What can I claim secondary to hiatus hernia?
2 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list hiatus hernia as a factor. If DVA has accepted your hiatus hernia, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionHiatus hernia
- Conditions it may open2
- 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 hiatus hernia, and another condition's SoP lists hiatus hernia 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 hiatus hernia 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.
Barrett's oesophagus
RH No. 67 of 2016 · BoP No. 68 of 2016
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having a hiatus hernia before the clinical onset of Barrett's oesophagus” [clinical onset] — factor (6): “having a hiatus hernia before the clinical worsening of Barrett's oesophagus” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (2): “having a hiatus hernia before the clinical onset of Barrett's oesophagus” [clinical onset] — factor (6): “having a hiatus hernia before the clinical worsening of Barrett's oesophagus” [worsening]
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
RH No. 61 of 2021 · BoP No. 62 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having a hiatus hernia at the time of the clinical onset of gastro- oesophageal reflux disease” [clinical onset] — factor (11): “having a hiatus hernia at the time of the clinical worsening of gastro- oesophageal reflux disease” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (1): “having a hiatus hernia at the time of the clinical onset of gastro- oesophageal reflux disease” [clinical onset] — factor (9): “having a hiatus hernia at the time of the clinical worsening of gastro- oesophageal reflux disease” [worsening]
Other accepted conditions that also open barrett's oesophagus
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions hiatus hernia does.
What DVA means by hiatus hernia
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.
Hiatus hernia, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, hiatus hernia: (a) means an acquired protrusion of intra-abdominal tissue through the oesophageal hiatus of the diaphragm into the thoracic cavity; and (b) includes: (i) mixed sliding and paraoesophageal hiatus hernia; (ii) paraoesophageal hiatus hernia; and (iii) sliding hiatus hernia; and (c) excludes: (i) congenital hiatus hernia; (ii) eventration of the diaphragm; and (iii) physiological herniation during swallowing.
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(9) to 9(17) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, hiatus hernia where it was already present before or during service. If service caused hiatus hernia outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 60 of 2022 · BoP No. 61 of 2022 · 9 factors
What could support a claim for hiatus hernia?
The Statement of Principles for hiatus hernia 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 hiatus hernia claim — quoted here from the instrument.
Systemic sclerosis
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (7): “having systemic sclerosis at the time of the clinical onset of hiatus hernia” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (15): “having systemic sclerosis at the time of the clinical worsening of hiatus hernia” [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 →
Hiatus hernia accepted?
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