“April, the month of the military child, is a time for all Americans to recognize military children’s strengths, contributions and challenges they face related to their parents’ military service. Yet, recently published articles in Military Times tell of U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force policies that could place military children’s health and future career aspirations in jeopardy.
These service branch policies allow merging of military children’s pre-existing “military dependent” medical records with their “military service” medical records. This means that confidential medical records of military children treated for health related conditions under the age of 18 years within military treatment facilities (for any disorders, including emotional and behavioral disorders) are available to the Army, Navy and Air Force if those individuals choose to join the military service as adults…
…access to their medical records should only occur with the fully informed consent and release of records by military children when they are adults. We recommend rescinding policies of merging military children’s dependent medical records and military service records.”
–
