20 CFR § 416.921 - Establishing that you have a medically determinable impairment(s).

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t20/s416.921"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "20 CFR § 416.921 - Establishing that you have a medically determinable impairment(s)."
title_number: 20
title_name: "Employees' Benefits"
section_number: "416.921"
section_name: "Establishing that you have a medically determinable impairment(s)."
chapter_name: "SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION"
part_number: "416"
part_name: "SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME FOR THE AGED, BLIND, AND DISABLED"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
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generator: "[email protected]"
cfr_part: "416"
---


# 416.921 Establishing that you have a medically determinable impairment(s).

If you are not doing substantial gainful activity, we will then determine whether you have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment(s) (see § 416.920(a)(4)(ii)). Your impairment(s) must result from anatomical, physiological, or psychological abnormalities that can be shown by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques. Therefore, a physical or mental impairment must be established by objective medical evidence from an acceptable medical source. We will not use your statement of symptoms, a diagnosis, or a medical opinion to establish the existence of an impairment(s). After we establish that you have a medically determinable impairment(s), then we determine whether your impairment(s) is severe.

[82 FR 5879, Jan. 18, 2017]