Approval rates
The 60% approval rate for Sandra Morales Price covers all decisions on record since 2018. When viewed against the 45% to 82% range of other judges whose most recent office on record is Elkins Park, these figures provide context for the local hearing environment. 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
The approval trend for Sandra Morales Price has fluctuated since 2018. With 2,955 decisions on record, the data reflects a shift from a 75% approval rate in 2018 to a 66% rate in the most recent fiscal year-to-date period. This latest-period performance of 66% sits 5 points above the office-wide average of 61%.
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.
About the Elkins Park hearing office
The most recent office on record for Sandra Morales Price is the Elkins Park hearing office. This office maintains a bench of 24 judges, with an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 61%. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on the medical and vocational evidence presented in your file.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Elkins Park
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. There are 24 judges whose most recent office on record is the Elkins Park office. Approval rates across this bench vary, ranging from 45% to 82% on their respective records.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Sandra Morales Price has an approval rate of 60% since 2018, which sits within the 45% to 82% range observed among the 24 judges whose most recent office on record is Elkins Park. In the latest reporting period, her 66% approval rate is 5 points higher than the office-wide average of 61%. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this judge's bench.
Yes, the approval rate for Sandra Morales Price has fluctuated. After an initial 75% approval rate in 2018, the rate shifted to 49% in 2021 before trending to 66% in the most recent fiscal year-to-date period. An attorney can help you evaluate how these trends might impact your hearing.
No, you cannot request a specific judge for your SSDI hearing. The Social Security Administration uses a random, workload-based algorithm to assign cases to judges at the Elkins Park office. An attorney can help you build a strong case regardless of your assigned judge.
An SSDI hearing is a formal proceeding where a judge reviews the evidence, hears your testimony, and often questions vocational or medical experts. The goal is to determine if your medical condition meets the criteria for disability benefits. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony and ensure your evidence is organized for the judge.
A judge's approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. While Sandra Morales Price has a 60% approval rate on record since 2018, your case's success depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence and your ability to demonstrate your limitations. An attorney can help you identify and present the evidence most relevant to your claim.
