{"id":"F2025L00136","name":"Veterans' Entitlements (Health and Wellbeing Program) Determination 2025","slug":"veterans-entitlements-health-and-wellbeing-program-determination-2025","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":105950,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2025L00136-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Veterans' Entitlements (Health and Wellbeing Program) Determination 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![Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of Australia](image.001.jpeg)\n\nVeterans’ Entitlements (Health and Wellbeing Program) Determination 2025\n\nI, Luke Brown, a delegate of the Repatriation Commission, make the following instrument.\n\nDated 17th February 2025\n\n \n\nLuke Brown\n\nFirst Assistant Secretary, Policy Division\n\nDepartment of Veterans’ Affairs\n\n\n\n\n# Part 1—Preliminary\n\n## 1  Name\n\nThis instrument is the Veterans’ Entitlements (Health and Wellbeing Program) Determination 2025.\n\n## 2  Commencement\n\nThis instrument commences on the day after the day it is registered.\n\n## 3  Authority\n\nThis instrument is made under subsections 88A(1) and (2) of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n## 4  Definitions\n\nNote: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in the Act, including the following:\n\n(a) Commission (see section 5A);\n\n(b) operational service (see sections 6 to 6F);\n\n(c) peacekeeping service (see subsection 68(1));\n\n(d) veteran (see paragraph 80(2)(c)).\n\n  In this instrument:\n\nhealth and wellbeing program means a 12-month program:\n\n (a) to improve or maintain an individual’s physical or mental health or social wellbeing; and\n\n (b) that includes:\n\n (i) regular fitness training supervised by appropriately qualified individuals; and\n\n (ii) education about cardiovascular health; and\n\n (c) run by or for the Commission.\n\n## 5  Schedules\n\nEach instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.\n\n\n\n\nPart 2—Specified classes and kind of treatment\n\n## 6  Veterans in specified class eligible for health and wellbeing program\n\n (1) For paragraph 88A(1)(a) of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986, a specified class is a class made up of veterans:\n\n (a) who have rendered:\n\n (i) operational service; or\n\n (ii) peacekeeping service; and\n\n (b) if any of the veterans has participated in a health and wellbeing program—who the Commission determines should participate in the program again in all the circumstances.\n\n (2) A health and wellbeing program is specified as a kind of treatment for a veteran in the specified class.\n\n## 7  Members in specified class eligible for health and wellbeing program\n\n (1) For paragraph 88A(1)(d) of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986, a specified class is a class made up of members:\n\n (a) who are entitled to be provided treatment under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004, Part 3 because of that Act, section 279; and\n\n (b) if any of the members has participated in a health and wellbeing program—who the Commission determines should participate in the program again in all the circumstances.\n\n (2) A health and wellbeing program is specified as a kind of treatment for a member in the specified class.\n\n (3) In this section:\n\nmember—see the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004, subsection 5(1).\n\n\n\n\nSchedule 1—Amendments\n\nVeterans’ Entitlements (Point Cook Firefighters) Determination 2021\n\n1  Section 4, definition of firefighter\n\nomit\n\n2  Section 4\n\ninsert\n\nhealth and wellbeing program means a 12-month program:\n\n (a) to improve or maintain an individual’s physical or mental health or social wellbeing; and\n\n (b) that includes:\n\n (i) regular fitness training supervised by appropriately qualified individuals; and\n\n (ii) education about cardiovascular health; and\n\n (c) run by or for the Commission.\n\nPoint Cook firefighter means a person who, at the RAAF Base Point Cook between 1 January 1957 and 31 December 1986:\n\n (a) served as a firefighter; or\n\n (b) participated in a firefighter training course; or\n\n (c) was an instructor of a firefighter training course.\n\n3  Section 5\n\nsubstitute\n\n5  Specified kinds of treatment for Point Cook firefighters\n\n (1) For paragraph 88A(1)(d) of the Act, a specified class is made up of:\n\n (a) Point Cook firefighters; and\n\n (b) if any of the firefighters has participated in a health and wellbeing program—the firefighters who the Commission determines should participate in the program again in all the circumstances.\n\n (2) Treatment of the following kinds is specified for a person in the class of people:\n\n (a) a health and wellbeing program;\n\n (b) colorectal cancer screening, by:\n\n (i) a faecal occult blood test; or\n\n (ii) a colonoscopy;\n\n (c) melanoma screening, by any 1 or more of the following means:\n\n (i) an examination by a general medical practitioner;\n\n (ii) dermoscopy or dermatoscopy;\n\n (iii) total body digital photography.\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"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The instrument expands the scope of recognisable 'kinds of treatment' under the Veterans' Entitlements framework by specifying a 12‑month health and wellbeing program for defined classes of veterans and members (ss 6–7) and by amending the Point Cook Firefighters Determination to add that program plus colorectal and melanoma screening as specified treatments (Schedule 1, items 2–3). It also revises the Point Cook firefighter definition (Schedule 1 item 2)."},"complexity_factors":["Cross‑references to multiple statutes and provisions (Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 paragraph 88A(1)(a) and (d); authority cited under subsections 88A(1) and (2)) — instrument relies on external definitions and powers (s3; ss 6–7).","Delegated administrative discretion: the Commission determines whether individuals who have previously participated should participate again (s6(1)(b), s7(1)(b), Schedule 1 item 3(1)).","Repeated and slightly different definitions: the instrument defines 'health and wellbeing program' in its own definitions (s4) and repeats that definition in Schedule 1 (Schedule item 2), requiring consistency in application.","Amendment of an existing statutory instrument (Schedule 1): changes to the Veterans' Entitlements (Point Cook Firefighters) Determination 2021 alter both definitions (firefighter; program) and specified treatments, creating interactional complexity between instruments.","Conditional class construction: eligibility classes are framed conditionally (e.g. veterans/members who have rendered particular service and those determined by the Commission to re‑participate) which affects individual entitlements depending on administrative assessment (ss 6–7, Schedule 1 item 3).","Operational detail embedded in definition: program content requires 'appropriately qualified individuals' and specific components (fitness training; cardiovascular education), which creates implementation and procurement questions for service delivery (s4, repeated).","Interplay with Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act definitions and eligibility rules — the term 'member' is imported by reference (s7(3)), increasing the number of external definitions to consult.","Immediate commencement rule (commences day after registration) sets a tight implementation timeline for agencies (s2)."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument makes a 12‑month \"health and wellbeing program\"—supervised fitness training plus education about cardiovascular health, run by or for the Repatriation Commission—a recognised kind of treatment for veterans who served on operational or peacekeeping service, certain members under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act, and specified Point Cook firefighters. The Commission decides who may re‑participate. It also amends the Point Cook Firefighters Determination to add colorectal and melanoma screening as specified treatments."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: establishing eligibility criteria for a specific health and wellbeing program. The inclusion of Point Cook firefighters through Schedule 1 is an expansion of beneficiaries rather than a scope creep — these firefighters were already covered by a related 2021 Determination, and this instrument simply adds the new program to their existing entitlements while preserving their current screening benefits."},"complexity_factors":["Short instrument: only 7 substantive sections plus a short Schedule of amendments","Minimal defined terms: only 2 explicit definitions in the instrument itself ('health and wellbeing program' and 'member'), with 4 terms incorporated by reference from the parent Act","Simple conditional logic: only one substantive condition — whether the Commission determines a repeat participation is appropriate","Single cross-reference: relies heavily on definitions and concepts from the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 and Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004, but does not create complex nested references","No exceptions to exceptions or deeply nested provisions","Straightforward structure: Part 1 (preliminary), Part 2 (eligibility rules), Schedule 1 (minor amendments to another instrument)"],"plain_english_summary":"This Determination creates a new 12‑month health and wellbeing program of supervised fitness training plus heart‑health education for certain veterans and defence members. It’s available to those who served in operational or peacekeeping roles, current/former members entitled under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act, and Point Cook firefighters (1957–1986), who retain existing bowel cancer and melanoma screening.\n\nRun by the Repatriation Commission, it expands preventive care to support veterans’ physical, mental and social wellbeing."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/veterans-entitlements-health-and-wellbeing-program-determination-2025","history":"/api/acts/veterans-entitlements-health-and-wellbeing-program-determination-2025/history","analysis":"/api/acts/veterans-entitlements-health-and-wellbeing-program-determination-2025/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/veterans-entitlements-health-and-wellbeing-program-determination-2025/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/veterans-entitlements-health-and-wellbeing-program-determination-2025/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/veterans-entitlements-health-and-wellbeing-program-determination-2025/documents"}}