What can I claim secondary to steatohepatitis?
5 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list steatohepatitis as a factor. If DVA has accepted your steatohepatitis, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionSteatohepatitis
- Conditions it may open5
- 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 steatohepatitis, and another condition's SoP lists steatohepatitis 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 steatohepatitis 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.
Cirrhosis of the liver
RH No. 1 of 2017 · BoP No. 2 of 2017
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (10): “having steatohepatitis before the clinical onset of cirrhosis of the liver” [clinical onset] — factor (37): “having steatohepatitis before the clinical worsening of cirrhosis of the liver” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (10): “having steatohepatitis before the clinical onset of cirrhosis of the liver” [clinical onset] — factor (35): “having steatohepatitis before the clinical worsening of cirrhosis of the liver” [worsening]
Dupuytren disease
RH No. 9 of 2019 · BoP No. 10 of 2019
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (4): “having cirrhosis of the liver or steatohepatitis before the clinical onset of Dupuytren disease” [clinical onset] — factor (17): “having cirrhosis of the liver or steatohepatitis before the clinical worsening of Dupuytren disease” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Hereditary haemochromatosis
RH No. 23 of 2021 · BoP No. 24 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (4): “having steatohepatitis at the time of the clinical worsening of hereditary haemochromatosis” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (4): “having steatohepatitis 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.
Malignant neoplasm of the liver
RH No. 31 of 2020 · BoP No. 32 of 2020
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (24): “having steatohepatitis for at least five years before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the liver” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Porphyria cutanea tarda
RH No. 69 of 2021 · BoP No. 70 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (4): “having cirrhosis of the liver or steatohepatitis at the time of the clinical onset of porphyria cutanea tarda” [clinical onset] — factor (16): “having cirrhosis of the liver or steatohepatitis at the time of the clinical worsening of porphyria cutanea tarda” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (4): “having cirrhosis of the liver or alcoholic steatohepatitis at the time of the clinical onset of porphyria cutanea tarda” [clinical onset] — factor (14): “having cirrhosis of the liver or alcoholic steatohepatitis at the time of the clinical worsening of porphyria cutanea tarda” [worsening]
Other accepted conditions that also open cirrhosis of the liver
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions steatohepatitis does.
What DVA means by steatohepatitis
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.
Steatohepatitis, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, steatohepatitis: (a) means the presence of fatty change and inflammation of the liver with hepatocyte injury, with or without fibrosis; and (b) includes alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; and (c) excludes: (i) alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency; (ii) biliary obstruction; (iii) haemochromatosis; and (iv) Wilson's disease.
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(14) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, steatohepatitis where it was already present before or during service. If service caused steatohepatitis outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 86 of 2022 · BoP No. 87 of 2022 · 12 factors
What could support a claim for steatohepatitis?
The Statement of Principles for steatohepatitis 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 steatohepatitis claim — quoted here from the instrument.
Hypertension
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having hypertension before the clinical onset of steatohepatitis” [clinical onset]
Diabetes mellitus
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having diabetes mellitus at the time of the clinical onset of steatohepatitis” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (1): “having diabetes mellitus at the time of the clinical onset of steatohepatitis” [clinical onset]
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 →
Steatohepatitis accepted?
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