I have copied and pasted a recent CANFORGEN with regards to Administrative Reviews on Medical Employment Limitations. (AR/MELS)
Make note of the last sentence.
CANFORGEN 187/08 CMP 080/08 141648Z OCT 08
USE OF MEDICAL RISK MATRIX FOR AR/MELS
UNCLASSIFIED
REFS: A. RECORD OF DECISIONS, AFC 10 SEP 08
B. DAOD 5023-0 UNIVERSALITY OF SERVICE
C. DAOD 5023-1 MINIMUM OPERATIONAL STANDARDS RELATED TO UNIVERSALITY OF SERVICE
D. CFP 154, ANNEX D, APPENDIX 1
E. DMCA WEBSITE
THE PRINCIPLE OF UNIVERSALITY OF SERVICE (U OF S) HAS BEEN AND REMAINS THE CORNERSTONE OF ALL ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEWS ON MEDICAL EMPLOYMENT LIMITATIONS (AR/MEL) DECISIONS. IN RECENT YEARS SUSTAINED RESEARCH IN OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE HAS MADE POSSIBLE THE DEVELOPMENT OF RISK ASSESSMENT MATRICES WHICH IDENTIFY RETURN TO WORK POSSIBILITIES FOR EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE ONGOING MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND FOR WHOM THE PROBABILITY OF RECURRENCE OF A MEDICAL CRISIS IS LOW. THESE MEDICAL RISKS CAN BE ESTIMATED BY COMBINING KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBABILITY OF AN EVENT OCCURRING WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE LIKELY SEVERITY OF THE OUTCOME
AT REF A, ARMED FORCES COUNCIL (AFC) GAVE APPROVAL FOR USE OF A CF MEDICAL RISK MATRIX. THE INTENT OF THE CF MEDICAL RISK MATRIX IS TO BALANCE AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF RISK TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE CF MEMBER WHILE CONSIDERING THE EFFECT ON THE OPERATIONAL MISSION. THE MATRIX PROVIDES A BETTER ASSESSMENT OF THE ACTUAL EMPLOYABILITY AND DEPLOYABILITY OF CF PERS WITHIN THE ASSIGNED MELS AND CONFIRMS WHETHER A MEMBER MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF U OF S. FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS CHARACTERIZED BY PERIODS OF TIME WITH FEW OR NO SYMPTOMS, INTERRUPTED BY EPISODES OF RECURRENT SYMPTOMS, DIRECTOR MEDICAL POLICY (D MED POL) WILL ASSIGN A LEVEL OF RISK AS SET OUT IN THE MATRIX. DIRECTOR MILITARY CAREERS ADMINISTRATION (DMCA), AS THE APPROVING AUTHORITY FOR AR/MELS WILL THEN USE THIS INFORMATION TO MAKE THE CAREER DECISION
WHERE CF PERS ARE SUFFERING FROM MEDICAL CONDITIONS CHARACTERIZED BY CONSTANT OR FREQUENTLY REOCCURRING SYMPTOMS THAT PERMANENTLY PRECLUDE THEM FROM MEETING ANY OF THE U OF S MINIMUM OPERATIONAL STANDARDS OUTLINED AT REF C, ASSIGNMENT OF A LEVEL OF RISK IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MELS BY D MED POL WILL NOT BE NECESSARY SINCE MEMBERS IN SUCH SITUATIONS ARE PERMANENTLY IN BREACH OF U OF S REQUIREMENTS. D MED POL WOULD NOT NEED TO PROVIDE A RISK ASSESSMENT ON THE CONDITION OF AN INDIVIDUAL WHO, FOR INSTANCE, SUFFERS FROM CHRONIC BACK PAIN AND IS UNABLE TO PASS THE CF EXPRES TEST OR WEAR PROTECTIVE GEAR
A REVIEW OF MELS FOR CF PERS CURRENTLY SERVING ON A PERIOD OF RETENTION IS BEING UNDERTAKEN SO AS TO DETERMINE IF THE CF MEDICAL RISK MATRIX CAN BE APPLIED ACCORDINGLY, WITH PRIORITY GIVEN TO THOSE SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE ON OR BEFORE 1 JUN 09. IF AFTER REVIEW OF THE MEDICAL FILE IT IS DEEMED THAT THE RISK MATRIX WOULD APPLY, NEW MELS WILL BE ASSIGNED. DMCA WILL REVIEW THE MELS AND IF APPLICABLE, INFORM THE MEMBER THROUGH THE C OF C THAT UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED OR MELS WORSEN, THE AR MEL DECISION WILL BE CHANGED TO INDICATE THAT THE MEMBER WILL BE RETAINED WITHOUT CAREER RESTRICTIONS AND NOT MEDICALLY RELEASED
THIS NEW APPROACH TO ASSESSING CERTAIN MEDICAL CONDITIONS DOES NOT COMPROMISE U OF S BUT IS RATHER A METHOD OF APPLYING THE U OF S PRINCIPLE BASED ON THE MOST RECENT MEDICAL PRACTICES, KNOWLEDGE AND RISK MANAGEMENT COMBINED WITH INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT. THIS USE OF THE MATRIX WILL CONFORM TO REFS B AND C AND WILL ALLOW THE CF TO RETAIN MANY EXPERIENCED PERS WHO, DESPITE THEIR MELS, ARE NOT ONLY CONSIDERED A GREAT VALUE TO THE ORGANIZATION, BUT ARE EMPLOYABLE AND DEPLOYABLE
SIGNED BY MGEN W. SEMIANIW, CMP
