Statement of Principles concerning Parkinson's disease No. 37 of 2002 (Cth)

Instrument No.37 of 2002

Revocation and Determination

of

Statement of Principles

concerning

PARKINSON’S DISEASE

ICD-10-AM CODE: G20

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

1. The Repatriation Medical Authority under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (the Act):

(a)       revokes Instrument No.69 of 1999; and

(b)       determines in its place the following Statement of Principles.

Kind of injury, disease or death

1. (a)        This Statement of Principles is about Parkinson’s disease and death from Parkinson’s disease.

(b)For the purposes of this Statement of Principles “Parkinson’s disease” means an idiopathic degenerative disease of the basal ganglia, characterised by the presence of any two of the features of bradykinesia, muscular rigidity or a rest tremor of 4-5 Hz, but excludes secondary parkinsonism, and parkinsonism associated with other forms of extra pyramidal, basal ganglia or striatopallidal disease including multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, syphilis, dementia pugilistica, benign essential tremor or arteriosclerotic pseudoparkinsonism. Parkinson’s disease attracts ICD-10-AM code G20.

Basis for determining the factors

1. .         After examining the available sound medical-scientific evidence the Repatriation Medical Authority is of the view that it is more probable than not on the sound medical-scientific evidence available, that the only factor that can be related to the cause of or material contribution to or aggravation of Parkinson’s disease or death from Parkinson’s disease and which can be related to relevant service is that set out in clause 4.

Factors that must be related to service

1. The factor that must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, in relation to the circumstances of a person’s relevant service causing or materially contributing to or aggravating Parkinson’s disease or death from Parkinson’s disease is inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for Parkinson’s disease.

Other definitions

1. For the purposes of this Statement of Principles:

“death from Parkinson’s disease” in relation to a person includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person’s Parkinson’s disease;

“ICD-10-AM code” means a number assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Second Edition, effective date of 1 July 2000, copyrighted by the National Centre for Classification in Health, Sydney, NSW, and having ISBN 1 86487 271 3.  Where in this Statement of Principles an ICD code is referenced, such reference is not to constrain or limit the proper meaning of the definition or words preceding the alphanumeric code reference;

“relevant service” means:

(a)       eligible war service (other than operational service); or

(b)       defence service (other than hazardous service);

“terminal event” means the proximate or ultimate cause of death and includes:

(a)       pneumonia;

(b)       respiratory failure;

(c)       cardiac arrest;

(d)       circulatory failure; or

(e)       cessation of brain function.

Application

1. This Instrument applies to all matters to which section 120B of the Act applies.

Dated this       Sixteenth           day of              April         2002

The Common Seal of the    )

Repatriation Medical Authority                   )

was affixed to this instrument   )

in the presence of:   )

KEN DONALD

CHAIRMAN