Approval rates
Judge Healy has maintained a 57% lifetime approval rate over 5,184 decisions during his 3 years on the bench. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 45%, which is 4 points higher than the Charleston SC office average but 1 point below the national average. These figures are derived from a significant volume of cases, providing a stable look at his decision-making history. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Healy's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Over his 3-year tenure, your judge's approval rate has shifted from 59% in 2023 to 55% in 2025. This trend reflects a steady pattern of decision-making consistent with his career history. While the most recent period shows a 45% approval rate, this variation is common in SSDI hearings as case mixes and evidence quality fluctuate. The data suggests a judge who evaluates each file based on the specific medical documentation you provide.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Healy's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
Hearing with Judge Healy? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Charleston SC hearing office
The Charleston SC Hearing Office serves you throughout South Carolina, managing a high volume of disability appeals. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains an environment where case complexity varies significantly. You can expect a professional hearing process focused on the objective medical evidence supporting your claim. You can visit the Charleston SC Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Healy is essentially random. Across the Charleston SC office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 44% to 69%. Because of this variance, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful for your preparation.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.