16 FAM 200
procedures for MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND CLEARANCE
16 FAM 210
MEDICAL clearance
(CT:MED-42; 08-16-2019)
(Office of Origin: MED)
16 FAM 211 MEDICAL CLEARANCE
classifications
16 FAM 211.1 Medical Clearances
(CT:MED-41; 03-07-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service/Foreign Agricultural
Service/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/USAGM)
(Applies to all U.S. Government Employees and Eligible Family Members
Participating in the Department of State Medical Program)
All employees and eligible family member(s) who are posted
abroad require a medical clearance or a waiver to receive benefits under
States Medical Program (MED). Benefits include, but are not limited to, post
health unit access, medical evacuation travel, and secondary payer coverage for
hospitalizations.
16 FAM 211.2 Clearance
Classifications
(CT:MED-41; 03-07-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service/Foreign Agricultural
Service/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/USAGM)
(Applies to all U.S. Government Employees and Eligible Family Members
Participating in the Department of State Medical Program)
a. Worldwide available (Class 1):
Issued to applicants, employees and eligible family members who have no
identifiable medical conditions that would limit assignment abroad.
b. Post-specific (Class 2):
Issued to an individual with a medical condition that would pose a significant risk
to the health or safety of the individual or others if the individual were
assigned to work at one or more posts abroad. The Office of Medical Services
(MED) determines approval for assignment to a specific post based on the
criteria above.
c. Domestic only (Class 5):
Issued to all who have a medical condition which is incapacitating or for which
specialized medical care is best obtained in the United States. Employees or
eligible family members with a Class 5 medical clearance may not be
assigned outside the United States.
d. Temporary travel (Class 6):
Issued only to an eligible family member who is not medically cleared
to reside at the employees assigned post but is authorized to visit that post
for a period of time not to exceed 120 days per calendar year.
e. Pending (Class 7): Issued
to individuals awaiting completion of the evaluation of a medical condition
within 90 days. Class 7 is not valid for travel to an assignment
abroad. If the examination/evaluation is not completed within 90 days, the
individual will be issued a Class 8 clearance and will not be eligible
for the Medical Program abroad.
f. Incomplete/cancellation (Class 8):
Issued to an individual whose pre-employment medical evaluation is incomplete
and the application has been inactive for more than 90 days. Class 8
clearances will also be issued to an employee or eligible family member who is
in pending status (Class 7) and who has not completed the evaluation within the
allotted 90 days.
g. Separation (Class 9):
Issued to employees and eligible family members following separation from
States Medical Program. This includes eligible family members who have
reached age 21, or persons leaving the program through legal separation,
divorce, or death. Although qualified students who travel on educational
travel orders are eligible for care abroad under the Medical Program up to
their 23rd birthday (16 FAM122.2, subparagraph a(2)), their separation
examination must be completed within 90 days of their 21st birthday (16 FAM 122.2,
subparagraph a(1)).
16 FAM 212 pre-employment medical Clearance
for foreign service candidates
(CT:MED-41; 03-07-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service/Foreign Agricultural
Service/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/USAGM)
(Applies to all U.S. Government Employees and Eligible Family Members
Participating in the Department of State Medical Program)
a. All Foreign Service candidates who have received
conditional offers of employment must undergo a pre-employment medical
examination and have the results of the examination forwarded to Medical
Clearances. The files of applicants with incomplete pre-employment medical
examinations extending past 90 days will be closed. The examination must
be documented on Form DS-1843, Medical History and Examination for Foreign
Service (for Individuals Age 12 and Older).
b. The purpose of the pre-employment medical
examination is to identify any physical or mental health condition that could
affect assignment abroad.
c. If additional evaluations are needed to make the
pre-employment clearance decision, MED will issue Form DS-616, Authorization
for Medical Tests/Consultations.
d. MED will notify the candidate of his or her medical
clearance.
e. A completed pre-employment medical clearance is
valid for 5 years from the date of issuance. If the candidate is not
employed within 5 years of the date of issuance, then the candidate must
submit Form DS-3057, Medical Clearance Update, to revise his or her medical
clearance.
f. The candidate must submit Form DS-3057,
Medical Clearance Update, if there is any significant change in the candidates
medical condition at any time. Such changes include but are not limited to a
hospitalization or urgent outpatient treatment; a change of or initiation of
regularly taken medications; or the need for regular, frequent follow-up.
16 FAM 213 MEDICAL CLEARANCE FOR
Eligible Family Members OF NEWLY HIRED fOREIGN sERVICE eMPLOYEES
(CT:MED-41; 03-07-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service/Foreign Agricultural
Service/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/USAGM)
(Applies to all U.S. Government Employees and Eligible Family Members
Participating in the Department of State Medical Program)
a. Each eligible family member who will accompany an
employee assigned abroad must undergo a pre-assignment medical
examination prior to proceeding abroad for the first time. Medical examiners must
use Form DS-1843, Medical History and Examination for Foreign Service (for
Individuals Age 12 and Older), and Form DS-1622, Medical History and
Examination for Foreign Service (for Children 11 Years and Under).
b. Each agency must verify an eligible family
members medical clearance status before issuing travel orders. An employee or
eligible family member with a post-specific (Class 2) medical clearance must
obtain post approval from MED. Failure to obtain post approval before
traveling abroad may result in the individual being denied participation in the
Medical Program and access to health units abroad.
c. If additional evaluations are needed to make the
pre-employment clearance decision, MED will issue Form DS-616, Authorization
for Medical Tests/Consultations.
16 FAM 214 INSERVICE AND pre-Assignment
MEDICAL CLEARANCES FOR Employees and Eligible Family Members
(CT:MED-41; 03-07-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service/Foreign Agricultural
Service/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/USAGM)
(Applies to all U.S. Government Employees and Eligible Family Members
Participating in the Department of State Medical Program)
a. Employees and eligible family members of all ICASS
participating agencies who are assigned abroad for the first time must
undergo a full medical clearance examination. (Form DS-3057, Medical Clearance
Update, may not be used in this case.)
b. A worldwide available (Class 1) medical clearance is
valid for the length of the tour or upon eligibility for home leave, whichever
is shorter, unless there is a significant change in the individuals medical
condition. A new medical clearance can be obtained following a medical examination
or submission of Form DS-3057, Medical Clearance Update.
c. A post-specific (Class 2) medical clearance is
valid only for the length of the tour. An individual with a post-specific
medical clearance transferring directly to, or performing a TDY of 30 days or
longer at, another post must obtain post approval from MED prior to
the transfer.
d. If additional evaluations are needed to make the
clearance decision, MED will issue a Form DS-616, Authorization for Medical
Tests/Consultations. Family members 12 and over use Form DS-1843, Medical
History and Examination for Foreign Service (for Individuals Age 12 and Older),
and those 11 years and under use Form DS-1622, Medical History and Examination
for Foreign Service (for Children 11 Years and Under). WAE employees are not
issued either Form DS-616 or Form DS-3069, Authorization for Medical
Examination.
e. An employee or eligible family member with a
post-specific (Class 2) medical clearance must obtain post approval
from MED. If an employee or eligible family member (EFM) arrives at post
without a medical clearance, post management will notify the individual that he
or she is ineligible for participation in the Medical Program abroad.
f. Employees and eligible family members must also
renew their medical clearances prior to bidding on their next assignment abroad
or prior to entry into long-term language training in preparation for
assignment abroad.
g. An employee serving in a domestic assignment who
performs temporary duty abroad for 30 or more consecutive days must have
a valid medical clearance and must renew it every 2 years or earlier
if there is a significant change in the individual's medical condition. An
individual with a post-specific (Class 2) medical clearance performing a TDY of
30 consecutive days or longer must obtain a post approval from MED
prior to each TDY assignment.
16 FAM 215 APPEAL OF MEDICAL cLEARANCE
DECISION
(CT:MED-41; 03-07-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service/Foreign Agricultural
Service/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/USAGM)
(Applies to all U.S. Government Employees and Eligible Family Members
Participating in the Department of State Medical Program)
a. An applicant, employee, or eligible family member
may submit a written appeal of a clearance decision to the Medical Director or
his or her designee.
b. The Medical Director or designee will convene a
3-physician panel to review the request. The panels recommendation will be presented
to the Medical Director for a final review and determination of the medical
clearance.
c. When the 3-physician panel and the Medical Director
uphold the clearance decision, the employee may request an administrative
waiver from the director of human resources of his or her agency. The
directors decision will be final. If the administrative waiver is granted,
the employee and his or her eligible family member(s), provided they have valid
medical clearance(s), will be eligible for medical benefits during that
assignment. Any subsequent assignment abroad will require a new clearance
decision. There is no administrative waiver of clearance decisions
for eligible family member(s).
16 FAM 216 ADMINISTRATIVE Waiver of
MEDICAL Standards FOR CANDIDATES
(CT:MED-42; 08-16-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service/Foreign Agricultural
Service/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/USAGM)
(Applies to all U.S. Government Employees and Eligible Family Members
Participating in the Department of State Medical Program)
a. A Department of State Foreign Service candidate who
was denied a worldwide available (Class 1) medical clearance may request an
administrative waiver of the medical standards from the Director General of the
Foreign Service (DG). Decisions of the Director General or his or her designee
are final and are not subject to further appeal by the candidate.
b. Candidates from other foreign affairs agencies
[USAID, Foreign Commercial Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, APHIS and the
U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM)] who
have been denied a worldwide available (Class 1) medical clearance may request
an administrative waiver of medical standards from the director of human
resources of their respective agency.
c. If an administrative waiver is granted by the
Director General for State or by the director of human resources for other
foreign affairs agencies, the candidate is issued a post-specific (Class 2)
medical clearance.
16 fam 217 EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITiES
(CT:MED-41; 03-07-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service/Foreign Agricultural
Service/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/USAGM)
(Applies to all U.S. Government Employees and Eligible Family Members
Participating in the Department of State Medical Program)
a. The employee and their eligible family members
should renew their medical clearances prior to bidding on their next
assignment. They may begin the medical clearance process up to 12 months
before the departure from their current assignment.
b. If the employee or an eligible family member has a
post-specific (Class 2) medical clearance, the employee must obtain
MED approval for each post on the bid list.
c. The employee must ensure that he or she
and all eligible family members have received a Class 1 medical clearance or a
Class 2 medical clearance with the employees post of assignment approved by
MED before traveling to post.
d. The employee must notify MED of any
significant change in the employees or eligible family members medical
condition at any time. Such changes include but are not limited to a
hospitalization or urgent outpatient treatment; a change of or initiation of
regularly taken medications; or the need for regular, frequent follow-up.
16 fam 218 MEDICAL CLEARANCE PROCESS
FOR NEW FAMILY MEMBERS ACQUIRED THROUGH MARRIAGE, domestic partner affidavit,
BIRTH OR LEGAL ADOPTION, OR GUARDIANSHIP
(CT:MED-41; 03-07-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service/Foreign Agricultural
Service/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/USAGM)
(Applies to all U.S. Government Employees and Eligible Family Members
Participating in the Department of State Medical Program)
a. A new eligible family member may receive medical
benefits for up to 90 days while obtaining a medical clearance decision. The
employee is responsible for initiating the medical clearance process.
b. Eligible family member(s) who are abroad without a
medical clearance, post approval, or waiver are not authorized medical
benefits.
16 FAM 219 MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS for
separation
(CT:MED-41; 03-07-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service/Foreign Agricultural
Service/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/USAGM)
(Applies to all U.S. Government Employees and Eligible Family Members
Participating in the Department of State Medical Program)
a. All separating employees and/or eligible family
members (EFMs) are authorized a separation medical examination. Separation for
these purposes includes retirement, resignation, administrative separation of
an employee, or children reaching the age of 21 regardless if they might be
traveling to post on educational travel (16 FAM 122.2).
The separating person must schedule the medical examination prior to
separating and must complete the examination within 90 days of the
separation.
b. Upon death of an employee, the eligible family
members (EFMs) are authorized a separation physical examination.