NJ Parents
Amended Q & A on Student Medical Examinations
Sports Physicals
Q: Are school districts required to offer the option to students to receive a preparticipation physical examination for sports by their private physician or by the school physician?
A: The school district must honor the parent’s choice of having either the private physician or the school physician perform the sports preparticipation examination.
Q: Can the school/district collect a fee from the student/parent for administering a sports physical examination to a student who is known to have medical coverage?
A: No. Schools/Districts may not set separate standards for some families by inquiring about a family’s financial status, attempting to collect fees or requesting specific documentation from families that may have medical insurance that would cover the cost of the preparticipation examination for sports.
Q: If the student’s private physician approves participation in a sport by completing the Physical Examination form, does the school physician also need to sign the form?
A: No. The examining physician, nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant must sign the actual form indicating the student’s capacity to participate in a designated sport. The school physician must notify the parent(s) (under separate cover) that the student has been granted or denied permission to participate in sports based on the examining physician’s recommendation(s). If the school physician performs the physical, he/she must notify the parent(s) regarding their child’s ability to participate in sports based on his/her own recommendation(s) as the examining physician.
Q: May the certified school nurse sign the Physical Examination form if the school physician delegates this task to her/him?
A: No. Only the school physician is empowered to sign the form pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:40-4.
Q: If a Physical Examination form is returned to the school incomplete, may the school nurse conduct the appropriate test(s) in an effort to complete the form?
A: No. The school nurse should not perform any additional tests nor should s/he add anything to the Physical Examination form after the physician has signed his/her name. This could be perceived as falsifying an examination record.
Q: Are schools now being considered the medical home for sports physicals?
A: For the purpose of sports physicals only, the parent may choose to designate the school as the medical home. This option has been stated in a code clarification letter from Deputy Commissioner Dwight Pfennig. The Department of Education is proposing new regulations that will codify the clarification allowing the parent to choose pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:16-2.2(f). If adopted, these new rules will take effect on September 2, 2003.
Physical Examinations Required Upon Entry into School
Q: Is a school district permitted to have the school physician perform physical examinations on students in addition to, or instead of, notifying parents of the importance of obtaining subsequent medical examinations of the student at least once during each developmental stage?
A: No. The department’s administrative regulations do not support the school physician performing physical examinations at the developmental stages. Parents must be notified by the local school district of the importance of obtaining this examination. Developmental stages examinations should be done by the private physician of the student and a report sent to the school nurse to be included in the student’s medical record as pursuant N.J.A.C. 6A:16-2.2(d) 1.
Q: Are schools now being considered the medical home for pre-entry to school physicals?
A: No. The school physician is only able to perform physical examinations when the student does not have a medical home. School nurses are encouraged to advise families to apply to the Department of Human Services for enrollment in New Jersey Family Care for affordable health care coverage.
Working Papers
Q: Who is responsible for providing the physical examination for a student who is seeking working papers?
A: Students seeking working papers are required by N.J.S.A. 34:21-8(3) to obtain a statement of physical fitness, based on a medical examination, and signed by the school physician or other physician licensed to practice medicine and surgery. It is clear under the provisions of the Child Labor Act, the school district is responsible for conducting the physical examination without charge to the parents. This does not mean that a parent/guardian may not choose to take his or her child to his or her private physician for such an examination. In this case, the parent/guardian would be responsible for payment for that examination, having waived his right to the free examination by the school physician.
Special Education Examinations
Q: If a medical evaluation is requested for a special education student, does it have to be performed by the student’s private physician and if so who pays for it?
A: If the student requires a medical examination as part of an comprehensive child study team evaluation, that examination may be performed by the school physician at no cost to the parent/guardian as pursuant N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.4. If the parent/guardian chooses to have it performed by the student’s private physician, the parent would be responsible for the expense incurred.
