Continuing Legal Disaster with the New BSA Annual Health and Medical Record

Normally when the media, volunteers and in some cases lawyers get involved in an issue things get better. However there is the old adage that it will always get worse before it gets better, which seems to be the rule with the new BSA Annual Health and Medical Record.

I first wrote about the BSA Annual Health and Medical Record in New BSA Medical Form is a Disaster. The second article I wrote is Response to Comments on the New BSA Medical Form. Here is the third.

The BSA attempted to answer some questions about the Annual Health and Medical Record at a FAQ website. Frequently Asked Questions Concerning the Annual Health and Medical Record. This article will try and clarify some mistakes the site makes.

There are some great sections and answers on the FAQ page. The answer “Q. Do I really need to explain everything about myself or my child, such as learning disabilities or depression? I don’t want myself or my child to be treated differently” Is very good. I was working at a summer camp and visiting the rifle range when a youth stood up with a loaded rifle. His parents had decided not to notify us of medication issues.

However in this day and age no one should have any social security number on any document. Health care will never be withheld for lack of a social security number.

Q. Why do I need to put my child’s or my own social security number on the record?
A. It is your choice as to whether you fill in this number; however, in many states, medical care cannot be rendered without it.

The part of the form that is receiving the most news coverage is the new height and weight requirements. In effect the requirements ignore generally accepted medical research and are going to severely restrict Scouting. The FAQ restates that position.

Q. Our camp is at least 30 minutes from the local hospital by ambulance or EMS. Does this mean that we automatically have to meet the height/weight requirements for all activities at the camp?
A. While response time for basic or advanced life support should be a consideration for a camp’s emergency action plan, it is not the record’s intent. If your travels by foot, bicycle, horseback, afloat, or whatever the mode of transportation take you more than 30 minutes off of an accessible roadway where in an emergency vehicle can reach you, you will need to meet the height/weight requirements.

The great comments about this part of the form are that most employees of the BSA national office supposedly won’t make the cut also.

Even worse, the requirements are based on a Body Mass Index (BMI) for men. Exploring has been coed since the 1970’s and Venturing since the 1990’s.