{"id":"F2025L00156","name":"Statement of Principles concerning pterygium (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 33 of 2025)","slug":"statement-of-principles-concerning-pterygium-reasonable-hypothesis-no-33-of-2025","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":442738,"registerId":"F2025L00156-fast-fetch-1775957688177","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Statement of Principles concerning pterygium (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 33 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\nPTERYGIUM  (Reasonable Hypothesis)\n\n(No. 33 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    18 February 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 pterygium (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 33 of 2025).\n\n1.                Commencement\n\n\n              This instrument commences on 25 March 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 pterygium No. 116 of 2015 (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2015L01671) made under subsection 196B(2)  of the VEA is repealed.\n\n1.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 pterygium and death from pterygium.\n\n\nMeaning of pterygium\n\n1.           For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, pterygium:\n  1.           means a triangular or wedge-shaped expanse of fibrovascular tissue which grows horizontally in the interpalpebral fissure, extending from the conjunctiva to the cornea, being immovably united to the cornea at its apex, firmly attached to the sclera throughout its middle portion, and merged with the conjunctiva at its base; and\n  2.           excludes:\n    1.             pseudo-pterygium;\n    2.          pinguecula;\n    3.        pterygium of the nails;\n    4.         pterygium colli;\n    5.           antecubital pterygium; and\n    6.         popliteal pterygium.\n2.           While pterygium attracts ICD‑10‑AM code H11.0, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of pterygium is that given in subsection (2).\n3.           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 pterygium\n\n1.           For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, pterygium, in relation to a person, includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person's pterygium.\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 pterygium and death from pterygium 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 pterygium or death from pterygium with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:\n\n1.           having sunlight exposure to the eye which is not protected by clothing, ultraviolet-blocking sunglasses, or other physical barrier, for a cumulative period of at least 2,250 latitude equivalent hours before clinical onset;\n\n\nNote: latitude equivalent hours and unprotected eye are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.\n\n1.           having exposure of the affected eye to electric arc welding light, while welding without appropriate eye protection, such as a welding helmet or welding mask, for an average of at least 20 hours per week, for at least the 2 years before clinical onset;\n2.           having heavy exposure of the unprotected eye to sawdust, in an environment where the person is covered in sawdust, for an average of at least 20 hours per week, for at least the one year before clinical onset;\n3.           inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for pterygium 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(4) applies only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, pterygium where the person's pterygium 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                                 latitude equivalent hours means hours of exposure multiplied by the appropriate latitude weighting factor as follows:\n\n(a)           For tropical latitudes (23.5° South to 23.5° North) multiply by 1.0;\n\n(b)          For subtropical latitudes (23.6° - 35°) multiply by 0.75;\n\n(c)           For warm temperate latitudes (35.1° - 45°) multiply by 0.5;\n\n(d)           For cool temperate latitudes (45.1° - 65°) multiply by 0.25.\n\nNote 1: sunlight exposure is calculated as the sum of sunlight exposure in each separate latitude, accounting for the different sunlight intensity in each latitude (weighting factor).\n\nNote 2: sum of sunlight exposure = (sunlight hours spent in tropical latitude x tropical latitude weighting factor) + (sunlight hours spent in subtropical latitude x subtropical latitude weighting factor) + (sunlight hours spent in warm temperate latitude x warm temperate latitude weighting factor) + (sunlight hours spent in cool temperate latitude x cool temperate latitude weighting factor).\n\n                               MRCA means the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.\n\n                               pterygium—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_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":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a straightforward replacement of the 2015 Statement of Principles concerning pterygium. It maintains the same scope — establishing medical connection factors for a specific eye condition in veterans' compensation claims. The structure, purpose, and affected population remain consistent with the original intent of the Veterans' Entitlements Act framework for determining service-related disability."},"complexity_factors":["Mathematical calculation requirement for 'latitude equivalent hours' with four-tier weighting system (1.0, 0.75, 0.5, 0.25) based on geographic zones","Precise temporal thresholds requiring exact duration tracking (2,250 hours, 20 hours/week for 2 years, 20 hours/week for 1 year)","Cross-referencing between two separate compensation schemes (VEA and MRCA) with six distinct service types defined","Nested definitions requiring lookup in Schedule 1 Dictionary for 5 key terms (latitude equivalent hours, MRCA, relevant service, terminal event, VEA)","Specific exclusion list of 6 similar-sounding conditions to prevent misclassification","Conditional logic in section 10(2) restricting the medical neglect factor to pre-existing conditions only"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument updates the 2015 medical guidance and sets the legal test for linking pterygium (\"surfer’s eye\") to Australian Defence service, for claims under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004. It explains who is covered (ADF members, veterans, peacekeepers) and defines the \"reasonable hypothesis\" exposure factors — notably significant unprotected sun exposure, prolonged arc-welding or heavy sawdust exposure, and service-related lack of treatment — while excluding similar non‑ocular conditions."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument continues to govern causation rules for pterygium claims under the VEA and MRCA and replaces the 2015 Statement. It retains the same class of persons and types of decisions covered but defines updated, quantitative exposure thresholds and other factors that will affect how causation is proved; the text does not by itself show an expansion or contraction of the population intended to be covered."},"complexity_factors":["Technical medical definition of pterygium and explicit exclusions (precision required in diagnosis).","Quantitative exposure thresholds with a latitude weighting calculation (2250 latitude‑equivalent hours) requiring retrospective exposure assessment.","Multiple alternative exposure pathways (sunlight, welding light, sawdust, and lack of appropriate management) with differing temporal requirements.","Interaction with other Statements of Principles where overlapping injuries/diseases are referenced, creating interpretive linkage to other instruments.","Evidentiary and administrative burden for claimants to prove historical exposures and ‘inability to obtain appropriate clinical management’.","Reference to ICD‑10‑AM code and defined terminal events for death causation, requiring clinical coding and cause-of-death linkage."],"plain_english_summary":"This Statement of Principles sets the medical causation rules the Repatriation Medical Authority will use to decide whether pterygium (and death from it) can be reasonably hypothesised to be related to a person's relevant military service. It applies to claims under the VEA and MRCA and defines pterygium narrowly, plus specific exposure thresholds—latitude‑weighted sunlight totalling 2,250 hours, prolonged unprotected electric‑arc welding, heavy sawdust exposure, or inability to obtain appropriate clinical care—that must be present to establish a service connection."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-pterygium-reasonable-hypothesis-no-33-of-2025","history":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-pterygium-reasonable-hypothesis-no-33-of-2025/history","analysis":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-pterygium-reasonable-hypothesis-no-33-of-2025/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-pterygium-reasonable-hypothesis-no-33-of-2025/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-pterygium-reasonable-hypothesis-no-33-of-2025/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-pterygium-reasonable-hypothesis-no-33-of-2025/documents"}}