{"id":"F2025L00726","name":"Statement of Principles concerning benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 62 of 2025)","slug":"statement-of-principles-concerning-benign-neoplasm-of-the-eye-and-adnexa-reasonable-hypothesis-no-62","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":442868,"registerId":"F2025L00726-fast-fetch-1775957794547","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Statement of Principles concerning benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 62 of 2025)","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![RMA Australian Government Coat of Arms](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nStatement of Principles\n\nconcerning\n\nBENIGN NEOPLASM OF THE EYE AND ADNEXA  (Reasonable Hypothesis)\n\n(No. 62 of 2025)\n\nThe Repatriation Medical Authority determines the following Statement of Principles under subsection 196B(2) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n \n\nDated    20 June 2025\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nProfessor Terence Campbell AM\n\nChairperson\n\nby and on behalf of\n\nThe Repatriation Medical Authority\n\n \n\n \n\n   \n\n\nContents\n\n1 Name\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Authority\n\n4 Repeal\n\n5 Application\n\n6 Definitions\n\n7 Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates\n\n8 Basis for determining the factors\n\n9 Factors that must exist\n\n10 Relationship to service\n\n11 Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of Principles\n\nSchedule 1 - Dictionary\n\n1 Definitions\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n1.                Name\n\n\nThis is the Statement of Principles concerning benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 62 of 2025).\n\n1.                Commencement\n\n\n              This instrument commences on 21 July 2025.\n\n1.                Authority\n\n\nThis instrument is made under subsection 196B(2) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n1.                Repeal\n\n\nThe Statement of Principles concerning benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 41 of 2016) (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2016L00565) made under subsection 196B(2) of the VEA is repealed.\n\n1.                Application\n\n\nThis instrument applies to a claim to which section 120A of the VEA or section 338 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 applies.\n\n1.                Definitions\n\n\nThe terms defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary have the meaning given when used in this instrument.\n\n1.                Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates\n  1.           This Statement of Principles is about benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa and death from benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa.\n\n\nMeaning of benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa\n\n1.           For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa:\n  1.           means a non-malignant neoplastic proliferation of the cells of the eye classified according to site as conjunctiva, cornea, retina, choroid, ciliary body, lacrimal gland, lacrimal duct and orbit; and\n  2.           excludes:\n    1.             benign neoplasm of the eyelid;\n    2.          benign neoplasm of the optic nerve;\n    3.        benign neoplasm of the orbital bone;\n    4.         haemangioma;\n    5.           ipoma of the eye;\n    6.         lymphangioma;\n    7.      melanocytic naevi;\n    8.    meningioma;\n    9.         neurofibromatosis;\n    10.           ocular surface squamous dysplasia;\n    11.         retinal vasoproliferative tumours.\n\n\nNote: The adnexa are accessory structures supporting the eye and include the lacrimal gland, lacrimal duct, conjunctival sac and orbit except for the eye and optic nerve.\n\n1.           While benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa attracts ICD‑10‑AM codes: D31.0, D31.1, D31.2, D31.3, D31.4 and D31.5, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa is that given in subsection (2).\n2.           For subsection (3), a reference to an ICD-10-AM code is a reference to the code assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Tenth Edition, effective date of 1 July 2017, copyrighted by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, ISBN 978-1-76007-296-4.\n\n\nDeath from benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa\n\n1.           For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa, in relation to a person, includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person's benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa.\n\n\nNote: terminal event is defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary.\n\n1.                Basis for determining the factors\n\n\nThe Repatriation Medical Authority is of the view that there is sound medical-scientific evidence that indicates that benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa and death from benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa can be related to relevant service rendered by veterans, members of Peacekeeping Forces, or members of the Forces under the VEA, or members under the MRCA.\n\nNote: MRCA, relevant service and VEA are defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary.\n\n1.                Factors that must exist\n\n\nAt least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa or death from benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:\n\n1.           having persistent infection of the epithelium of the conjunctiva with human papilloma virus (HPV) (strains 5b, 6, 6a, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 31, 33 or 45) before clinical onset of papilloma of the conjunctiva;\n2.           inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa before clinical worsening.\n\n\n1.            Relationship to service\n  1.           The existence in a person of any factor referred to in section 9, must be related to the relevant service rendered by the person.\n  2.           The factor set out in subsection 9(2) applies only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa where the person's benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person's relevant service.\n2.            Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of Principles\n\n\nIn this Statement of Principles:\n\n1.           if a factor referred to in section 9 applies in relation to a person; and\n2.           that factor refers to an injury or disease in respect of which a Statement of Principles has been determined under subsection 196B(2) of the VEA;\n\n\nthen the factors in that Statement of Principles apply in accordance with the terms of that Statement of Principles as in force from time to time.\n\n \n\n \n\nSchedule 1 - Dictionary  \n\nNote:               See Section 6\n\n1               Definitions\n\nIn this instrument:\n\n                                benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa—see subsection 7(2).\n\n                               MRCA means the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.\n\n                               relevant service means:\n\n(a)          operational service under the VEA;\n\n(b)          peacekeeping service under the VEA;\n\n(c)          hazardous service under the VEA;\n\n(d)          British nuclear test defence service under the VEA;\n\n(e)          warlike service under the MRCA; or\n\n(f)           non-warlike service under the MRCA.\n\nNote: MRCA and VEA are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.\n\n                               terminal event means the proximate or ultimate cause of death and includes the following:\n\n(a)           pneumonia;\n\n(b)           respiratory failure;\n\n(c)           cardiac arrest;\n\n(d)           circulatory failure; or\n\n(e)           cessation of brain function.\n\n                               VEA means the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n \n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a straightforward re-enactment/replacement of the 2016 Statement of Principles concerning the same medical condition. The scope remains tightly focused on establishing the medical-scientific basis for connecting benign eye tumours to military service. There is no indication of scope creep; the instrument performs the same function as its predecessor with updated medical classifications and authority references."},"complexity_factors":["Short, focused instrument with only 11 operative sections plus a brief dictionary","Only 2 substantive factors in section 9 for establishing service connection","11 specific exclusions in the definition section, but these are clearly listed","Minimal cross-referencing—only refers to parent Acts (VEA and MRCA) and one repealed instrument","Straightforward conditional logic: factor must exist + factor must relate to service = reasonable hypothesis established","Single nested condition in section 10(2) limiting the second factor to pre-existing conditions","Only 5 defined terms in the dictionary, with 2 being simple Act abbreviations (VEA, MRCA)"],"plain_english_summary":"These rules set medical criteria for when benign tumours of the eye and surrounding structures are accepted as service-related for compensation claims, replacing the 2016 version. They affect veterans and current/former defence members claiming under the Veterans' Entitlements Act or the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. Acceptance can rest on persistent infection with certain HPV strains or on deterioration due to lack of medical care. The rules exclude many lesion types (e.g. eyelid, optic nerve, bony, vascular, fatty and some retinal tumours)."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument repeals the 2016 Statement of Principles (s4) and replaces it with the current definition, exclusions and the specific factors that can establish a reasonable hypothesis (see s7–s9). As a result, the formal scope governing which medical causes and evidential links are accepted for claims is reset by this instrument."},"complexity_factors":["Technical medical definitions and exclusions — detailed site-based definition and a list of excluded conditions (s7(2)).","Evidentiary threshold term 'reasonable hypothesis' and the need to connect listed factors to relevant service (title, s8, s9, s10).","Cross-references to other legislation and instruments — VEA and MRCA claim routes and prior Statements (s3, s5, s11, Schedule 1).","Use of external medical coding (ICD-10-AM) to identify related diagnoses (s7(4)).","Limited set of operative factors (only two listed) that determine causation assessment — narrows but concentrates decision points (s9).","Definition of death from terminal events and its inclusion in scope affecting causation for fatalities (s7(5), Schedule 1)."],"plain_english_summary":"This Statement of Principles (s.1–4) repeals the 2016 version and sets the medical definition and claims test for “benign neoplasm of the eye and adnexa”. It applies to veterans and service members claiming under s.120A of the VEA or s.338 of the MRCA, and lists specific biological causes and an inability-to-obtain-care factor that, if related to relevant service, raise a “reasonable hypothesis” linking the condition to service."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-benign-neoplasm-of-the-eye-and-adnexa-reasonable-hypothesis-no-62","history":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-benign-neoplasm-of-the-eye-and-adnexa-reasonable-hypothesis-no-62/history","analysis":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-benign-neoplasm-of-the-eye-and-adnexa-reasonable-hypothesis-no-62/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-benign-neoplasm-of-the-eye-and-adnexa-reasonable-hypothesis-no-62/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-benign-neoplasm-of-the-eye-and-adnexa-reasonable-hypothesis-no-62/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-benign-neoplasm-of-the-eye-and-adnexa-reasonable-hypothesis-no-62/documents"}}