SSA Listing 3.00

Respiratory Disorders: Social Security Disability Listings

Can You Get Disability for COPD, Asthma or Another Lung Condition?

Yes. A respiratory disorders disability claim is judged under SSA's 3.00 listings, which cover COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, pulmonary hypertension, respiratory failure and lung transplants. Most listings turn on breathing test results measured against your height, age and sex, or on repeated hospital stays. If you don't meet a listing, SSA weighs what you can still do. See who qualifies for Social Security disability.

Reviewed by Michael Rupe ·October 1, 2026

A woman with blond hair uses an inhaler outdoors with green trees behind her — Photo: Cnordic Nordic / Pexels

How the Respiratory Listings Are Organized

A respiratory disorders disability claim is judged against section 3.00 of SSA’s Listing of Impairments. The section covers disorders that cause obstruction (trouble moving air out of the lungs), restriction (trouble moving air in) or poor gas exchange (oxygen not passing into the blood well).

The section sorts common conditions this way:

COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis and pneumoconiosis: listing 3.02.
Asthma: 3.02 or 3.03.
Cystic fibrosis: 3.04.
Bronchiectasis: 3.02 or 3.07.
Chronic pulmonary hypertension: 3.09.
Lung transplant: 3.11.
Respiratory failure: 3.14 (or 3.04D for cystic fibrosis).

Lung cancer is judged under the cancer listings in 13.00 instead.

If your records match one listing’s criteria and the condition meets the duration rule, SSA finds you disabled at step three. You only need to meet one lettered option within a listing.

What SSA Looks for in the Common Lung Listings

Listing	What SSA looks for, in plain words
3.02 Chronic respiratory disorders (COPD, fibrosis)	Any one of: a low FEV1 or low FVC on spirometry compared with SSA’s table for your age, sex and height; poor gas exchange on a DLCO, blood gas or pulse oximetry test; or three hospital stays in 12 months, at least 30 days apart, each at least 48 hours
3.03 Asthma	Both a low FEV1 in the same 12 months and three hospital stays of at least 48 hours, 30 days apart; SSA treats you as disabled for 1 year after the last discharge
3.04 Cystic fibrosis	One of seven paths, including a low FEV1, three hospital stays of any length in 12 months, a collapsed lung needing a chest tube, or two serious complications in 12 months
3.07 Bronchiectasis	Widened airways shown on imaging, plus three hospital stays of at least 48 hours in 12 months
3.09 Pulmonary hypertension	Mean pulmonary artery pressure of 40 mm Hg or more measured by heart catheterization
3.11 Lung transplant	Disabled for 3 years from the transplant date, then SSA re-evaluates
3.14 Respiratory failure	Needing a ventilator or BiPAP for at least 48 hours, twice in 12 months and 30 days apart

FEV1 is how much air you can blow out in the first second of a hard breath. FVC is the total you can blow out. For pulse oximetry under 3.02, SSA’s table looks for oxygen saturation of 87 percent or less at test sites under 3,000 feet, with lower cutoffs at higher altitudes.

Two details catch people out. CPAP machines don’t count toward the respiratory failure listings; only invasive ventilation or BiPAP does. Sleep apnea has no listing of its own. SSA judges its effects, such as pulmonary hypertension or heart failure, under the affected body system.

The Evidence SSA Asks for

The 3.00 introduction says SSA wants your medical history, exam findings, imaging such as chest x-rays or CT scans, and pulmonary function tests. It also wants other lab results and notes about your treatment and how you respond.

Testing rules matter, because a test done at the wrong time can’t be used:

You must be medically stable for spirometry. That means not within 2 weeks of a change in breathing medication, and not within 30 days of finishing treatment for a chest infection or flare-up.
If your FEV1 is below 70 percent of the predicted value, SSA requires a repeat test after a bronchodilator unless it isn’t safe for you.
Blood gas and pulse oximetry readings under 3.02 must be taken on room air, without your oxygen.

Using home oxygen doesn’t replace these tests. SSA still needs medical evidence of how severe your disorder is. SSA also considers how obesity adds to breathing limits.

If Your Lung Condition Doesn’t Meet a Listing

Not meeting a listing doesn’t end your claim. SSA first checks for medical equivalence, meaning findings at least equal in severity to a listing, including the combined effect of several conditions.

After that, SSA assesses your residual functional capacity (RFC): the most you can do despite your condition. For lung disorders, an RFC often includes limits on exertion, such as sedentary or light work only. It may also rule out exposure to fumes, dust, gases, temperature extremes or poor ventilation.

SSA then asks two questions in order. Can you do your past work with that RFC (step four)? If not, can you adjust to other work given your age, education and experience (step five)? A detailed record of how far you can walk before stopping, and which places trigger attacks, gives SSA what it needs. The full process is on who qualifies for Social Security disability.

SSA's Respiratory Disorders Listings (3.00)

SSA listings in section 3.00
Listing	Name
3.02	Chronic respiratory disorders
3.03	Asthma
3.04	Cystic fibrosis
3.07	Bronchiectasis
3.09	Chronic pulmonary hypertension due to any cause
3.11	Lung transplantation
3.14	Respiratory failure

For children, SSA uses section 103.00 (Respiratory Disorders), with 6 listings. See childhood conditions.

From SSA's Listing of Impairments (ssa.gov), checked October 2, 2026.

Compassionate Allowances for Lung Conditions

Compassionate Allowances flag conditions that by definition meet SSA’s standard, so claims move faster. The CAL list includes several lung conditions:

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Obliterative Bronchiolitis
Pulmonary Amyloidosis - AL Type
Small Cell Lung Cancer and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, which are evaluated under the cancer rules

SSA applies the same CAL process to SSDI and SSI claims.

Children’s Lung Conditions: Listing 103.00

Children under 18 applying for SSI are judged first under section 103.00. It covers chronic lung disease of infancy (bronchopulmonary dysplasia), pulmonary fibrosis, asthma and cystic fibrosis, plus respiratory failure and lung transplants. Listing 103.06 adds growth failure caused by a chronic respiratory disorder. See SSI for children with disabilities and the childhood conditions overview.

Workplace Changes That Help With Breathing Problems

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) lists accommodations by limitation. For fatigue and low stamina, JAN suggests:

Periodic rest breaks.
Job restructuring and task rotation.
Telework.
Scooters or stand-lean stools.

For breathing problems, JAN lists:

Air cleaners and purifiers.
Alternative cleaning supplies.
Masks.
A flexible schedule or telework.

Learn how to make the request on workplace accommodations under the ADA.

Lung disease and heart disease often go together, so read cardiovascular disorders if you have both. Pulmonary hypertension and heart failure can come from either system. Check your work credits and income first with the disability eligibility screener, then follow how to apply for disability. If you’re denied, you have 60 days to appeal; how to appeal a disability denial explains each level. Every body system is listed on conditions SSA lists.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Using Home Oxygen Mean I Automatically Qualify?

No. SSA's 3.00 rules say that if you use supplemental oxygen, it still needs medical evidence to establish how severe your respiratory disorder is. The oxygen prescription helps, but test results and treatment notes decide the claim.

Can Sleep Apnea Qualify for Disability?

Sleep apnea has no listing of its own. SSA evaluates its complications under the affected body system, such as chronic pulmonary hypertension under 3.09, heart failure under 4.02, or mood and memory problems under the mental disorders listings. SSA won't pay for a sleep study.

Will SSA Test My Breathing if My Records Are Thin?

It may. SSA can purchase spirometry, a DLCO test, a resting blood gas test or pulse oximetry when the evidence suggests a chronic lung disorder, after a medical consultant reviews your file. It won't purchase an exercise blood gas test or cardiac catheterization.

Does Lung Cancer Fall Under These Listings?

No. SSA evaluates cancers of the respiratory system under the cancer listings in 13.00. Some lung cancers, such as Small Cell Lung Cancer and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, appear on SSA's Compassionate Allowances list.

Does My Weight Count Along With My Lung Disease?

Yes. SSA says obesity makes it harder for the chest and lungs to expand, and it considers the combined effects of obesity and a respiratory disorder at every stage, including when it assesses your residual functional capacity.

Other Body Systems in SSA's Listings

This page explains SSA's published rules. It isn't medical or legal advice; SSA decides each claim from your records.