{"id":"F2024L01707","name":"Statement of Principles concerning benign prostatic hyperplasia (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 13 of 2025)","slug":"statement-of-principles-concerning-benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-reasonable-hypothesis-no-13-of-2025","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":442688,"registerId":"F2024L01707-fast-fetch-1775957640246","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Statement of Principles concerning benign prostatic hyperplasia (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 13 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 PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA  (Reasonable Hypothesis)\n\n(No. 13 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    17 December 2024.\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 prostatic hyperplasia (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 13 of 2025).\n\n1.                Commencement\n\n\n              This instrument commences on 28 January 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 prostatic hyperplasia (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 17 of 2016) (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2016L00240) 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 prostatic hyperplasia and death from benign prostatic hyperplasia.\n\n\nMeaning of benign prostatic hyperplasia\n\n1.           For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, benign prostatic hyperplasia:\n  1.           means a benign hyperplasia of the prostate glandular and stromal tissue which can cause obstruction of urine outflow; and\n  2.           excludes:\n    1.             malignant neoplasm of the prostate;\n    2.          overactive bladder; and\n    3.        prostatitis.\n\n\nNote: Obstruction of urine outflow may present as increased urgency, increased urinary frequency, poor flow or dribbling.\n\n1.           While benign prostatic hyperplasia attracts ICD‑10‑AM code N40, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of benign prostatic hyperplasia 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 prostatic hyperplasia\n\n1.           For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, benign prostatic hyperplasia, in relation to a person, includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person's benign prostatic hyperplasia.\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 prostatic hyperplasia and death from benign prostatic hyperplasia 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 prostatic hyperplasia or death from benign prostatic hyperplasia with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:\n\n1.           inability to undertake any physical activity greater than 3 METs for at least the 5 years before clinical onset;\n\n\nNote: MET (metabolic equivalent) is a unit of measure of the level of physical capability of the cardiorespiratory system. For example, 1 MET = cardiorespiratory effort associated with a person sitting, 3-4 METs = cardiorespiratory effort associated with a person walking at average walking pace (5 km/h) or light gardening.\n\n1.           having chronic inflammatory prostatitis within the 8 years before clinical onset;\n2.           inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for benign prostatic hyperplasia 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(3) applies only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, benign prostatic hyperplasia where the person's benign prostatic hyperplasia 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 prostatic hyperplasia—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":{"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"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument maintains the established scope of Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles. It replaces the 2016 version of the same instrument without expanding beyond the original purpose: establishing medical criteria for linking specific conditions to veteran service. The three-factor structure and the distinction between onset and worsening are consistent with the long-standing framework for these determinations."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single-purpose instrument (approximately 1,500 words)","Only 7 defined terms in the Dictionary (Schedule 1)","Simple conditional structure: three alternative factors in section 9, only one required","Limited cross-referencing — primarily internal references to the Dictionary and two parent Acts (VEA and MRCA)","Clear delineation between 'clinical onset' and 'clinical worsening' with specific temporal windows (5 years, 8 years)","No nested exceptions or complex definitional chains","Standardised template structure common to all Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument sets the medical rules for when Australian veterans and defence members can claim compensation for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), applying the lower \"reasonable hypothesis\" test under the Veterans' Entitlements Act and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. It affects veterans, current/former defence members, their families, the Repatriation Medical Authority and DVA.\n\nTo succeed a claim, a plausible service link must be shown — for example severe long‑term physical restriction, chronic inflammatory prostatitis, or failure to receive appropriate care that worsened the condition. Prostate cancer and overactive bladder are excluded."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"Yes — the instrument expressly repeals the 2016 Statement (s4) and replaces it with updated definitions and exclusions (s7(2)), plus a narrowed set of qualifying factors and temporal limits (s9). Those changes alter which medical facts and service connections can raise a reasonable hypothesis for VEA/MRCA claims (application: s5; basis: s8)."},"complexity_factors":["Legal cross-references to two claim frameworks (VEA and MRCA) and specified claim sections (application: s5).","Causation standard uses the statutory 'reasonable hypothesis' test requiring medical‑scientific basis (Basis for determining the factors: s8).","Medical criteria include technical measures and temporal thresholds (physical capacity measured in METs; 5‑year and 8‑year windows) (Factors: s9).","Defined inclusions and exclusions for the medical condition (definition and exclusions: s7(2)).","Interaction with other Statements of Principles where factors refer to other injuries/diseases (s11).","Repeal and replacement of a prior Statement (s4) and a specified commencement date (s2).","Reference to ICD‑10‑AM coding for classification while relying on the instrument's statutory definition rather than code alone (s7(3)–(4))."],"plain_english_summary":"Mechanically, this instrument replaces the 2016 Statement and establishes a new Statement of Principles that links benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and death from BPH to “relevant service” for claims under the Veterans' Entitlements Act and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. It defines BPH, excludes certain related conditions, and sets specific medical and temporal criteria that must exist before a 'reasonable hypothesis' of service connection can be raised."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-reasonable-hypothesis-no-13-of-2025","history":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-reasonable-hypothesis-no-13-of-2025/history","analysis":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-reasonable-hypothesis-no-13-of-2025/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-reasonable-hypothesis-no-13-of-2025/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-reasonable-hypothesis-no-13-of-2025/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-reasonable-hypothesis-no-13-of-2025/documents"}}