{"id":"F2024L01039","name":"Statement of Principles concerning pinguecula (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 60 of 2024)","slug":"statement-of-principles-concerning-pinguecula-reasonable-hypothesis-no-60-of-2024","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":442527,"registerId":"F2024L01039-fast-fetch-1775957507266","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Statement of Principles concerning pinguecula (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 60 of 2024)","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\nPINGUECULA  (Reasonable Hypothesis)\n\n(No. 60 of 2024)\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 August 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\n1               Name\n\nThis is the Statement of Principles concerning pinguecula (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 60 of 2024).\n\n2               Commencement\n\n              This instrument commences on 24 September 2024.\n\n3               Authority\n\nThis instrument is made under subsection 196B(2) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n4               Repeal\n\nThe Statement of Principles concerning pinguecula (Reasonable Hypothesis) No. 118 of 2015 (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2015L01670) made under subsection 196B(2) of the VEA is repealed.\n\n5               Application\n\nThis instrument applies to a claim to which section 120A of the VEA or section 338 of the Military Rehabilitation and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\n6               Definitions\n\nThe terms defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary have the meaning given when used in this instrument.\n\n7               Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates\n\n(1)          This Statement of Principles is about pinguecula and death from pinguecula.\n\nMeaning of pinguecula\n\n(2)          For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, pinguecula:\n\n(a)          Means a small, raised benign elastoic conjunctival degeneration presenting as a fatty nodule near the temporal or nasal limbus (corneal-scleral junction) of the eye; and\n\n(b)          excludes pterygium.\n\n(3)          While pinguecula attracts ICD‑10‑AM code H11.1, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of pinguecula is that given in subsection (2).\n\n(4)          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\nDeath from pinguecula\n\n(5)          For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, pinguecula, in relation to a person, includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person's pinguecula.\n\nNote: terminal event is defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary.\n\n8               Basis for determining the factors\n\nThe Repatriation Medical Authority is of the view that there is sound medical-scientific evidence that indicates that pinguecula and death from pinguecula 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\n9               Factors that must exist\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 pinguecula or death from pinguecula with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:\n\n(1)          having sunlight exposure to the unprotected eye for at least 2,250 hours while in a tropical area, or having equivalent sunlight exposure in other latitude zones, before clinical onset;\n\nNote: latitude equivalent hours of sun exposure are calculated as follows:\n\n(a)         hours of sun exposure in tropical latitudes (23.5° Sth to 23.5° Nth) multiplied by 1.0;\n\n(b)         hours of sun exposure in subtropical latitudes (23.6° - 35°) multiplied by 0.75;\n\n(c)         hours of sun exposure in warm temperate latitudes (35.1° - 45°) multiplied by 0.5;\n\n(d)         hours of sun exposure in cool temperate latitudes (45.1° - 65°) multiplied by 0.25;\n\nThe number of latitude equivalent hours of sun exposure in each region are then added together. This is done to account for differences in sunlight intensity at different latitudes.\n\n(2)          having heavy exposure of the unprotected affected eye to dust, where the upper body is mostly covered in dust, for an average of at least 20 hours per week for two years, before clinical onset;\n\n(3)          having exposure of the affected eye to arc welding radiation and fumes, while welding without eye protection, for an average of at least 20 hours per week for at least the 2 years, before clinical onset;\n\n(4)          having Meibomian gland dysfunction at the time of clinical onset;\n\n(5)          inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for pinguecula before clinical worsening.\n\n10           Relationship to service\n\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\n(2)          The factor set out in subsection 9(5) applies only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, pinguecula where the person's pinguecula was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person's relevant service.\n\n11           Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of Principles\n\nIn this Statement of Principles:\n\n(1)          if a factor referred to in section 9 applies in relation to a person; and\n\n(2)          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\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                                MRCA means the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.\n\n                               pinguecula—see subsection 7(2).\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":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument repeals the 2015 Statement of Principles (s 4) and replaces it with updated, explicitly quantified criteria: a 2,250 latitude-equivalent hours sunlight threshold with latitude weighting (s 9(1) and Note), specified dust and welding exposure metrics (s 9(2)–(3)), inclusion of Meibomian gland dysfunction and lack of access to care as alternative factors (s 9(4)–(5)), and explicit inclusion of death contributed to by pinguecula (s 7(5)). It also clarifies the exclusion of pterygium from ‘pinguecula’ (s 7(2))."},"complexity_factors":["Technical medical definition distinguishing pinguecula from pterygium and linking to ICD-10-AM coding (s 7(2)–(4)).","Quantitative exposure thresholds and a latitude-weighting method for sunlight hours (s 9(1) and Note to s 9(1)).","Multiple distinct exposure routes (sunlight, dust, welding) plus clinical conditions (Meibomian gland dysfunction) and access-to-care as alternative pathways (s 9(1)–(5)).","Requirement that an identified factor be related to ‘relevant service’ (s 10(1)), invoking statutory definitions of relevant service (Schedule 1).","Interaction with other Statements of Principles where factors overlap with other injuries/diseases (s 11).","Inclusion of death from a terminal event contributed to by pinguecula (s 7(5)), expanding causal linkage beyond direct pathology.","Legal standard used — ‘reasonable hypothesis’ — which is lower than balance of probabilities but imposes evidentiary interpretation by decision-makers (instrument authority, s 3 and preamble).","Repeal of the prior 2015 Statement, creating potential transitional or interpretive issues (s 4)."],"plain_english_summary":"This Statement of Principles sets the medical and service-linked criteria used to decide if pinguecula (a benign raised eye lesion) is connected to a veteran’s or service member’s ‘relevant service’ for entitlement claims. It names who is covered and gives measurable triggers — for example, specified hours of unprotected sunlight, dust or welding exposure, certain eye conditions, and lack of access to care — that, if met, raise a reasonable hypothesis linking the condition to service and so matter for compensation decisions."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a standard periodic update of a Repatriation Medical Authority Statement of Principles. It replaces the 2015 version (No. 118 of 2015) with the same fundamental purpose: establishing causal factors for linking pinguecula to military service. The scope remains tightly focused on this specific ophthalmological condition and its service connection criteria. No expansion beyond the original intent is evident."},"complexity_factors":["Mathematical conversion formula for latitude-based sun exposure calculations with four distinct zones and multipliers (0.25–1.0)","Precise quantitative thresholds requiring record-keeping: 2,250 hours, 20 hours/week for 2 years","Cross-referencing mechanism in section 11 allowing incorporation of other Statements of Principles by reference","Conditional limitation in section 10(2) restricting factor 9(5) to pre-existing conditions aggravated by service","Medical terminology requiring specialist knowledge: 'elastoic conjunctival degeneration', 'Meibomian gland dysfunction', 'temporal/nasal limbus'","Dual statutory framework application (VEA and MRCA) with six distinct categories of qualifying service","Specific exclusion of pterygium (a similar but distinct eye condition) in the definition"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument updates the Statements of Principles used to decide when Australian veterans and current/former defence members can claim compensation for pinguecula, replacing the 2015 version. It sets the medical/scientific criteria the Repatriation Medical Authority will use to assess claims under the VEA and MRCA.\n\nIt matters because it ties entitlement to specific service-related exposures or medical factors (for example, heavy sun, dust or welding exposure, or certain eyelid disease) and requires the exposure to have occurred during qualifying military service."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-pinguecula-reasonable-hypothesis-no-60-of-2024","history":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-pinguecula-reasonable-hypothesis-no-60-of-2024/history","analysis":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-pinguecula-reasonable-hypothesis-no-60-of-2024/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-pinguecula-reasonable-hypothesis-no-60-of-2024/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-pinguecula-reasonable-hypothesis-no-60-of-2024/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-pinguecula-reasonable-hypothesis-no-60-of-2024/documents"}}