SSA Blue Book · by condition

What it actually takes to be approved.

SSA keeps a “Listing of Impairments” — the Blue Book — that spells out the exact medical criteria for approving a claim by condition. We’ve put 116 listings into plain language, with the evidence each one needs. Meeting a listing is one way to be approved; it’s the clearest.

Musculoskeletal disorders

Section 1.00

Back, spine, joints, and reconstructive surgery of weight-bearing joints.

Disorders of the spine (legacy listing — replaced by 1.15-1.16 in 2021)1.04 Disorders of the skeletal spine resulting in compromise of a nerve root(s)1.15 Lumbar spinal stenosis resulting in compromise of the cauda equina1.16 Reconstructive surgery or surgical arthrodesis of a major weight-bearing joint1.17 Abnormality of a major joint(s) in any extremity1.18 Pathologic fractures due to any cause1.19 Amputation due to any cause1.20 Soft-tissue injury or abnormality under continuing surgical management1.21 Non-healing or complex fracture of the femur, tibia, pelvis, or one or more vertebrae1.22 Non-healing or complex fracture of an upper extremity1.23

Special senses & speech

Section 2.00

Vision loss, blindness, hearing loss, and loss of speech.

Loss of central visual acuity2.02 Contraction of the visual field in the better eye2.03 Loss of visual efficiency or visual impairment2.04 Hearing loss not treated with cochlear implantation2.07 Hearing loss treated with cochlear implantation2.10 Vertigo (Ménière, vestibular)2.11

Respiratory disorders

Section 3.00

COPD, asthma, cystic fibrosis, and other chronic lung disease.

Chronic respiratory disorders (COPD, restrictive lung disease)3.02 Asthma3.03 Cystic fibrosis3.04 Bronchiectasis3.07 Chronic pulmonary hypertension3.09 Lung transplantation3.14

Cardiovascular disorders

Section 4.00

Heart failure, ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias, and vascular disease.

Chronic heart failure4.02 Ischemic heart disease4.04 Recurrent arrhythmias4.05 Symptomatic congenital heart disease4.06 Aneurysm of aorta or major branches due to dissection4.10 Chronic venous insufficiency of a lower extremity4.11 Peripheral arterial disease (PAD)4.12

Digestive disorders

Section 5.00

Liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and related conditions.

Gastrointestinal hemorrhaging5.02 Chronic liver disease5.05 Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)5.06 Short bowel syndrome5.07 Weight loss due to any digestive disorder5.08 Liver transplantation5.09

Genitourinary disorders

Section 6.00

Chronic kidney disease, dialysis, and nephrotic syndrome.

Chronic kidney disease with chronic hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis6.03 Chronic kidney disease with kidney transplantation6.04 Chronic kidney disease with reduced glomerular filtration without dialysis6.05 Nephrotic syndrome6.06 Complications of chronic kidney disease6.09

Blood disorders

Section 7.00

Sickle cell disease, bone-marrow failure, and clotting disorders.

Hemolytic anemias (sickle cell, beta-thalassemia, etc.)7.05 Disorders of thrombosis and hemostasis (hemophilia, von Willebrand)7.08 Disorders of bone marrow failure7.10 Hematological disorders treated by bone marrow or stem-cell transplantation7.17 Hematological complications of repeated complications7.18

Skin disorders

Section 8.00

Chronic skin conditions, burns, and related impairments.

Ichthyosis8.02 Bullous disease (pemphigus, bullous pemphigoid, dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa)8.03 Chronic infections of the skin or mucous membranes8.04 Dermatitis (e.g. psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, dyshidrosis)8.05 Hidradenitis suppurativa8.06 Genetic photosensitivity disorders (xeroderma pigmentosum, etc.)8.07 Burns8.08

Endocrine disorders

Section 9.00

Diabetes, thyroid, adrenal, pituitary, and parathyroid disorders.

Adrenal disorders (Cushing, Addison, pheochromocytoma)9.00.adrenal Diabetes mellitus (route to secondary body-system listing)9.00.diabetes_mellitus Parathyroid disorders9.00.parathyroid Pituitary disorders9.00.pituitary Thyroid disorders (route to secondary body-system listing)9.00.thyroid

Congenital disorders

Section 10.00

Non-mosaic Down syndrome and other congenital conditions affecting multiple body systems.

Down syndrome (non-mosaic)10.06

Neurological disorders

Section 11.00

Epilepsy, MS, Parkinson’s, ALS, stroke, and traumatic brain injury.

Epilepsy11.02 Vascular insult to the brain (stroke)11.04 Parkinsonian syndrome11.06 Cerebral palsy11.07 Spinal cord disorders11.08 Multiple sclerosis11.09 Post-polio syndrome11.11 Myasthenia gravis11.12 Muscular dystrophy11.13 Peripheral neuropathy11.14 Neurodegenerative disorders not listed elsewhere11.17 Traumatic brain injury11.18 Coma or persistent vegetative state11.20 Motor neuron disorders other than ALS11.22

Mental disorders

Section 12.00

Depression, anxiety, bipolar, PTSD, schizophrenia, and cognitive disorders.

Neurocognitive disorders12.02 Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders12.03 Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders12.04 Intellectual disorder12.05 Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders12.06 Somatic symptom and related disorders12.07 Personality and impulse-control disorders12.08 Autism spectrum disorder12.10 Neurodevelopmental disorders12.11 Eating disorders12.13 Trauma- and stressor-related disorders12.15

Immune system disorders

Section 14.00

Lupus, HIV, rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune conditions.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)14.02 Systemic vasculitis14.03 Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma)14.04 Polymyositis and dermatomyositis14.05 Undifferentiated and mixed connective tissue disease14.06 Immune deficiency disorders, excluding HIV14.07 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection14.08 Inflammatory arthritis14.09 Sjögren syndrome14.10 Specified immune-mediated disorders (e.g. IBD-immune)14.11

Estimate approval odds Approval odds by condition

Source: SSA Listing of Impairments (the “Blue Book”), 20 CFR Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1. Criteria paraphrased for readability; each listing links to the official SSA text. Not legal or medical advice — whether a specific record meets a listing is an individualized medical-legal judgment.