Do You Qualify? Medical Conditions Covered by Social Security Disability

If you cannot work because of a severe medical condition, you may be eligible for benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance program. You may have heard or read about the high rate of claim denials and been hesitant to become one of the more than 66% of claimants denied benefits each year.

The disability benefits team at Sackett and Associates has been helping people with Social Security disability conditions in Northern California and throughout the country to qualify for benefits. This article explains the qualifying conditions for SSDI and how to improve your chances of success by being aware of the requirements for medical eligibility for disability.

The Social Security Administration’s Definition Of Disability

Before concluding that you have a disability eligible for SSDI benefits, you must know how SSA defines “disability.” Applications submitted to the SSA for disability benefits must be supported by medical evidence proving the claimant to be disabled according to a specific standard.

A person must be unable to do substantial gainful work activities because of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that lasted or is expected to last for continuous 12 continuous months or is likely to result in death. A breakdown of the standard reveals the following:

1. Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA): SGA refers to work activities that take effort and are done for pay or profit. The SSA uses monthly wages to determine if someone is doing SGA. A person earning more than $1,620 in 2025 is not disabled because they are doing SGA. The monthly limit changes annually.
2. Medically Determinable: A physical or mental impairment must be proven with medical evidence.
3. Duration Of Impairment: Only long-term disability lasting more than one year qualifies for SSD benefits. You cannot receive benefit payments for conditions expected to last only a short term.

To assist in the application review process to decide if you have a medical condition severe enough to meet the standard for a disability, the SSA maintains a Listing of Impairments.

Qualifying conditions for SSDI: Listing of Impairments

Applications for SSDI go through a five-step process to determine whether they prove the presence of a severe impairment meeting the SSA disability standard. One of the steps uses the Listing of Impairments with Social Security disability conditions and the symptoms that must be proven for a person to be disabled according to the federal disability standard.

Part A of the Listing of Impairments includes the medical criteria that must be proven for specific impairments to be severe enough to qualify as SSA approved disabilities. The listed impairments include the following:

1. Musculoskeletal disorders, such as joint abnormalities, pathologic fractures, amputation, and skeletal spine disorders.
2. Special senses and Speech, such as hearing loss, vision impairment, and loss of ability to speak.
3. Respiratory disorders, such as chronic respiratory disorders, asthma, and cystic fibrosis.
4. Cardiovascular system, such as ischemic heart disease, recurrent arrhythmias, and chronic heart failure.
5. Digestive disorders, such as intestinal failure, chronic liver disease, and inflammatory bowel disease.
6. Genitourinary disorders, such as chronic kidney disease, with or without a kidney transplant, and complications from chronic kidney disease.
7. Hematological disorders, such as sickle cell disease and other hemolytic anemias.
8. Skin disorders, such as burns, genetic photosensitivity disorders, and chronic mucous membranes or skin conditions.
9. Endocrine disorders, such as pituitary gland and thyroid gland disorders.
10. Congenital disorders affecting multiple body systems, such as non-mosaic Down syndrome.
11. Neurological disorders, such as epilepsy, benign brain tumors, cerebral palsy, and Parkinsonian syndrome.
12. Mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, depression, intellectual disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and autism spectrum disorder.
13. Cancer, such as soft tissue cancers, lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma.
14. Immune system disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic vasculitis, and immune deficiency disorders.

When a medical condition meets or is medically equivalent to a listed impairment, it is considered severe within the standard used by the Social Security Administration to be eligible for SSDI benefits. However, a listed impairment is not the only way to prove health issues for SSDI eligibility.

Qualifying Conditions For SSDI Without A Listed Impairment

Not qualifying for SSDI using the Listing of Impairments does not end the review process. You may qualify based on the limits imposed by a medical condition on your ability to do work-related activities, such as walking, sitting, climbing stairs, lifting objects, remembering, and carrying out instructions.

Examiners first look to determine if you can do the work you did in the past. If not, they review your claim to decide if your condition, combined with factors such as age, education, and experience, allows you to do other available work.

Get Help With Your Claim From A Skilled Disability Lawyer

The disability professionals at Sackett and Associates have been helping people with disabling medical conditions in Northern California and throughout the nation for 45 years navigate the Social Security disability system. Learn how they can help you by contacting Sackett Law for a free consultation.