To participate in Scouting events, campouts and high-adventure trips, Scouts and Scouters must complete the Annual Health and Medical Record. Now is the time to make sure your and your Scout’s records are up-to-date and complete, especially if your unit has summer activities scheduled.
The Annual Health and Medical Record has three different parts:
- Part A is an informed consent, release agreement and authorization that needs to be signed by every participant (or a parent and/or legal guardian for all youth under 18).
- Part B is a self-reported general information and a health history.
- Part C is your pre-participation physical exam completed by a certified and licensed health care provider.
Parts A and B must be complete for all activities; Part C is required for events lasting longer than 72 hours. Again, this year, all parts must be current through the end of the adventure in order to participate. Review and complete the AHMR fully and carefully; take a look at this instruction page. If you have more questions, refer to this BSA Safety Moment or look at these frequently asked questions. Remember, these completed forms must be secure, so they are not to be digitized, scanned, emailed or stored electronically by unit leaders.
Because the pandemic is not over, it might be a good idea to schedule an appointment soon for the pre-participation exam rather than waiting until summer. When you meet with your medical provider, bring the AHMR form, and it’s advised, especially if you or your Scout will be attending a BSA high-adventure base, to bring the risk advisory associated with that base. That way, your medical provider can better understand any strenuous activities involved. Council-run high-adventure camps might also have required risk advisories to review and complete. Check with the camp you are attending for any additional forms, such as COVID-19-related forms for high-risk individuals, that are necessary this year.
You should also alert Scout adult leaders of plans to address individual risk factors or medication use. When filling out the AHMR, include all medications; you can include a separate sheet if you run out of room.
The Annual Health and Medical Record must be completed every year. It serves many purposes, but primarily, it’s to help keep Scouts and Scouters safe. Click here for the AHMR main page.
SUMMARY
The Scouting adventure, camping trips, high-adventure excursions, and having fun are important to everyone in Scouting—and so is your safety and well-being. Completing the Annual Health and Medical Record is the first step in making sure you have a great Scouting experience.
GENERAL INFORMATION
- The BSA Annual Health and Medical Record (often known as the “medical form” or “annual physical”) is designed to help ensure that all participants in the Scouting program are healthy enough for the adventure of Scouting. It is not intended to limit participation but to inform and protect.
- To keep up with possible changes in health status, the form needs to be updated annually or when a participant’s health information changes. The record expires in one year.
- The four-part form serves as a single place to document a participant’s medical history and recent medical examination. It also provides consent for treatment in the event a participant needs emergency care while traveling away from aparent or guardian.
- Parts A and B should be completed for all participants and Scouting leaders. Part C should be completed by a licensed health care provider (M.D., D.O., N.P., or P.A.) before the participant attends any Scouting event that is longer than 72 hours, such as a summer camp, trek, or multiday excursion.
- The optional “High Adventure Risk Advisory” (formerly known as Part D) needs to be shared with the examining medical provider during the pre-participation examination to explain known health risks for each of the BSA’s four highadventure bases. Additionally, your council may develop a risk advisory specific to your council camps or other properties or events.
- The forms should be maintained by a designated leader. To assure privacy, the forms should be carefully stored and used only as needed to provide for planning and rendering care. The AHMR should not be scanned, stored, or sent electronically except as specifically directed for a BSA national event such as the national jamboree or NOAC.
- Neither the BSA nor the Annual Health and Medical Record are subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). A Scout is Trustworthy: Records and sensitive information should be maintained in a private manner.
