Marfan syndrome

Marfan syndrome — DVA SoP factors

Every factor in the Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles for Marfan syndrome. DVA can only accept a claim for Marfan syndrome if at least one of these factors is met and connected to your service. Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) applies to operational service; Balance of Probabilities (BoP) applies to peacetime service.

Source: Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles as held by the Veterans Health Centre. SoPs are amended and replaced regularly; always confirm the current instrument at rma.gov.au before relying on it.

RH No. 51 of 2023 · BoP No. 52 of 20234 factors

Meaning of marfan syndrome: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, Marfan syndrome means a genetic disorder of connective tissue that typically involves abnormalities of the eyes, bones, heart and blood vessels. (3) While Marfan syndrome attracts ICD-10-AM code Q87.4, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of Marfan syndrome is that given in subsection (2). (4) 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 July 2017, copyrighted by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, ISBN 978-1-76007-296-4.

Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 51 of 2023

At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting Marfan syndrome or death from Marfan syndrome with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

(1)
being pregnant before the clinical worsening of Marfan syndrome;
(2)
inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for Marfan syndrome;

Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 9(1) and 9(2) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.

Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 52 of 2023

2 factors

At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, Marfan syndrome or death from Marfan syndrome is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

(1)
being pregnant before the clinical worsening of Marfan syndrome;
(2)
inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for Marfan syndrome;

Accepted — what is it worth?

A Statement of Principles decides one thing only: whether DVA accepts liability for marfan syndrome. It says nothing about how much you are paid. Compensation is worked out separately, from impairment points under the GARP — so a condition can be accepted and still rate few points, or rate more than you expect once it is combined with everything else on your file.