20 C.F.R. § 416.926

Medical equivalence for adults and children

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(a) What is medical equivalence? Your impairment(s) is medically equivalent to a listed impairment in appendix 1 of subpart P of part 404 of this chapter if it is at least equal in severity and duration to the criteria of any listed impairment.

(b) How do we determine medical equivalence? We can find medical equivalence in three ways.

(1)(i) If you have an impairment that is described in the Listing of Impairments in appendix 1 of subpart P of part 404 of this chapter, but—

(A) You do not exhibit one or more of the findings specified in the particular listing, or

(B) You exhibit all of the findings, but one or more of the findings is not as severe as specified in the particular listing,

(ii) We will find that your impairment is medically equivalent to that listing if you have other findings related to your impairment that are at least of equal medical significance to the required criteria.

(2) If you have an impairment(s) that is not described in the Listing of Impairments in appendix 1 of subpart P of part 404 of this chapter, we will compare your findings with those for closely analogous listed impairments. If the findings related to your impairment(s) are at least of equal medical significance to those of a listed impairment, we will find that your impairment(s) is medically equivalent to the analogous listing.

(3) If you have a combination of impairments, no one of which meets a listing described in the Listing of Impairments in appendix 1 of subpart P of part 404 of this chapter (see § 416.925(c)(3)), we will compare your findings with those for closely analogous listed impairments. If the findings related to your impairments are at least of equal medical significance to those of a listed impairment, we will find that your combination of impairments is medically equivalent to that listing.

(4) Section 416.929(d)(3) explains how we consider your symptoms, such as pain, when we make findings about medical equivalence.

(c) What evidence do we consider when we determine if your impairment(s) medically equals a listing? When we determine if your impairment medically equals a listing, we consider all evidence in your case record about your impairment(s) and its effects on you that is relevant to this finding. We do not consider your vocational factors of age, education, and work experience (see, for example, § 416.960(c)(1)). We also consider the opinion given by one or more medical or psychological consultants designated by the Commissioner. (See § 416.1016.)

(d) Who is a designated medical or psychological consultant? A medical or psychological consultant designated by the Commissioner includes any medical or psychological consultant employed or engaged to make medical judgments by the Social Security Administration, the Railroad Retirement Board, or a State agency authorized to make disability determinations. See § 416.1016 for the necessary qualifications for medical consultants and psychological consultants.

(e) Who is responsible for determining medical equivalence?

(1) In cases where the State agency or other designee of the Commissioner makes the initial or reconsideration disability determination, a State agency medical or psychological consultant or other designee of the Commissioner (see § 416.1016 of this part) has the overall responsibility for determining medical equivalence.

(2) For cases in the disability hearing process or otherwise decided by a disability hearing officer, the responsibility for determining medical equivalence rests with either the disability hearing officer or, if the disability hearing officer's reconsideration determination is changed under § 416.1418 of this part, with the Associate Commissioner for Disability Policy or his or her delegate.

(3) For cases at the administrative law judge or Appeals Council level, the responsibility for deciding medical equivalence rests with the administrative law judge or Appeals Council.

[45 FR 55621, Aug. 20, 1980, as amended at 52 FR 33928, Sept. 9, 1987; 56 FR 5561, Feb. 11, 1991; 62 FR 6424, Feb. 11, 1997; 62 FR 13538, Mar. 21, 1997; 65 FR 34959, June 1, 2000; 71 FR 10431, Mar. 1, 2006; 71 FR 16460, Mar. 31, 2006; 76 FR 24811, May 3, 2011; 82 FR 5880, Jan. 18, 2017; 82 FR 15132, Mar. 27, 2017]

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 500 cases (223 in the last 5 years), 1982–2026 · leading case: Maryanne Reynolds v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec., 424 F. App'x 411 (6th Cir. 2011).

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Maryanne Reynolds v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec., 424 F. App'x 411 (6th Cir. 2011). · cites it 2× “” 20 C.F.R. § 416.926 (a); 20 C.F.R. § 404.”

Richard Kennedy v. Carolyn W. Colvin, 738 F.3d 1172 (9th Cir. 2013). · cites it 2× “” 20 C.F.R. § 416.926 (a). Listing 12.05, which can be met or equaled at the third step, explains that “[intellectual disability refers to significantly subav-erage general intellectual functioning with deficits in adaptive functioning initially manifested during the…”

Conlin v. Colvin, 111 F. Supp. 3d 376 (W.D.N.Y. 2015). · cites it 2× “Using the six domains of functioning provided at 20 C.F.R. § 416.926 (a), Dr. Randall found that N.”

Janet Wier, on Behalf of Her Son, John P. Wier, a Minor v. Margaret M. Heckler, Sec'y of Health, Educ. & Welfare, 734 F.2d 955 (3rd Cir. 1984). · cites it 3× “923 and 20 C.F.R. § 416.926 . Section 416.923 states: We will find that a child under age 18 is disabled if he or she— (a) Is not doing any substantial gainful activity; and (b) Has a medically determinable physical or mental impairment(s) which compares in severity to any…”

Sherry Howard, on Behalf of Sarah Wolff v. Jo Anne Barnhart, Comm'r, Soc. Sec. Admin., 341 F.3d 1006 (9th Cir. 2003). “at 6424; 20 C.F.R. § 416.926 (a)(1997). The impairment will be considered functionally equivalent if the claimant has marked limitation in two areas or extreme limitation in one area.”

Detra Pollard v. William Halter, Comm'r of Soc. Sec., 377 F.3d 183 (2d Cir. 2004). “2d at 488 (citing 20 C.F.R. § 416.926 (a) (1997)). A child’s impairment would be found functionally equal to a listed impairment if the child’s condition resulted in (1) “extreme limitation of one specific function, such as walking or talking” or (2)(a) “extreme limitations in…”

Carlson v. Astrue, 604 F.3d 589 (8th Cir. 2010). · cites it 2× “08, a gastrointestinal disorder, but that his diabetes is another finding related to weight loss that has equal medical significance.”

Kornecky v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec., 167 F. App'x 496 (6th Cir. 2006). “” 20 C.F.R. § 416.926 (a). If the claimant does not have a listed impairment at the requisite degree of severity, the Commissioner proceeds to step four.”

Loretta Boiles v. Jo Anne B. Barnhart, Comm'r of Soc. Sec., 395 F.3d 421 (7th Cir. 2005). “When a claimant’s condition does not meet the criteria of any of the listed impairments that give rise to a presumption of eligibility for benefits, she may still establish presumptive disability by showing that her impairment is accompanied by symptoms that are “at least equal…”

M.G. v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec., 861 F. Supp. 2d 846 (E.D. Mich. 2012). · cites it 4× ““Medical equivalency is covered by 20 C.F.R. § 416.926 ; functional equivalency is covered by Section 416.”

Taylor v. Astrue, 32 F. Supp. 3d 253 (N.D.N.Y. 2012). “Further, the medical reports must indicate physical limitations based upon actual observations and/or clinical tests, rather than the claimant’s subjective complaints.”

Conetta v. Berryhill, 365 F. Supp. 3d 383 (S.D. Ill. 2019). “04 listing by noting Conetta's obesity and stating that "[b]ecause the record does not establish that the claimant's impairments, alone or in combination, reach the level of severity contemplated in any relevant listings, disability cannot be established on this basis.”

Show all 500 citing cases →

— 20 C.F.R. § 416.926(a) — 6 cases

David C. Wilkinson, on Behalf of James D. Wilkinson v. Otis R. Bowen, Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 847 F.2d 660 (11th Cir. 1987).

Lawrence Brainard, Jr. v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., Donna Shalala, Sec'y, 25 F.3d 1055 (10th Cir. 1994).

Torres v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec. (S.D.N.Y. 2022).

Guaneri v. Kijakazi (D. Nev. 2024).

Hill v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec. (N.D.N.Y. 2020).

— 20 C.F.R. § 416.926(a)(g)(2) — 1 case

S v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec. Admin. (D.S.C. 2020).

— 20 C.F.R. § 416.926(b) — 1 case

John C. Curry v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 856 F.2d 193 (6th Cir. 1988).

— 20 C.F.R. § 416.926(b)(2) — 3 cases

Torres v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec. (S.D.N.Y. 2022).

Santiago Ortiz v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec. (W.D.N.Y. 2020).

Buck v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec. (W.D.N.Y. 2021).

— 20 C.F.R. § 416.926(b)(3) — 1 case

Ghini v. Colvin, 82 F. Supp. 3d 1224 (D. Colo. 2015).

— 20 C.F.R. § 416.926(d) — 1 case

Fernandez v. Berryhill (E.D. Pa. 2019).

— 20 C.F.R. § 416.926(e)(2) — 1 case

Dickerson v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec. (W.D. Ky. 2023).

— 20 C.F.R. § 416.926(e)(3) — 1 case

Rodriguez (D. Or. 2026).

— 20 C.F.R. § 416.926(e)(3)(ii) — 1 case

Mills-Sorrells v. Colvin, 153 F. Supp. 3d 703 (E.D. Pa. 2015).

— 20 C.F.R. § 416.926(g)(2)(iv) — 2 cases

Hickman Ex Rel. M.A.H. v. Astrue, 728 F. Supp. 2d 168 (N.D.N.Y. 2010).

St. Louis ex rel. D.H. v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec., 28 F. Supp. 3d 142 (N.D.N.Y. 2014).

— 20 C.F.R. § 416.926(h) — 1 case

Butler v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec. (S.D.N.Y. 2025).

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