Listing code
3.07
Adult (Part A)
Body system
3.00
Respiratory disorders
Subsections
0
No lettered criteria
Step in evaluation
3 of 5
Listing match approves the claim
SSA listing text and criteria
Bronchiectasis (see 3.00K ), documented by imaging (see 3.00D3 ), with 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.
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 3.07. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 3.07 usually fail
Many claims fail because imaging that supports bronchiectasis is not clearly documented when the claim is decided. Other claims fail because the hospitalizations are not close enough together, meaning fewer than three hospitalizations occur within the required 12-month window. Another common miss is timing, where hospitalizations happen less than 30 days apart. Claims also fail when one or more hospitalizations do not last at least 48 hours, including time in a hospital emergency department immediately before the hospitalization.
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
Evidence that helps includes medical imaging showing bronchiectasis (imaging is specifically required for 3.07), plus hospital records that show three separate hospitalizations for exacerbations or complications. The hospital records should show that each hospitalization lasts at least 48 hours, and they should also support that the hospital emergency department hours immediately before admission are included in that duration. Documentation also needs dates so the hospitalizations can be shown to be at least 30 days apart within the relevant 12-month period, which must fall within the period being considered for the application or continuing disability review.
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
If fewer than three qualifying hospitalizations occurred in the required 12-month period, SSA generally does not approve under this specific bronchiectasis listing. In many cases, SSA then evaluates the overall ability to work through a residual functional capacity approach rather than using this exact listing threshold, and may consider other respiratory listings in the same body system. For people who do not meet a listing, the decision often turns on what the medical evidence shows about functional limitations during the claim period.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
To qualify for disability benefits, the start of the claim process includes the work-activity gate for Social Security disability benefits, using the SGA concept. If work activity is substantial and gainful, approval generally does not happen regardless of the bronchiectasis diagnosis. If approved, the person moves into the trial work period and then, if work continues, into the extended period of eligibility rules. Bronchiectasis is assessed here based on imaging-confirmed disease plus exacerbations or complications requiring three hospitalizations within 12 months that are at least 30 days apart, with each hospitalization lasting at least 48 hours (including emergency department hours immediately before admission).
Listing 3.07 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for bronchiectasis disability claims.