What can I claim secondary to bronchiectasis?
1 condition in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list bronchiectasis as a factor. If DVA has accepted your bronchiectasis, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionBronchiectasis
- Conditions it may open1
- 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 bronchiectasis, and another condition's SoP lists bronchiectasis 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 bronchiectasis 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.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
RH No. 17 of 2023 · BoP No. 18 of 2023
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (14): “having bronchiectasis before the clinical onset of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” [clinical onset] — factor (29): “having bronchiectasis before the clinical worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (13): “having bronchiectasis before the clinical onset of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” [clinical onset] — factor (27): “having bronchiectasis before the clinical worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” [worsening]
Other accepted conditions that also open chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions bronchiectasis does.
What DVA means by bronchiectasis
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.
Bronchiectasis, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, bronchiectasis means: (a) an acquired lung disease with permanent and irreversible, abnormal dilatation of bronchi and bronchioles; and (b) excludes congenital bronchiectasis, and bronchiectasis associated with cystic fibrosis, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, common variable immune deficiency and other genetic disorders.
Note the exclusion. This instrument expressly excludes congenital Bronchiectasis, and Bronchiectasis associated with cystic fibrosis, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, common variable immune deficiency and other genetic disorders. A diagnosis of that is not a diagnosis of bronchiectasis, and a claim framed the wrong way fails on the definition before any factor is considered.
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(23) to 9(45) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, bronchiectasis where it was already present before or during service. If service caused bronchiectasis outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 30 of 2017 · BoP No. 31 of 2017 · 29 factors
What could support a claim for bronchiectasis?
The Statement of Principles for bronchiectasis names 6 other conditions among its own factors. If any of these is already accepted on your file, it may be the factor that carries a bronchiectasis claim — quoted here from the instrument.
Tuberculosis
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (3): “having pulmonary tuberculosis or non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection of the lung, before the clinical onset of bronchiectasis” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (25): “having pulmonary tuberculosis or non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection of the lung before the clinical worsening of bronchiectasis” [worsening]
Sarcoidosis
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (4): “having sarcoidosis of the lung before the clinical onset of bronchiectasis” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (26): “having sarcoidosis of the lung before the clinical worsening of bronchiectasis” [worsening]
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (10): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, with erosive oesophagitis or oesophageal stricture, within the two years before the clinical onset of bronchiectasis” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (32): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, with erosive oesophagitis or oesophageal stricture, within the two years before the clinical worsening of bronchiectasis” [worsening]
Fibrosing interstitial lung disease
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (13): “having fibrosis or fibrosing interstitial lung disease, involving the segment of the lung affected by bronchiectasis, before the clinical onset of bronchiectasis” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (35): “having fibrosis or fibrosing interstitial lung disease, involving the segment of the lung affected by bronchiectasis, before the clinical worsening of bronchiectasis” [worsening]
Inflammatory bowel disease
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (20): “having inflammatory bowel disease at the time of the clinical onset of bronchiectasis” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (42): “having inflammatory bowel disease at the time of the clinical worsening of bronchiectasis” [worsening]
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (22): “having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the time of the clinical onset of bronchiectasis” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (44): “having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the time of the clinical worsening of bronchiectasis” [worsening]
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 →
Bronchiectasis accepted?
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