Wilson disease

Wilson disease — DVA SoP factors

Every factor in the Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles for Wilson disease. DVA can only accept a claim for Wilson disease if at least one of these factors is met and connected to your service. Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) applies to operational service; Balance of Probabilities (BoP) applies to peacetime service.

Source: Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles as held by the Veterans Health Centre. SoPs are amended and replaced regularly; always confirm the current instrument at rma.gov.au before relying on it.

RH No. 47 of 2023 · BoP No. 48 of 20234 factors

Meaning of wilson disease: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, Wilson disease means a genetic disorder of copper metabolism, which involves impaired biliary copper excretion and toxic accumulation of copper in various organs of the body such as the liver and brain.

Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 47 of 2023

At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting Wilson disease or death from Wilson disease with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

(1)
being pregnant at the time of the clinical worsening of Wilson disease;
(2)
inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for Wilson disease;

Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 9(1) and 9(2) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.

Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 48 of 2023

2 factors

At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, Wilson disease or death from Wilson disease is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

(1)
being pregnant at the time of the clinical worsening of Wilson disease;
(2)
inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for Wilson disease;

Accepted — what is it worth?

A Statement of Principles decides one thing only: whether DVA accepts liability for wilson disease. It says nothing about how much you are paid. Compensation is worked out separately, from impairment points under the GARP — so a condition can be accepted and still rate few points, or rate more than you expect once it is combined with everything else on your file.