What can I claim secondary to gastro-oesophageal reflux disease?
10 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list gastro-oesophageal reflux disease as a factor. If DVA has accepted your gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionGastro-oesophageal reflux disease
- Conditions it may open10
- 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 gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, and another condition's SoP lists gastro-oesophageal reflux 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 gastro-oesophageal reflux 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.
Asthma
RH No. 31 of 2021 · BoP No. 32 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (13): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical worsening of asthma” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (12): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical worsening of asthma” [worsening]
Note: clinical worsening of asthma is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter
RH No. 1 of 2023 · BoP No. 2 of 2023
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (35): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical onset of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter” [clinical onset] — factor (79): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical worsening of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Barrett's oesophagus
RH No. 67 of 2016 · BoP No. 68 of 2016
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease for at least the one year before the clinical onset of Barrett's oesophagus” [clinical onset] — factor (5): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease for at least the one year before the clinical worsening of Barrett's oesophagus” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (1): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease for at least the two years before the clinical onset of Barrett's oesophagus” [clinical onset] — factor (5): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease for at least the two years before the clinical worsening of Barrett's oesophagus” [worsening]
Bronchiectasis
RH No. 30 of 2017 · BoP No. 31 of 2017
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] — factor (32): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, with erosive oesophagitis or oesophageal stricture, within the two years before the clinical worsening of bronchiectasis” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (8): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, with erosive oesophagitis or oesophageal stricture, at the time of the clinical onset of bronchiectasis” [clinical onset] — factor (22): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, with erosive oesophagitis or oesophageal stricture, at the time of the clinical worsening of bronchiectasis” [worsening]
Bronchiolitis obliterans organising pneumonia
RH No. 79 of 2018 · BoP No. 80 of 2018
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (8): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical onset of bronchiolitis obliterans organising pneumonia” [clinical onset] — factor (16): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical worsening of bronchiolitis obliterans organising pneumonia” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (8): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical onset of bronchiolitis obliterans organising pneumonia” [clinical onset] — factor (16): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical worsening of bronchiolitis obliterans organising pneumonia” [worsening]
Bruxism
RH No. 91 of 2016 · BoP No. 92 of 2016
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (9): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical onset of bruxism” [clinical onset] — factor (18): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical worsening of bruxism” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (5): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical onset of bruxism” [clinical onset] — factor (10): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical worsening of bruxism” [worsening]
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
RH No. 17 of 2023 · BoP No. 18 of 2023
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]
Fibrosing interstitial lung disease
RH No. 85 of 2021 · BoP No. 86 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (47): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease for at least the 5 years before the clinical worsening of fibrosing interstitial lung disease” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (46): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease for at least the 5 years before the clinical worsening of fibrosing interstitial lung disease” [worsening]
Malignant neoplasm of the larynx
RH No. 41 of 2022 · BoP No. 42 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (16): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease for at least the 5 years before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the larynx” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (12): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease for at least the 10 years before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the larynx” [clinical onset]
Otitis media
RH No. 62 of 2022 · BoP No. 63 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (10): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical onset of otitis media” [clinical onset] — factor (25): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical worsening of otitis media” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (10): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical onset of otitis media” [clinical onset] — factor (22): “having gastro-oesophageal reflux disease at the time of the clinical worsening of otitis media” [worsening]
Other accepted conditions that also open asthma
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions gastro-oesophageal reflux disease does.
What DVA means by gastro-oesophageal reflux 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.
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: (a) means a chronic condition involving retrograde flow of gastro- duodenal contents into the oesophagus, larynx or pharynx, resulting in: (i) symptoms sufficient to warrant regular medical treatment; or (ii) histological evidence of oesophageal inflammation; and (b) includes reflux oesophagitis and reflux with oesophageal ulceration; and (c) excludes Barrett's oesophagus, non-reflux oesophagitis, non- reflux oesophageal ulceration, traumatic oesophageal perforation or tear and oesophageal varices.
Note the exclusion. This instrument expressly excludes Barrett's oesophagus, non-reflux oesophagitis, non- reflux oesophageal ulceration, traumatic oesophageal perforation or tear and oesophageal varices. A diagnosis of that is not a diagnosis of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, and a claim framed the wrong way fails on the definition before any factor is considered.
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(11) to 9(24) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease where it was already present before or during service. If service caused gastro-oesophageal reflux disease outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 61 of 2021 · BoP No. 62 of 2021 · 20 factors
What could support a claim for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease?
The Statement of Principles for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease names 2 other conditions among its own factors. If any of these is already accepted on your file, it may be the factor that carries a gastro-oesophageal reflux disease claim — quoted here from the instrument.
Hiatus hernia
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having a hiatus hernia at the time of the clinical onset of gastro- oesophageal reflux disease” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (11): “having a hiatus hernia at the time of the clinical worsening of gastro- oesophageal reflux disease” [worsening]
Diabetes mellitus
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (9): “having diabetes mellitus at the time of the clinical onset of gastro- oesophageal reflux disease” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (19): “having diabetes mellitus at the time of the clinical worsening of gastro- oesophageal reflux 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 →
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease accepted?
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