What can I claim secondary to hepatitis c?
17 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list hepatitis c as a factor. If DVA has accepted your hepatitis c, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionHepatitis C
- Conditions it may open17
- 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 hepatitis c, and another condition's SoP lists hepatitis c 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 hepatitis c 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.
Carotid artery disease
RH No. 54 of 2020 · BoP No. 55 of 2020
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (15): “having infection with human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis C virus before the clinical onset of carotid artery disease” [clinical onset] — factor (40): “having infection with human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis C virus before the clinical worsening of carotid artery disease” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (12): “having infection with human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis C virus before the clinical onset of carotid artery disease” [clinical onset] — factor (31): “having infection with human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis C virus before the clinical worsening of carotid artery disease” [worsening]
Cirrhosis of the liver
RH No. 1 of 2017 · BoP No. 2 of 2017
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (5): “having chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus before the clinical onset of cirrhosis of the liver” [clinical onset] — factor (11): “being infected with human immunodeficiency virus, in the presence of chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus or chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus, before the clinical onset of cirrhosis of the liver” [clinical onset] — factor (32): “having chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus before the clinical worsening of cirrhosis of the liver” [worsening] — factor (38): “being infected with human immunodeficiency virus, in the presence of chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus or chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus, before the clinical worsening of cirrhosis of the liver” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (5): “having chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus before the clinical onset of cirrhosis of the liver” [clinical onset] — factor (11): “being infected with human immunodeficiency virus, in the presence of chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus or chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus, before the clinical onset of cirrhosis of the liver” [clinical onset] — factor (30): “having chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus before the clinical worsening of cirrhosis of the liver” [worsening] — factor (36): “being infected with human immunodeficiency virus, in the presence of chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus or chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus, before the clinical worsening of cirrhosis of the liver” [worsening]
Note: chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Note: chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus and chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Deep vein thrombosis
RH No. 35 of 2021 · BoP No. 36 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (15): “having infection with human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis C virus at the time of the clinical onset of deep vein thrombosis” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (12): “having infection with human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis C virus at the time of the clinical onset of deep vein thrombosis” [clinical onset]
Gallstone disease (cholelithiasis)
RH No. 69 of 2025 · BoP No. 70 of 2025
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (20): “having hepatitis C virus infection at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening” [onset and worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Hashimoto thyroiditis
RH No. 1 of 2022 · BoP No. 2 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (5): “having infection with hepatitis C virus at the time of the clinical onset of Hashimoto thyroiditis” [clinical onset] — factor (15): “having infection with hepatitis C virus at the time of the clinical worsening of Hashimoto thyroiditis” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Hepatitis B
RH No. 13 of 2017 · BoP No. 14 of 2017
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (4): “being infected with the hepatitis A, hepatitis C, hepatitis D or hepatitis E virus before the clinical worsening of hepatitis B” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (4): “being infected with the hepatitis A, hepatitis C, hepatitis D or hepatitis E virus before the clinical worsening of hepatitis B” [worsening]
Hereditary haemochromatosis
RH No. 23 of 2021 · BoP No. 24 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (3): “having infection with hepatitis C virus at the time of the clinical worsening of hereditary haemochromatosis” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (3): “having infection with hepatitis C virus at the time of the clinical worsening of hereditary haemochromatosis” [worsening]
Note: The clinical worsening of hereditary haemochromatosis typically manifests as hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis.
Hypothyroidism
RH No. 3 of 2022 · BoP No. 4 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (18): “having hepatitis C virus infection at the time of the clinical onset of hypothyroidism” [clinical onset] — factor (40): “having hepatitis C virus infection at the time of the clinical worsening of hypothyroidism” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Malignant neoplasm of the bile duct
RH No. 53 of 2024 · BoP No. 54 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (8): “having chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus at the time of clinical onset” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (8): “having chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus at the time of clinical onset” [clinical onset]
Note: chronic infection with hepatitis C virus is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Malignant neoplasm of the liver
RH No. 31 of 2020 · BoP No. 32 of 2020
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (3): “having chronic infection with hepatitis C virus before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the liver” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (3): “having chronic infection with hepatitis C virus before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the liver” [clinical onset]
Note: In the past, hepatitis C viral infection may have been classified as non-A, non-B hepatitis.
Malignant neoplasm of the pancreas
RH No. 103 of 2021 · BoP No. 104 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (12): “having infection with hepatitis C virus before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the pancreas” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Mature B-cell lymphoid leukaemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma
RH No. 78 of 2022 · BoP No. 79 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (3): “having chronic infection with hepatitis C virus before the clinical onset of mature B-cell lymphoid leukaemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Note: In the past, hepatitis C viral infection may have been classified as non-A, non-B hepatitis.
Non-aneurysmal aortic atherosclerotic disease
RH No. 52 of 2020 · BoP No. 53 of 2020
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (15): “having infection with human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis C virus at the time of the clinical onset of non-aneurysmal aortic atherosclerotic disease” [clinical onset] — factor (33): “having infection with human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis C virus at the time of the clinical worsening of non-aneurysmal aortic atherosclerotic disease” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Polyarteritis nodosa
RH No. 33 of 2020 · BoP No. 34 of 2020
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having infection with hepatitis C virus at the time of the clinical onset of polyarteritis nodosa” [clinical onset] — factor (8): “having infection with hepatitis C virus at the time of the clinical worsening of polyarteritis nodosa” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Portal vein thrombosis
RH No. 107 of 2022 · BoP No. 108 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (15): “having chronic infection with hepatitis C virus at the time of the clinical onset of portal vein thrombosis” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Note: chronic infection with hepatitis C virus is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Pulmonary thromboembolism
RH No. 37 of 2021 · BoP No. 38 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (12): “having infection with human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis C virus at the time of the clinical onset of pulmonary thromboembolism” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (10): “having infection with human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis C virus at the time of the clinical onset of pulmonary thromboembolism” [clinical onset]
Tuberculosis
RH No. 47 of 2024 · BoP No. 48 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (18): “having hepatitis C infection at the time of the clinical worsening of tuberculosis” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (15): “having hepatitis C infection at the time of the clinical worsening of tuberculosis” [worsening]
Other accepted conditions that also open carotid artery disease
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions hepatitis c does.
What DVA means by hepatitis c
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.
Hepatitis C, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, hepatitis C means infection with the hepatitis C virus resulting in: (a) an acute, symptomatic, clinical illness characterised by inflammation of the liver, and which is confirmed by laboratory testing for hepatitis C serological or nucleic acid markers; or (b) a chronic infection of at least six months duration, and which is confirmed by laboratory testing for hepatitis C nucleic acid markers.
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(2) to 9(4) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, hepatitis c where it was already present before or during service. If service caused hepatitis c outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 13 of 2018 · BoP No. 14 of 2018 · 4 factors
What could support a claim for hepatitis c?
The Statement of Principles for hepatitis c names 1 other condition among its own factors. If any of these is already accepted on your file, it may be the factor that carries a hepatitis c claim — quoted here from the instrument.
Hepatitis B
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “being infected with the hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis D or hepatitis E virus before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (2): “being infected with the hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis D or hepatitis E virus before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C” [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 →
Hepatitis C accepted?
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