Disability Report (SSA-3368): Condition Descriptions That Get Approved
TL;DR: Form SSA-3368 is where you describe your medical conditions, list all treating providers, and explain how your disability prevents work. Use specific medical terms when possible, list every condition (not just your primary one), and describe functional limitations with measurable details. This form tells the SSA what to look for in your medical records, so completeness is critical.
The Disability Report (SSA-3368) is the first place the SSA learns about your medical conditions and why they keep you from working. Think of it as the table of contents for your claim. If you leave something out here, the disability examiner may never look for that evidence in your medical records.
Section 1: Condition Information
You are asked to list all physical and mental conditions that limit your ability to work. This is not the place to be conservative. List everything.
How to List Your Conditions
| Instead of This | Write This |
|---|---|
| Back pain | Degenerative disc disease at L4-L5 and L5-S1 with left-sided radiculopathy |
| Depression | Major depressive disorder, recurrent, severe, with anxiety features |
| Bad knees | Bilateral knee osteoarthritis, Grade III, with meniscus tears in both knees |
| Heart problems | Congestive heart failure with ejection fraction of 30%, NYHA Class III |
| Nerve damage | Peripheral neuropathy in bilateral lower extremities secondary to diabetes |
If you do not know the exact medical terminology, use the most specific language you can. Check your medical records, discharge summaries, or patient portal for the diagnosis names your doctors have used. Even "herniated disc in my lower back causing leg pain" is better than "back pain."
List Every Condition
Many applicants make the mistake of listing only their primary condition. The SSA evaluates the combined effect of all your impairments. A person with moderate back pain, moderate depression, and moderate diabetes might not qualify on any single condition alone, but the combined effect of all three could be disabling.
Common conditions people forget to list:
- Mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, PTSD) alongside physical conditions
- Side effects from medications (fatigue, dizziness, cognitive fog)
- Sleep disorders that worsen other conditions
- Obesity as a contributing factor
- Chronic pain that is separate from its underlying cause
Section 2: Medical Treatment
For each condition, list every type of treatment you have received or are currently receiving:
- Prescription medications (name, dosage, frequency, prescribing doctor)
- Surgeries (type, date, outcome)
- Physical therapy (facility, frequency, duration)
- Injections (epidurals, cortisone, nerve blocks)
- Mental health therapy (type, frequency)
- Hospitalizations (dates, reason, duration)
- Emergency room visits (dates, reason)
- Assistive devices (cane, walker, brace, CPAP)
The SSA wants to see that you have followed prescribed treatment. A condition that you have not treated at all raises questions about severity. If you have not been able to afford treatment, say so explicitly. Inability to pay is a valid reason and the SSA takes it into account.
Section 3: Medical Providers
List every doctor, specialist, therapist, hospital, and clinic that has treated you for any condition in your claim. For each provider, include:
- Provider name and specialty
- Clinic or hospital name
- Address and phone number
- First date of treatment
- Most recent date of treatment
- Next scheduled appointment
- What conditions they treat
- Your patient ID or medical record number
Missing providers is one of the top reasons for denial. The SSA can only request records from providers you list. Check your insurance claims history, pharmacy records, and calendar for providers you might have forgotten.
Section 4: How Your Conditions Affect Your Ability to Work
This section asks you to describe, in your own words, why you cannot work. This is your chance to connect your medical conditions to specific work limitations.
Writing Effective Limitation Descriptions
The SSA needs to understand your functional limitations in terms of work activities. Here is how to translate your experience into language that works:
| What You Experience | How to Describe It for SSA |
|---|---|
| "I'm in pain all the time" | "Constant pain in my lower back rated 6-8/10 prevents me from sitting longer than 15 minutes or standing longer than 10 minutes. I need to change positions frequently and lie down for 30 minutes every 2 hours." |
| "I can't focus" | "Depression and pain medication cause concentration problems. I cannot follow written instructions with more than 2 steps. I lose track of what I am doing every 5-10 minutes. I forget appointments and cannot maintain a schedule without multiple reminders." |
| "I'm always tired" | "Chronic fatigue from fibromyalgia and medication side effects forces me to rest 4-5 hours during the day. Even after 9 hours of sleep, I wake up exhausted. I can perform light activities for about 20 minutes before needing to rest." |
| "I can't use my hands" | "Neuropathy in both hands causes numbness and loss of grip strength. I drop objects weighing more than 2 pounds. I cannot button buttons, open jars, or type for more than 5 minutes. Writing by hand is illegible after 2-3 sentences." |
Section 5: Work Activity Since Onset
If you have done any work since your alleged onset date, including part-time work, self-employment, or even helping a family member's business, describe it honestly. The SSA will find out through earnings records anyway. Explain why the work was unsuccessful, below SGA, or done with special accommodations.
Section 6: Education and Training
List your highest level of education, any vocational training, and specialized skills. This matters for Step 5 of the evaluation, where the SSA considers whether you could do other work. Lower education and limited transferable skills can work in your favor, especially when combined with age (over 50) and physical limitations.
Tips for a Stronger SSA-3368
- Be specific about dates. "I have been unable to work since March 15, 2025" is better than "I have been unable to work for about a year."
- Use your doctors' words. If your doctor said "severely limited range of motion," use that phrase.
- Mention failed treatments. If physical therapy, injections, or surgery did not resolve your condition, say so. Failed treatments show severity.
- Describe your worst symptoms. The SSA needs to understand the full range of your condition, including flares, bad days, and worst-case scenarios.
- Connect each condition to work limitations. Do not just list diagnoses. Explain how each one prevents specific work activities.
How ClaimPath Helps With the Disability Report
Describing your conditions in SSA-approved language is exactly what ClaimPath does. Our AI Intake asks you plain-English questions about your symptoms, treatments, and limitations, then generates condition descriptions that match what disability examiners need to see. Our Application Strength Score flags weak descriptions before you submit them.
Start your application now and get condition descriptions that get noticed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I know about disability report (ssa-3368): condition descriptions that get approved?
TL;DR: Form SSA-3368 is where you describe your medical conditions, list all treating providers, and explain how your disability prevents work. Use specific medical terms when possible, list every condition (not just your primary one), and describe functional limitations with measurable details. This form tells the SSA what to look for in your medical records, so completeness is critical.
What should I know about section 1: condition information?
You are asked to list all physical and mental conditions that limit your ability to work. This is not the place to be conservative. List everything.
What should I know about section 2: medical treatment?
For each condition, list every type of treatment you have received or are currently receiving:
What should I know about section 3: medical providers?
List every doctor, specialist, therapist, hospital, and clinic that has treated you for any condition in your claim. For each provider, include:
What should I know about section 4: how your conditions affect your ability to work?
This section asks you to describe, in your own words, why you cannot work. This is your chance to connect your medical conditions to specific work limitations.
What should I know about section 5: work activity since onset?
If you have done any work since your alleged onset date, including part-time work, self-employment, or even helping a family member's business, describe it honestly. The SSA will find out through earnings records anyway. Explain why the work was unsuccessful, below SGA, or done with special accommodations.
What should I know about section 6: education and training?
List your highest level of education, any vocational training, and specialized skills. This matters for Step 5 of the evaluation, where the SSA considers whether you could do other work. Lower education and limited transferable skills can work in your favor, especially when combined with age (over 50) and physical limitations.