What can I claim secondary to sleep apnoea?
14 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list sleep apnoea as a factor. If DVA has accepted your sleep apnoea, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionSleep apnoea
- Conditions it may open14
- SourceRMA SoPs
- Chart Review$600 + GST
How a secondary claim works
Every DVA claim is decided against a Statement of Principles — the legislative instrument listing the only factors capable of connecting a condition to service. Some of those factors are not about service at all: they name another condition. Where DVA has already accepted your sleep apnoea, and another condition's SoP lists sleep apnoea as a factor, the hardest part of the next claim is already done — the condition is established, dated and on your file. You still need a diagnosis of the new condition, and the factor still has to be met on your evidence, including any threshold of time or severity written into it. But the pathway exists in the legislation rather than in an argument.
Conditions that list sleep apnoea 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
Listed factor: “having obstructive sleep apnoea at the time of the clinical onset of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter”
Carotid artery disease
Listed factor: “having obstructive sleep apnoea for at least the one year before the clinical onset of carotid artery disease”
Cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
Listed factor: “having sleep apnoea at the time of clinical onset”
Cluster headache
Listed factor: “having sleep apnoea at the time of the clinical onset of cluster headache”
Deep vein thrombosis
Listed factor: “having sleep apnoea at the time of the clinical onset of deep vein thrombosis”
Dental malocclusion
Listed factor: “using a mandibular repositioning appliance for treatment of snoring or obstructive sleep apnoea for at least five hours per night, on at least five days per week, for at least the four months before the clinical onset of dental malocclusion”
Epilepsy
Listed factor: “having obstructive sleep apnoea at the time of the clinical onset of epilepsy”
Heart block
Listed factor: “having obstructive sleep apnoea at the time of the clinical onset of heart block”
Hypertension
Listed factor: “having sleep apnoea at the time of the clinical onset of hypertension”
Ischaemic heart disease
Listed factor: “having sleep apnoea for at least the 1 year before clinical onset or clinical worsening”
Panic disorder
Listed factor: “having sleep apnoea within the ten years before the clinical onset of panic disorder”
Pulmonary thromboembolism
Listed factor: “having sleep apnoea at the time of the clinical onset of pulmonary thromboembolism”
Restless legs syndrome
Listed factor: “having narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnoea at the time of the clinical onset of restless legs syndrome”
Sick sinus syndrome
Listed factor: “having obstructive sleep apnoea at the time of the clinical onset of sick sinus syndrome”
What else opens further claims
- Conditions secondary to diabetes mellitus
- Conditions secondary to hypertension
- Conditions secondary to moderate to severe traumatic brain injury
- Conditions secondary to alcohol use disorder
- Conditions secondary to cirrhosis of the liver
- Conditions secondary to hepatitis c
- Conditions secondary to depressive disorder
- Conditions secondary to sarcoidosis
- Check every condition you have accepted →
Frequently asked questions
Does this mean I will be accepted for these conditions?
No. It means the legislation contains a pathway. The factor still has to be met on your evidence, and the new condition still has to be diagnosed by a qualified practitioner.
Do I need a new diagnosis for each one?
Yes. DVA cannot accept liability for a condition that has not been diagnosed. If something here matches symptoms you have been living with, that is the conversation to have with a doctor.
Is this the same as an aggravation claim?
No. Aggravation is where service worsened a condition you already had. A sequela is a separate condition arising from one already accepted, claimed in its own right with its own SoP.
Where does this information come from?
The Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles, as held in our SoP Library. We index the factor text of all 357 instruments. SoPs are amended regularly — confirm the current instrument before relying on it.
What should I do next?
Have your record read against these pathways. A chart review establishes which are actually provable, with the page reference behind each one.
Dr Thomas Perkins
The expert in veterans’ medicolegal medicine — Expert DVA Doctor.
Dr Thomas Perkins is the founding doctor at the Veterans Health Centre in Ipswich, Queensland, and the leading expert in veterans’ medicolegal work in Australia. He has spent over 13 years working exclusively with current and former Australian Defence Force members — treating conditions, writing reports, and navigating the DVA system alongside them.
With 100,000+ DVA claims submitted and over 2,000 Permanent Impairment Assessments completed, Dr Perkins brings a depth of experience that simply cannot be replicated from a textbook. He understands the Statements of Principles, the GARP tables, the imaging that proves what a physical examination alone cannot — and the difference that a properly written report makes at every level, from initial liability through to the VRB.
Every chart review, every diagnostic assessment, and every impairment rating is personally overseen by Dr Perkins. If you’re looking for a doctor who knows veterans medicine inside and out, you’ve found the right clinic.
Contact us0429 146 039 reception@vhc.org.au
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