Recent medical evidence helps show what your condition does now. Relevant older evidence may show when disability began and how treatment has progressed. There is no verified blanket rule in the published SF 3112 instructions that applicants must exclude everything older than one year.
What OPM's published instructions say
SF 3112 asks applicants to submit diagnosis, prognosis and a treatment plan dated no more than 60 days before filing. It emphasizes current evidence while accepting medical evidence about the disease or injury. SF 3112C asks for a comprehensive history, clinical findings, treatment response, future treatment and an explanation of why the condition affects the employee's duties.
Choose evidence for the question it answers
- Current treatment notes can document symptoms, restrictions and response to treatment.
- A provider's narrative should address your actual position description and the expected duration of disability.
- Relevant older records can help establish that disability arose while you were in covered employment or explain the course of a long-running condition.
- A short chronology or index can help organize records without changing their substance.
Follow the instructions in your application
The earlier version of this article described an August 2026 ORA screen instruction as a universal last-year-only policy. That broader claim was removed. If your current application gives specific upload directions, follow them and ask OPM how to provide relevant older evidence when needed. Do not delete your historical records or assume OPM will request every missing item for you.
Do not wait out a filing deadline
Request current documentation early, but do not miss the filing period while waiting for appointments or records. OPM's current guidance directs applicants through ORA; 5 CFR 844.201 addresses timely and incomplete applications. Seek prompt guidance when a deadline is near.