What can I claim secondary to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?
7 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as a factor. If DVA has accepted your chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionChronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Conditions it may open7
- 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 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and another condition's SoP lists chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 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 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 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.
Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter
RH No. 1 of 2023 · BoP No. 2 of 2023
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (16): “having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the time of the clinical onset of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter” [clinical onset] — factor (60): “having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the time of the clinical worsening of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (16): “having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the time of the clinical onset of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter” [clinical onset] — factor (53): “having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the time of the clinical worsening of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter” [worsening]
Bronchiectasis
RH No. 30 of 2017 · BoP No. 31 of 2017
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (22): “having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the time of the clinical onset of bronchiectasis” [clinical onset] — factor (44): “having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the time of the clinical worsening of bronchiectasis” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Deep vein thrombosis
RH No. 35 of 2021 · BoP No. 36 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (11): “having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the time of the clinical onset of deep vein thrombosis” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Duodenal ulcer and duodenal erosion
RH No. 49 of 2024 · BoP No. 50 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (26): “having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the time of bleeding of a duodenal ulcer”
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Note: The bleeding of a dudenal ulcer is considered to be a clinical worsening.
Gastric ulcer and gastric erosion
RH No. 51 of 2024 · BoP No. 52 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (28): “having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the time of bleeding of a gastric ulcer”
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Note: The bleeding of a gastric ulcer is considered to be a clinical worsening.
Pulmonary thromboembolism
RH No. 37 of 2021 · BoP No. 38 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (8): “having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the time of the clinical onset of pulmonary thromboembolism” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Restless legs syndrome
RH No. 113 of 2022 · BoP No. 114 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (17): “having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma at the time of the clinical onset of restless legs syndrome” [clinical onset] — factor (35): “having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma at the time of the clinical worsening of restless legs syndrome” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (19): “having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the time of the clinical worsening of restless legs syndrome” [worsening]
Other accepted conditions that also open atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions chronic obstructive pulmonary disease does.
What DVA means by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: (a) means a chronic progressive inflammatory pathology occurring with different proportions of involvement of the airways, lung parenchyma and vasculature; and (b) includes: (i) chronic bronchitis; (ii) emphysema; and (iii) persistent airflow limitation; and (c) excludes: (i) asbestosis; (ii) asthma; (iii) bronchiectasis; (iv) bronchiolitis obliterans; (v) fibrosing interstitial lung disease and other fibrosing lung disease; (vi) hypersensitivity pneumonitis (extrinsic allergic alveolitis); and (vii) surgical, traumatic or localised emphysema.
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(15) to 9(31) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease where it was already present before or during service. If service caused chronic obstructive pulmonary disease outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 17 of 2023 · BoP No. 18 of 2023 · 29 factors
Every factor in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease SoP →
What could support a claim for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?
The Statement of Principles for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease names 4 other conditions among its own factors. If any of these is already accepted on your file, it may be the factor that carries a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease claim — quoted here from the instrument.
Tuberculosis
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (11): “having pulmonary tuberculosis at least 1 year before the clinical onset of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (26): “having pulmonary tuberculosis at least 1 year before the clinical worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” [worsening]
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (12): “having alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency at the time of the clinical onset of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (27): “having alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency at the time of the clinical worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” [worsening]
Bronchiectasis
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (14): “having bronchiectasis before the clinical onset of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (29): “having bronchiectasis before the clinical worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” [worsening]
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (30): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, with erosive oesophagitis or oesophageal stricture within 2 years before the clinical worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (28): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, with erosive oesophagitis or oesophageal stricture at the time of the clinical worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” [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 →
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