Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01698:front:0:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01698
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 0–3340

Statement of Principles
concerning
POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA
(Reasonable Hypothesis)
(No. 5 of 2025)
The Repatriation Medical Authority determines the following Statement of Principles under subsection 196B(2) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.

Dated    17 December 2024.

Professor Terence Campbell AM
Chairperson
by and on behalf of
The Repatriation Medical Authority

Contents
1 Name
2 Commencement
3 Authority
4 Repeal
5 Application
6 Definitions
7 Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates
8 Basis for determining the factors
9 Factors that must exist
10 Relationship to service
11 Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of Principles
Schedule 1 - Dictionary
1 Definitions

 1.                Name
This is the Statement of Principles concerning polymyalgia rheumatica (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 5 of 2025).
 1.                Commencement
              This instrument commences on 28 January 2025.
 1.                Authority
This instrument is made under subsection 196B(2) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.
 1.                Repeal
The Statement of Principles concerning polymyalgia rheumatica (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 19 of 2016) (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2016L00249) made under subsection 196B(2) of the VEA is repealed.
 1.                Application
This instrument applies to a claim to which section 120A of the VEA or section 338 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 applies.
 1.                Definitions
The terms defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary have the meaning given when used in this instrument.
 1.                Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates
         1.           This Statement of Principles is about polymyalgia rheumatica and death from polymyalgia rheumatica.
Meaning of polymyalgia rheumatica
 1.           For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, polymyalgia rheumatica:
         1.           means an inflammatory rheumatic disorder with the following characteristics:
                 1.             bilateral aching and stiffness involving the shoulder or proximal regions of the arms; or the hip or proximal regions of the thighs; or the neck or lower back;
                 2.          elevated acute phase reactants (erythrocyte sedimentation rate and/or C reactive protein) or systemic symptoms such as malaise, fatigue and a low-grade fever; and
                 3.        occurring in the absence of other diseases capable of causing the musculoskeletal system symptoms; and
         2.           excludes polymyalgia rheumatica coexistent with giant cell arteritis.
Note: In patients with polymyalgia rheumatica who can take corticosteroids, there is a rapid response to corticosteroid therapy.
 1.           While polymyalgia rheumatica attracts ICD‑10‑AM code M35.3, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of polymyalgia rheumatica is that given in subsection (2).
 2.           For subsection (3), a reference to an ICD-10-AM code is a reference to the code assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Tenth Edition, effective date of 1