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Social Security disability for lung transplantation: Blue Book listing 103.11

Listing 103.11 is the SSA Blue Book criteria SSA uses for lung transplantation childhood disability claims. Meeting it at step 3 of the disability evaluation approves the claim without further analysis of past work or other jobs in the national economy. This page covers what SSA looks for, the medical evidence the criteria require, and what happens if your records don't quite match.

Listing code

103.11

Children (Part B)

Body system

103.00

Respiratory disorders (children)

Subsections

0

No lettered criteria

Step in evaluation

3 of 5

Listing match approves the claim

SSA listing text and criteria

Lung transplantation (see 103.00I ). Consider under a disability for 3 years from the date of the transplant; after that, evaluate the residual impairment(s).

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 103.11. Last synced 2026-05-04.

Where claims under 103.11 usually fail

Some claims fail because the record does not clearly document the transplant itself. Others miss because people rely only on symptoms (such as dyspnea, chest pain, coughing, wheezing, or tachypnea) instead of the transplant diagnosis and transplant-related medical documentation. Another failure mode is assuming the listing lasts forever, even though it is evaluated for 3 years from the transplant date, then evaluated again for residual impairment(s).

Medical evidence that strengthens this claim

Medical evidence should document the lung transplant and allow SSA to evaluate the residual respiratory impairment(s) that follow it. Because the respiratory disorders in this body system can involve obstruction, restriction, or interference with gas exchange, the medical evidence should connect the post-transplant condition to those respiratory effects when the time comes to re-evaluate after the 3-year period.

What happens if your records do not meet this listing

This listing has a special time-based rule: it is considered for 3 years from the transplant date. If benefits are being decided after that window, SSA evaluates residual impairment(s), meaning the decision focuses on the remaining effects of the transplant rather than the transplant itself.

Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition

At the start of an SSDI claim, the ability to do substantial work activity matters, and whether ongoing work is realistic will depend on the child's current functional limits after the lung transplant (SSA is evaluating residual impairment(s) after the initial 3-year period). For children considered under this lung transplantation listing, the disability evaluation covers the 3 years from the transplant date, then shifts to evaluating residual impairment(s) after that.

Listing 103.11 FAQ

Questions that come up repeatedly for lung transplantation disability claims.