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Nhc Baltimore Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Maryland · SSA Region 12

Approval Rate

48.8%

vs 58.3% national

Wait Time

10 months

vs 8 months national

Processing Time

402 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

924

awaiting hearing

ALJs

15

active judges

Nhc Baltimore ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics

Individual judge statistics for FY 2025. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.

Judge Approval Rate Denial Rate Fully Favorable Total Decisions Dispositions
Jeffrey Mastin 81.6% 18.4% 71.1% 38 45
Lawrence Levey 74% 26% 70% 50 63
Jesus Ortis 66.7% 33.3% 33.3% 3 4
David S Pang 63.2% 36.8% 52.6% 19 24
A. Benton 61.1% 38.9% 44.4% 18 23
Stanley K Chin 60.8% 39.2% 51.5% 97 110
Shawn Bozarth 56.9% 43.1% 52.2% 318 397
Christopher L Dillon 52.9% 47.1% 38.2% 34 40
Melissa Hammock 49.4% 50.6% 41.1% 326 391
Hope G Grunberg 48.5% 51.5% 45.5% 33 41
Robert Freedman 45.9% 54.1% 42.3% 111 122
Paul D Barker 45.4% 54.6% 39.8% 284 333
Laureen Penn 44.1% 55.9% 31.7% 161 173
John Loughlin 40% 60% 34.1% 305 358
Charles Woode 32.8% 67.2% 20.6% 180 237

About the Nhc Baltimore Social Security Hearing Office

Nhc Baltimore is a Social Security disability hearing office serving claimants in Maryland. Operating within SSA Region 12, the office has 15 ALJs who preside over disability appeals. With 15 ALJs, this is one of the larger hearing offices in the system, handling a substantial volume of disability cases each fiscal year.

The office's average approval rate is 48.8%, which is below the national average of 58.3%. A lower aggregate rate does not necessarily indicate stricter standards — it may reflect differences in case demographics, representation quality, or the types of conditions presented at hearings. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 32.8% to 81.6%, a 49-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 10 months, which is longer than the national average of 8 months. Longer wait times can reflect higher caseload volume relative to available judges. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 402 days. There are currently 924 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 62 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 44.6%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.

How to Interpret Nhc Baltimore Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Nhc Baltimore, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.

With an average wait time of 10 months and 402 days average processing time, claimants at Nhc Baltimore can expect a total timeline of roughly 23 months from hearing request to decision. This longer-than-average wait underscores the importance of having complete medical evidence ready well before the hearing date.

Judges at Nhc Baltimore have collectively issued 1,977 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 132 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 3 to 326 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Nhc Baltimore Hearing Office FAQ

What is the approval rate at Nhc Baltimore?
The average ALJ approval rate at Nhc Baltimore is 48.8% for FY 2025. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 32.8% to 81.6%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 44.6%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Which judges hear cases at Nhc Baltimore?
The Nhc Baltimore office has 15 administrative law judges. Of these, 9 have issued 50 or more decisions in FY 2025. Decision counts range from 3 to 326 in the current fiscal year. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long is the wait time at Nhc Baltimore?
The current average wait time at Nhc Baltimore is 10 months. This is longer than the national average of 8 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 402 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 23 months. These wait time figures represent the latest available snapshot and may fluctuate as hearing volumes and judge availability change over time.
How is office data calculated?
With 15 judges handling cases, this is one of the larger hearing offices. Office statistics are calculated by aggregating individual judge decision data. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. All statistics are drawn from publicly available SSA disposition data, updated periodically as new fiscal year reports become available.
What is the fully favorable rate at Nhc Baltimore?
When a judge issues a fully favorable ruling, benefits begin from the claimant's requested onset date. A partially favorable ruling still awards benefits but may adjust the onset to a later date, which affects retroactive payments. The approval rate combines both outcome types. At Nhc Baltimore, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 44.6%.
How does Nhc Baltimore compare to other offices in the state?
Of the 2 hearing offices in Maryland, Nhc Baltimore has the lowest approval rate at 48.8%. In terms of wait time, Nhc Baltimore ranks 2 of 2 (10 months). Visit the Maryland overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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