fact you got a lithotripsy suggests the stone you had was too large to pass on its own. The stone was probably more than 3mm.
(2) Current multiple stones of any size...not this one
(3) History of symptomatic urolithiasis within the preceding 12 months... definitely this one. You must have had pain, so you you went to the ER or your doctor's office to get seen. Pain is a symptom so you had symptomatic urolithiasis (ie kidney stone) in the past 12 months (you said last year).
(4) History of nephrocalcinosis, bilateral renal calculi, or recurrent urolithiasis at any time.... probably not this one based on what you said.
(5) History of urolithiasis requiring a procedure... definitely this one. Lithotripsy is a procedure.
 
So I’ve already been to MEPS and got disqualified for my history of kidney stones. (Due to it not being 12 months since my last stone)I’m 20 years old and had some on August of 2020. I’ve had no issues since then. Also the biggest stone I had was 2mm which grants me through the disqualifications above. Only thing I received from the ER was a CT scan and the stone passed on its own. AF SG has asked for numerous tests such an x-ray, urologist appointment, 24-hour urine sample (Everything came back normal except a low citrate level), and all of my scans. My urologist also wrote a letter stating I was low chance of having reoccurring stones. I have no family history of stones or things that could lead to stones. I just recently have sent all my information in and waiting to be accepted for a waiver hopefully. I’m curious to what you guys think if I’ll be accepted or not. Also the stone I got a was a calcium oxalate stone which is a stone that forms due to lack of water. Please help me out I’m getting nervous it’s been over 1.5 since I’ve sent them all my info.
 
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