Listing code
3.03
Adult (Part A)
Body system
3.00
Respiratory disorders
Subsections
2
Lettered criteria paths
Step in evaluation
3 of 5
Listing match approves the claim
SSA listing text and criteria
Asthma . (see 3.00I), with both A and B:
Subsection A
FEV 1 (see 3.00E1 ) less than or equal to the value in Table VI-A or VI-B for your age, sex, and height without shoes (see 3.00E3a ) measured within the same 12-month period as the hospitalizations in 3.03B . Table VI: FEV 1 Criteria for 3.03A Height without shoes (centimeters) < means less than Height without shoes (inches) < means less than Table VI-A Table VI-B Age 18 to attainment of age 20 Age 20 or older Females FEV 1 less than or equal to (L, BTPS) Males FEV 1 less than or equal to (L, BTPS) Females FEV 1 less than or equal to (L, BTPS) Males FEV 1 less than or equal to (L, BTPS) <153.0 <60.25 1.65 1.90 1.45 1.60 153.0 to <159.0 60.25 to <62.50 1.75 2.05 1.55 1.75 159.0 to <164.0 62.50 to <64.50 1.85 2.15 1.65 1.90 164.0 to <169.0 64.50 to <66.50 1.95 2.30 1.75 2.00 169.0 to <174.0 66.50 to <68.50 2.05 2.45 1.85 2.15 174.0 to <180.0 68.50 to <70.75 2.20 2.60 2.00 2.30 180.0 to <185.0 70.75 to <72.75 2.35 2.75 2.10 2.45 185.0 or more 72.75 or more 2.40 2.85 2.20 2.55 AND
Subsection B
Exacerbations or complications requiring three hospitalizations 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). Each hospitalization must last at least 48 hours, including hours in a hospital emergency department immediately before the hospitalization. Consider under a disability for 1 year from the discharge date of the last hospitalization; after that, evaluate the residual impairment(s) under 3.03 or another appropriate listing.
Source: SSA Blue Book listing 3.03. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 3.03 usually fail
One pitfall is using an FEV 1 test done outside the same 12-month period as the hospitalizations that are being used for 3.03B. Another pitfall is missing the exact hospitalization pattern in 3.03B: three hospitalizations within 12 months, at least 30 days apart. A third pitfall is hospitalizations that do not last at least 48 hours, or cases where only the emergency department visit is counted rather than the hospitalization that includes the emergency department hours immediately before. A fourth pitfall is comparing the FEV 1 number to the wrong cutoff by not matching the person's age range, sex, and height (without shoes) as used for Table VI-A or Table VI-B.
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
Medical records should include the FEV 1 measurement that can be matched to Table VI-A or Table VI-B using the person's age, sex, and height without shoes, and the test should fall within the same 12-month period as the hospitalizations used for 3.03B. Hospital records should show three asthma exacerbation or complication hospitalizations within the required 12-month window, each separated by at least 30 days, and each hospitalization lasting at least 48 hours including the emergency department hours immediately before the hospitalization. Discharge dates and hospital stay duration are the key details that make 3.03B work or fail.
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
Steps 4 and 5 are about functional impact if the exact listing conditions are not met. First, the assessment looks at the person's remaining ability to work based on the medical impairments, not just whether a single test or set of hospital events matches the listing. After that, SSA uses the person's residual functional capacity together with other factors to decide whether work is possible. Many claims that miss the strict 3.03A and 3.03B criteria still can be approved later in the process if the overall record shows a severe functional limitation from asthma, even if the FEV 1 cutoff and/or the exact three-hospitalization pattern is not satisfied.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
For an SSDI claim, work activity is evaluated using the SGA rules at the start of the process. A work pattern that exceeds substantial gainful activity can block approval even when asthma is severe. If approval happens, work rules continue to apply using the usual continuing-eligibility framework that includes trial work and an extended period of eligibility. The listing's qualifying severity is tied to objective FEV 1 (3.03A) and repeated hospitalizations for exacerbations or complications (3.03B), so the practical question becomes whether asthma severity is consistent with not being able to sustain work activity.
Listing 3.03 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for asthma disability claims.