(a) In order to determine whether an injured countermeasure recipient sustained a covered injury, a requester must arrange for his or her medical providers to submit to the Program the following medical records, as defined in §110.3(p):

(1) All medical records documenting medical visits, procedures, consultations, and test results that occurred on or after the date of administration or use of the covered countermeasure; and

(2) All hospital records, including the admission history and physical examination, the discharge summary, all physician subspecialty consultation reports, all physician and nursing progress notes, and all test results that occurred on or after the date of administration or use of the covered countermeasure; and

(3) All medical records for one year prior to administration or use of the covered countermeasure as necessary to indicate an injured countermeasure recipient's pre-existing medical history.

(b) A requester may submit additional medical documentation that he or she believes will support the Request Package. Although generally not required if a Table injury was sustained, a requester may introduce additional medical documentation or scientific evidence in order to establish that an injury was caused by a covered countermeasure. Letters from treating physicians may be submitted as additional evidence, but may not substitute for the medical documentation required in paragraph (a) of this section.

(c) If certain medical records listed in paragraph (a) of this section are unavailable to the Program after the requester has made reasonable efforts to facilitate the records being sent to the Program, the requester must submit a statement describing the reasons for the records' unavailability and the efforts he or she has made to arrange for the health care providers to submit them. The Secretary has the discretion to accept this statement in place of the unavailable medical records. In this circumstance, the Secretary may attempt to obtain the records on the requester's behalf.

(d) In certain circumstances, the Secretary may require additional records to make a determination that a covered injury was sustained (e.g., medical records more than one year prior to the date of administration or use of the covered countermeasure) or may determine that certain records described in paragraph (a) of this section are not necessary for an eligibility determination.

(e) Although the Secretary prefers to receive medical records directly from healthcare providers, she has the discretion to accept them from the requester.