Listing code
103.14
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
Respiratory failure (see 103.00J ) resulting from any underlying chronic respiratory disorder except CF (for CF, see 103.04E ), requiring invasive mechanical ventilation, noninvasive ventilation with BiPAP, or a combination of both treatments, for a continuous period of at least 48 hours, or for a continuous period of at least 72 hours if postoperatively, twice within a 12-month period and at least 30 days apart (the 12-month period must occur within the period we are considering in connection with your application or continuing disability review). 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
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 103.14. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 103.14 usually fail
One common failure mode is missing the required treatment type, such as having respiratory failure but not receiving invasive mechanical ventilation and not receiving noninvasive ventilation with BiPAP for the qualifying duration. Another pitfall is the timing, where the documentation does not show a continuous period of at least 48 hours, or a postoperative continuous period of at least 72 hours. A related pitfall is misapplying the "twice within a 12-month period" requirement, which only applies when the 72-hour postoperative scenario is involved, and the 12-month window must fall within the period SSA is considering for the application or continuing disability review. Another pitfall is including cystic fibrosis as the underlying condition for this specific listing, since CF is directed to 103.04E.
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
Documentation needs to support both respiratory failure and the underlying chronic respiratory disorder, because listing 103.14 requires respiratory failure resulting from that chronic condition. The treatment record should clearly show the ventilation method used: invasive mechanical ventilation, noninvasive ventilation with BiPAP, or a combination, and the continuous duration of that support (at least 48 hours continuously, or at least 72 hours if postoperative). Records should also show when postoperative care occurred so the postoperative timing rule can be applied correctly, including the requirement for two qualifying occurrences separated by at least 30 days within the relevant 12-month period.
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
If the minimum ventilation duration, the specific ventilation type (invasive mechanical ventilation and/or BiPAP), or the postoperative timing pattern is not met, SSA will still evaluate the case under the remaining steps for disability decisions. That process uses functional limits reflected in the medical evidence to determine residual functional capacity (RFC), and it may still result in a favorable decision without meeting 103.14 exactly. Medical-vocational factors also matter later in the decision process for many claimants, especially where age and functional limits are both part of the analysis.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
For SSDI, work activity above the SGA level can affect whether the claim is denied at the start of the process; the presence of respiratory failure requiring invasive mechanical ventilation or noninvasive BiPAP for at least 48 continuous hours does not automatically bypass that SGA work-activity rule. If approved, the trial work period and then the extended period of eligibility apply based on continued eligibility rules after the approval. The ventilation requirements in listing 103.14 (at least 48 continuous hours, or at least 72 continuous hours if postoperative, with two qualifying episodes within the relevant 12-month period and at least 30 days apart) help establish the severity medically, but SGA gatekeeping is still assessed based on actual work activity.
Listing 103.14 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for respiratory failure disability claims.