Listing code
6.09
Adult (Part A)
Body system
6.00
Genitourinary disorders
Subsections
0
No lettered criteria
Step in evaluation
3 of 5
Listing match approves the claim
SSA listing text and criteria
Complications of chronic kidney disease (see 6.00C8 ) requiring at least three hospitalizations within a consecutive 12-month period and occurring at least 30 days apart. Each hospitalization must last at least 48 hours, including hours in a hospital emergency department immediately before the hospitalization. Back to Top Support Contact us Find an office Forms Publications Report fraud Languages Español Other languages Plain language Services for Employers & businesses Government agencies Other groups Representatives About Careers Chief actuary data Communications Financial reports Initiatives Research & policy Social Security Administration SSA.gov An official website of the Social Security Administration <ul class=
This listing has no lettered subsections. The diagnosis itself, supported by the medical evidence described in the body-system overview, is what SSA evaluates.
Source: SSA Blue Book listing 6.09. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 6.09 usually fail
One pitfall is counting fewer than three total hospitalizations, or counting stays that do not fit the 12-month consecutive window. Another is miscounting timing, because 6.09 requires each hospitalization to occur at least 30 days apart. A third pitfall is using hospital records that do not show each hospitalization lasted at least 48 hours, including emergency department hours immediately before the hospitalization. A fourth pitfall is treating the diagnosis of CKD as enough without showing medical evidence of CKD signs, symptoms, and laboratory findings that document the chronic kidney disease behind the complications.
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
Medical evidence generally needs to document CKD signs, symptoms, and laboratory findings, plus clinical examination reports and treatment records, including documentation of response to treatment. Laboratory findings such as serum creatinine or serum albumin levels can help document kidney function, and the period of evidence is generally expected to cover at least 90 days unless a fully favorable determination can be made without it. For 6.09 specifically, hospital records need to show at least three hospitalizations in a consecutive 12-month period, each lasting at least 48 hours, and separated by at least 30 days; those records also need to reflect the emergency department hours immediately preceding hospitalization when counting the 48 hours.
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
If the hospitalization pattern does not meet 6.09 exactly (for example, fewer than three qualifying stays, stays too close together, or stays under 48 hours), the next steps rely on how the CKD and its complications limit work-related functioning. SSA uses a residual functional capacity approach to decide what work activities can still be done despite the impairments, and then compares that to work demands.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
For an SSDI claim, the work-activity rules still apply first, then the medical criteria for 6.09 are considered. If 6.09 is met based on at least three qualifying CKD-related hospitalizations within a consecutive 12-month period, approval can follow that medical criterion. For people found disabled, ongoing eligibility is handled through trial work and then extended period of eligibility, while still applying SSA's program rules for continued work activity.
Listing 6.09 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for complications of chronic kidney disease disability claims.