How To Get Social Security Disability Benefits & SSI: Asthma

Winning an asthma Social Security and SSI disability case requires you satisfy to two Social Security criteria:

1. Non-Medical Criteria, and
2. Disability Criteria.

On this page, we go over how Social Security reviews the medical aspects of your asthma. On our next page, we go over the Functional Limitations caused by your asthma and how those limitations are considered disabling. Then we will go over the Evidence that is necessary to prove your asthma, your limitations, and other aspects of your disability case.

The Nitty Gritty Of Social Security’s Medical Evidence Review: Asthma

Asthma is a lung disease. Airways in the lungs become inflamed, narrowed, and produce mucus. Social Security will examine your medical file. A diagnosis of asthma is made with a spirometry/pulmonary function test, x-ray, CT lung scan, and perhaps allergy testing. Some doctors consider asthma to be a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Common symptoms include the following:

1. Shortness of breath,
2. Wheezing,
3. Fatigue,
4. Chest pain,
5. Coughing, and
6. Sometime Infections.

Social Security will be especially concerned with your asthma treatment which includes airway therapy/medications (daily inhalers, rescue inhalers, and nebulizers), and supplemental oxygen (oxygen tank). Nebulizers and oxygen tanks are of significant importance since the need for these two devices indicates severe symptomatology. Social Security will look for a doctor prescription for either in your medical records, and if such a prescription does not exist, you will need to get a statement from you doctor either device is needed.

Winning a disability case with asthma is not easy because Social Security requires a very severe degree of asthma symptoms. Generally, to be found disabled, you will need to satisfy the listing.

Social Security & SSI Asthma Listing

Both the adult and child listings are technical and are primarily related to pulmonary testing findings. Adult Listing 3.03 requires an adult to meet points 1 and 2; a Child Listing 103.03 requires a child to meet point 2:

1. Significantly diminished FEV on pulmonary testing, and
2. Ongoing problems resulting in medical center visits.