What you have to prove
Show complications of CKD requiring at least three hospitalizations within a consecutive 12-month period, each lasting at least 48 hours and separated by at least 30 days.
Medical evidence SSA expects
Hospital admission and discharge records for each stay, nephrologist notes, and documentation linking hospitalizations to CKD complications (fluid overload, infection, arrhythmia, etc.).
Common misconceptions
Routine dialysis visits don't count as hospitalizations. Admissions must be for complications beyond routine dialysis.
Didn't meet the listing? You can still qualify via a Medical-Vocational
Allowance — SSA's determination that your residual functional capacity, combined with
your age, education, and work history, leaves no jobs you can do. See our
appeals guide for what to do after an initial denial.