What can I claim secondary to polymyalgia rheumatica?
2 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list polymyalgia rheumatica as a factor. If DVA has accepted your polymyalgia rheumatica, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionPolymyalgia rheumatica
- Conditions it may open2
- SourceRMA SoPs
- Chart Review$600 + GST
How a secondary claim works
Some Statement of Principles factors are not about service at all — they name another condition. Where DVA has already accepted your polymyalgia rheumatica, and another condition's SoP lists polymyalgia rheumatica as a factor, that part of the next claim is already established on your file. How a secondary claim works, in full →
Conditions that list polymyalgia rheumatica as a factor
Quoted from the instrument. A pathway existing is not the same as a claim succeeding — each factor carries thresholds your record has to satisfy.
Acute myeloid leukaemia
RH No. 21 of 2024 · BoP No. 22 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (14): “having one of the following autoimmune diseases before clinical onset: (a) autoimmune haemolytic anaemia; (b) giant cell arteritis; (c) pernicious anaemia; (d) polymyalgia rheumatica; (e) rheumatoid arthritis; (f) sarcoidosis; (g) systemic lupus erythematosus; (h) systemic vasculitis; or (i) ulcerative colitis” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (12): “having one of the following autoimmune diseases before clinical onset: (a) autoimmune haemolytic anaemia; (b) giant cell arteritis; (c) pernicious anaemia; (d) polymyalgia rheumatica; (e) rheumatoid arthritis; (f) systemic lupus erythematosus; (g) systemic vasculitis; or (h) ulcerative colitis” [clinical onset]
Myelodysplastic neoplasm (syndrome)
RH No. 76 of 2024 · BoP No. 77 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (10): “having one of the following autoimmune diseases before clinical onset; (a) pernicious anaemia; (b) polymyalgia rheumatica; (c) rheumatoid arthritis; (d) systemic lupus erythematosus; or (e) Behcet's disease” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Other accepted conditions that also open acute myeloid leukaemia
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions polymyalgia rheumatica does.
What DVA means by polymyalgia rheumatica
A claim is tested against the definition first. If the diagnosis on your file does not meet this wording, the factors below never get reached — so it is worth checking that what your doctor wrote matches what the instrument requires.
Polymyalgia rheumatica, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, polymyalgia rheumatica: (a) means an inflammatory rheumatic disorder with the following characteristics: (i) 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; (ii) 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 (iii) occurring in the absence of other diseases capable of causing the musculoskeletal system symptoms; and (b) excludes polymyalgia rheumatica coexistent with giant cell arteritis.
Note the exclusion. This instrument expressly excludes polymyalgia rheumatica coexistent with Giant cell arteritis. A diagnosis of that is not a diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica, and a claim framed the wrong way fails on the definition before any factor is considered.
RH No. 5 of 2025 · BoP No. 6 of 2025 · 2 factors
Reviewed by Dr Thomas Perkins
Founding doctor, Veterans Health Centre · former RAAF aviation medical officer · 13 years working exclusively with ADF members and veterans. Full profile →
Polymyalgia rheumatica accepted?
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