Psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis — DVA SoP factors

Every factor in the Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles for Psoriatic arthritis. DVA can only accept a claim for Psoriatic arthritis 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. 15 of 2021 · BoP No. 16 of 202110 factors

Meaning of psoriatic arthritis: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, psoriatic arthritis means a seronegative chronic inflammatory arthritis, occurring in association with skin or nail psoriasis.

Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 15 of 2021

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 psoriatic arthritis or death from psoriatic arthritis with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

(1)
having psoriasis at the time of the clinical onset of psoriatic arthritis;
(2)
having trauma to the affected joint in the 30 days before the clinical onset of psoriatic arthritis;
Note: trauma to the affected joint is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
(3)
taking a biologic agent for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease for at least the seven days before the clinical onset of psoriatic arthritis;
Note: biologic agent is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
(4)
taking a biologic agent for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease for at least the seven days before the clinical worsening of psoriatic arthritis;
Note: biologic agent is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
(5)
inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for psoriatic arthritis;

Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 9(4) to 9(5) 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. 16 of 2021

5 factors

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

(1)
having psoriasis at the time of the clinical onset of psoriatic arthritis;
(2)
having trauma to the affected joint in the 30 days before the clinical onset of psoriatic arthritis;
Note: trauma to the affected joint is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
(3)
taking a biologic agent for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease for at least the seven days before the clinical onset of psoriatic arthritis;
Note: biologic agent is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
(4)
taking a biologic agent for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease for at least the seven days before the clinical worsening of psoriatic arthritis;
Note: biologic agent is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
(5)
inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for psoriatic arthritis;

Accepted — what is it worth?

A Statement of Principles decides one thing only: whether DVA accepts liability for psoriatic arthritis. 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.