§ 6.31 Special requirements for medical records.

(a) A system manager who receives a request from an individual for access to those official medical records which belong to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and are described in Chapter 339, Federal Personnel Manual (medical records about entrance qualifications or fitness for duty, or medical records which are otherwise filed in the Official Personnel Folder), shall refer the pertinent system of records to a Federal Medical Officer for review and determination in accordance with this section. If no Federal Medical Officer is available to make the determination required by this section, the system manager shall refer the request and the medical reports concerned to the Office of Personnel Management for determination. (b) If, in the opinion of a Federal Medical Officer, medical records requested by the subject individual indicate a condition about which a prudent physician would hesitate to inform a person suffering from such a condition of its exact nature and probable outcome, the system manager shall not release the medical information to the subject individual nor to any person other than a physician designated in writing by the subject individual, or the guardian or conservator of the individual. (c) If, in the opinion of a Federal Medical Officer, the medical information does not indicate the presence of any condition which would cause a prudent physician to hesitate to inform a person suffering from such a condition of its exact nature and probable outcome, the system manager shall release it to the subject individual or to any person, firm, or organization which the individual authorizes in writing to receive it.