Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is helpful to look at how a judge's history compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Heitz maintains a lifetime approval rate of 43%, which stands in contrast to the 62% latest approval rate seen across the Denver Hearing Office. These figures are derived from a docket of 522 lifetime decisions recorded during his tenure. 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 Heitz'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 1 year on the bench, Judge Heitz has established a consistent decision-making pattern. His lifetime approval rate of 43% reflects the outcomes of 522 lifetime decisions processed during his time in the system. The data shows a steady approach to case evaluation, with the latest reporting period remaining aligned with his established career average. This consistency provides a stable baseline for understanding how he reviews evidence and testimony.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Heitz'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 Heitz? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Denver hearing office
The Denver Hearing Office serves a significant population across Colorado, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an overall latest approval rate of 62%. You can expect a formal process focused on the medical and vocational evidence presented in your file. You can see the Denver Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Denver Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 43% to 62%. While these variations exist, the fundamental requirements for proving disability remain consistent regardless of the specific judge. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.