Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks helps you contextualize your upcoming hearing. Judge Kays maintains a lifetime approval rate of 63%, which stands in contrast to the national average of 58%. By reviewing these figures alongside the latest office approval rate of 64%, you can better understand the environment of the Billings Hearing Office. These statistics are derived from 24,857 lifetime decisions.
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 Kays'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Kays has demonstrated a nuanced approach to disability adjudication. While his approval rates fluctuated between 58% and 65% for much of his tenure, recent data shows an upward trend, reaching 74% in 2025. This shift suggests a change in case mix or evidence evaluation patterns compared to his earlier years. The latest period reflects a departure from his long-term average, indicating that recent claimants have seen higher approval outcomes.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kays'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 Kays? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Billings hearing office
The Billings Hearing Office serves claimants across Montana, managing a diverse caseload of disability applications. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 64%, aligning closely with regional trends. You can expect a professional environment focused on the rigorous evaluation of medical records and vocational testimony.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your judge is selected randomly. Within the Billings Hearing Office, approval rates across the bench vary significantly, ranging from 31% to 69% for lifetime decisions. This variance underscores why you should focus on the strength of your medical evidence regardless of your specific assignment.
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.