Statement of Principles concerning gout (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 60 of 2019)

Administered by Department of Veterans' Affairs

Legislation au F2019L00638 In force Legislative Instrument

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EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

 

STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES CONCERNING

GOUT

(BALANCE OF PROBABILITIES) (NO. 60 OF 2019)

 

VETERANS' ENTITLEMENTS ACT 1986

MILITARY REHABILITATION AND COMPENSATION ACT 2004

 

  1. This is the Explanatory Statement to the Statement of Principles concerning gout (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 60 of 2019).

Background

2.             The Repatriation Medical Authority (the Authority), under subsection 196B(8) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (the VEA), repeals Instrument No. 31 of 2010 (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2010L01047) determined under subsection 196B(3) of the VEA concerning gout.

3.             The Authority is of the view that on the sound medical-scientific evidence available it is more probable than not that gout and death from gout can be related to particular kinds of service.  The Authority has therefore determined pursuant to subsection 196B(3) of the VEA a Statement of Principles concerning gout (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 60 of 2019).  This Instrument will in effect replace the repealed Statement of Principles.

Purpose and Operation

4.             The Statement of Principles will be applied in determining claims under the VEA and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (the MRCA).

5.             The Statement of Principles sets out the factors that must exist, and which of those factors must be related to the following kinds of service rendered by a person:

 eligible war service (other than operational service) under the VEA;

 defence service (other than hazardous service and British nuclear test defence service) under the VEA;

 peacetime service under the MRCA,

before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, gout or death from gout is connected with the circumstances of that service.  The Statement of Principles has been determined for the purposes of both the VEA and the MRCA.

6.             This Instrument results from an investigation notified by the Authority in the Government Notices Gazette of 14 November 2017 concerning gout in accordance with section 196G of the VEA.  The investigation involved an examination of the sound medical-scientific evidence now available to the Authority, including the sound medical-scientific evidence it has previously considered.

7.             The contents of this Instrument are in similar terms as the repealed Instrument.  Comparing this Instrument and the repealed Instrument, the differences include:

  • adopting the latest revised Instrument format, which commenced in 2015;
  • specifying a day of commencement for the Instrument in section 2;
  • revising the definition of 'gout' in subsection 7(2);
  • revising the reference to 'ICD-10-AM code' in subsection 7(4);
  • revising the factors in subsections 9(1) & 9(22) concerning 'haematological disorders';
  • new factors in subsections 9(2) & 9(23) concerning 'antihypertensive drugs';
  • new factors in subsections 9(3) & 9(24) concerning 'low-dose aspirin';
  • revising the factors in subsections 9(4) & 9(25) concerning 'a drug or a drug from a class of drugs';
  • revising the factors in subsections 9(5) & 9(26) concerning 'undergoing chemotherapy for a malignant neoplasm';
  • revising the factors in subsections 9(6) & 9(27) concerning 'being overweight';
  • revising the factors in subsections 9(7) & 9(28) concerning 'alcohol';
  • revising the factors in subsections 9(8) & 9(29) concerning 'alcohol';
  • revising the factors in subsections 9(9) & 9(30) concerning 'meat or offal';
  • revising the factors in subsections 9(10) & 9(31) concerning 'meat or offal';
  • revising the factors in subsections 9(11) & 9(32) concerning 'seafood';
  • revising the factors in subsections 9(12) & 9(33) concerning 'seafood';
  • revising the factors in subsections 9(13) & 9(34) concerning 'fruit juice; or non-diet soft drink or other manufactured drink sweetened with fructose or sucrose';
  • revising the factors in subsections 9(14) & 9(35) concerning 'fasting';
  • new factors in subsections 9(15) & 9(36) concerning 'being dehydrated';
  • revising the factors in subsections 9(17) & 9(38) concerning 'solid organ transplant, stem cell transplant or bone marrow transplant';
  • new factors in subsections 9(18) & 9(39) concerning 'surgery';
  • new factors in subsections 9(20) & 9(41) concerning 'psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis';
  • revising the factors in subsections 9(21) & 9(42) concerning 'chronic kidney disease';
  • new definitions of 'abnormality of kidney structure or function', 'being dehydrated', 'being overweight', 'BMI', 'chronic kidney disease', 'MRCA', 'specified list of antihypertensive drugs', specified list of haematological disorders', 'Specified List 1 of drugs', 'Specified List 2 of drugs' and 'VEA' in Schedule 1 - Dictionary;
  • revising the definition of 'relevant service' in Schedule 1 - Dictionary; and
  • deleting the definitions of 'a specified haematological disorder', 'alcohol', 'being obese', 'being treated with a drug or a drug from a class of drugs as specified', 'chronic renal failure' and 'red meat'.

Consultation

8.             Prior to determining this Instrument, the Authority advertised its intention to undertake an investigation in relation to gout in the Government Notices Gazette of 14 November 2017, and circulated a copy of the notice of intention to investigate to a wide range of organisations representing veterans, service personnel and their dependants.  The Authority invited submissions from the Repatriation Commission, the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, organisations and persons referred to in section 196E of the VEA, and any person having expertise in the field.  No submissions were received for consideration by the Authority during the investigation.

9.             On 14 December 2018, the Authority wrote to organisations representing veterans, service personnel and their dependants regarding the proposed Instrument and the medical-scientific material considered by the Authority.  This letter emphasised the deletion of factors from the Reasonable Hypothesis Statement of Principles relating to type 2 diabetes mellitus.  The Authority provided an opportunity to the organisations to make representations in relation to the proposed Instrument prior to its determination.  No submissions were received for consideration by the Authority.  No changes were made to the proposed Instrument following this consultation process.

Human Rights

10.         This instrument is compatible with the Human Rights and Freedoms recognised or declared in the International Instruments listed in Section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.  A Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights follows.

Finalisation of Investigation

11.         The determining of this Instrument finalises the investigation in relation to gout as advertised in the Government Notices Gazette of 14 November 2017.

References

12.         A list of references relating to the above condition is available to any person or organisation referred to in subsection 196E(1)(a) to (c) of the VEA.  Any such request must be made in writing to the Repatriation Medical Authority at the following address:

The Registrar

Repatriation Medical Authority

GPO Box 1014

BRISBANE    QLD    4001


Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

(Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011)

 

Instrument No.:   Statement of Principles No. 60 of 2019

Kind of Injury, Disease or Death: Gout

 

This Legislative Instrument is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

Overview of the Legislative Instrument

1. This Legislative Instrument is determined pursuant to subsection 196B(8) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (the VEA) for the purposes of the VEA and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (the MRCA).

2. This Legislative Instrument:-

  • facilitates claimants in making, and the Repatriation Commission in assessing, claims under the VEA and the MRCA respectively, by specifying the circumstances in which medical treatment and compensation can be extended to eligible persons who have gout;
  • facilitates the review of such decisions by the Veterans' Review Board and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal;
  • outlines the factors which the current sound medical-scientific evidence indicates must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, gout is connected with the circumstances of eligible service rendered by a person, as set out in clause 5 of the Explanatory Statement;
  • replaces Instrument No. 31 of 2010; and
  • reflects developments in the available sound medical-scientific evidence concerning gout which have occurred since that earlier instrument was determined. 

3. The Instrument is assessed as being a technical instrument which improves the medico-scientific quality of outcomes under the VEA and the MRCA. 

Human Rights Implications

4. This Legislative Instrument does not derogate from any human rights. It promotes the human rights of veterans, current and former Defence Force members as well as other persons such as their dependents, including:

  • the right to social security (Art 9, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Art 26, Convention on the Rights of the Child and Art 28, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) by helping to ensure that the qualifying conditions for the benefit are 'reasonable, proportionate and transparent'[1];
  • the right to an adequate standard of living (Art 11, ICSECR; Art 27, CRC and Art 28, CRPD) by facilitating the assessment and determination of social security benefits;
  • the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (Art 12, ICSECR and Art 25, CRPD), by facilitating the assessment and determination of compensation and benefits in relation to the treatment and rehabilitation of veterans and Defence Force members;
  • the rights of persons with disabilities by facilitating the determination of claims relating to treatment and rehabilitation (Art 26, CRPD); and
  • ensuring that those rights "will be exercised without discrimination of any kind as to race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status" (Art 2, ICESCR).

Conclusion

This Legislative Instrument is compatible with human rights as it does not derogate from and promotes a number of human rights.

 

Repatriation Medical Authority

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] In General Comment No. 19 (The right to social security), the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights said (at paragraph 24) this to be one of the elements of ensuring accessibility to social security.

Overview

The Statement of Principles concerning gout (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 60 of 2019) was enacted to address the medical-scientific evidence regarding the relationship between gout and specific types of military service. This legislation was introduced by the Repatriation Medical Authority under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004. The primary objective of this Act is to facilitate claims and assessments of benefits for veterans and current or former Defence Force members suffering from gout, by outlining the factors necessary for establishing a connection between gout and service circumstances. This Statement of Principles replaces the previously repealed Instrument No. 31 of 2010, reflecting updated medical-scientific evidence. It serves to clarify the qualifying conditions for benefits and ensures that the rights of veterans and their dependents are protected and exercised without discrimination.

Scope and Application

The Statement of Principles concerning gout (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 60 of 2019) applies to individuals who are veterans or current and former members of the Australian Defence Force and their dependents. This legislation is applicable under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA). The Statement of Principles sets out the specific factors that must exist for gout or death from gout to be considered connected to the service rendered by a person, which includes eligible war service, defence service, and peacetime service. The scope of this legislation is national, operating across all states and territories in Australia. It replaces the previously repealed Statement of Principles concerning gout (Instrument No. 31 of 2010) and incorporates the latest medical-scientific evidence. The legislation does not specify any exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds, but its application may be extended or restricted through subordinate instruments. The Repatriation Medical Authority, which is responsible for determining this Instrument, consulted with relevant organisations and experts during its development but did not receive any submissions for consideration.

Key Provisions

The Statement of Principles concerning gout (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 60 of 2019) (the Instrument), as determined under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA), establishes the circumstances in which gout or death from gout may be considered connected with eligible service (subsection 9). The Repatriation Medical Authority (the Authority) has determined this Statement of Principles, which sets out the factors that must exist for gout or death from gout to be considered connected with eligible service, such as eligible war service, defence service, or peacetime service (subsection 9(1) and (2)). This Statement of Principles replaces the previously repealed Instrument No. 31 of 2010. The Authority has reviewed the available sound medical-scientific evidence and determined that it is more probable than not that gout and death from gout can be related to particular kinds of service. The Instrument imposes obligations on claimants to provide evidence that the factors set out in the Statement of Principles are present and related to their service (subsection 9). The Instrument also imposes obligations on the Repatriation Commission to assess claims based on the factors specified in the Statement of Principles (subsection 9). The Authority is required to review the evidence and determine whether the factors specified in the Statement of Principles are met. The Instrument facilitates the review of such decisions by the Veterans' Review Board and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Breaches of the requirements outlined in the Instrument may have legal consequences for claimants and the Repatriation Commission. Claimants who fail to provide sufficient evidence to meet the factors specified in the Statement of Principles may have their claims denied. The Repatriation Commission may face legal challenges if it fails to assess claims in accordance with the factors specified in the Statement of Principles. While the Instrument does not explicitly outline specific penalties for breaches, the failure to comply with the requirements of the VEA and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) may result in legal consequences under those Acts.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.