Approval rates
Judge Morales Price has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 58% across 16,721 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate reached 63%, which is 3 percentage points above the state average and 5 percentage points above the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases have been decided in her courtroom over the last 8 years. 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 Price'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 her 8-year tenure, Judge Morales Price has seen fluctuations in her approval rates, ranging from a high of 74% in 2018 to a low of 49% in 2021 and 2022. Recent data shows a positive trend, with approval rates climbing to 62% in 2024 and 63% in 2025. These shifts often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented, rather than a change in judicial philosophy.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Price'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 Price? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Elkins Park hearing office
The Elkins Park Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Pennsylvania and the surrounding region. It is a busy office with 6 judges managing a high volume of disability claims. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 60%, reflecting the local environment for SSDI hearings. You can expect a professional, evidence-focused process when appearing before judges at this location. You can visit the Elkins Park Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to Judge Morales Price is random. Within the Elkins Park office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 50% to 71%. While these rates vary, the fundamental requirements for proving your disability remain consistent across the entire bench. You can view the Elkins Park Hearing Office page for more information on the office's broader trends.
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.