Statement of Principles concerning presbyopia No. 117 of 2007 (Cth)

Statement of Principles

concerning

PRESBYOPIA

No. 117 of 2007

for the purposes of the

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

and

Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004

Title

1. This Instrument may be cited as Statement of Principles concerning presbyopia No. 117 of 2007.

Determination

1. The Repatriation Medical Authority under subsection 196B(2) and (8) of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (the VEA):

(a)       revokes Instrument No. 314 of 1995 concerning presbyopia; and

(b)       determines in its place this Statement of Principles.

Kind of injury, disease or death

1. (a)       This Statement of Principles is about presbyopia and death from presbyopia.

(b)For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, "presbyopia" means physiologically blurred near vision due to a reduction in the power of accommodation of the lens of the eye.

(c)Presbyopia attracts ICD-10-AM code H52.4.

(d)In the application of this Statement of Principles, the definition of "presbyopia" is that given at paragraph 3(b) above.

Basis for determining the factors

1. After examining the available sound medical-scientific evidence the Repatriation Medical Authority is of the view that there is sound medical-scientific evidence that indicates that the only factor that may be related to the cause of or material contribution to or aggravation of presbyopia or death from presbyopia and which 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 Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (the MRCA) is that set out in clause 5.

Factors that must be related to service

1. The factor that must as a minimum exist in relation to the circumstances of a person’s relevant service causing or materially contributing to or aggravating presbyopia or death from presbyopia is inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for presbyopia.

Other definitions

1. For the purposes of this Statement of Principles:

"death from presbyopia" in relation to a person includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person’s presbyopia;

"ICD-10-AM code" means a number assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Fifth Edition, effective date of 1 July 2006, copyrighted by the National Centre for Classification in Health, Sydney, NSW, and having ISBN 1 86487 772 3;

"relevant service" means:

(a)       operational service under the VEA; or

(b)       peacekeeping service under the VEA; or

(c)hazardous service under the VEA; or

(d)warlike service under the MRCA; or

(e)non-warlike service under the MRCA;

"terminal event" means the proximate or ultimate cause of death and includes:

(a)       pneumonia;

(b)       respiratory failure;

(c)       cardiac arrest;

(d)       circulatory failure; or

(e)cessation of brain function.

Application

1. This Instrument applies to all matters to which section 120A of the VEA or section 338 of the MRCA applies.

Date of effect

1. This Instrument takes effect from 14 November 2007.

Dated this       first         day of              November    2007

The Common Seal of the                  )

Repatriation Medical Authority       )

was affixed to this instrument          )

in the presence of:   )

KEN DONALD

CHAIRPERSON