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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
KANSAS CITY
Avg processing
280days
+14 vs national
Processing time
280
9.3 months
Hearing wait
8.0
months (current)
Cases pending
4,192
FY receipts
4,749
FY dispositions
3,285
Active judges
13
Video hearings
40%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
56.2%
-1.5 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.45
Growing
Rank
#121
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 11 judges
25%
90%
0%Median 52.2%100%
At KANSAS CITY, approval rates range from 25.2% (Kelly, Robert) to 90.1% (Naggi, Mark) — a 65-pointspread. Assignment is effectively the luck of the draw, so the judge a case lands with can matter more than the office’s average. Plan for the median (52.2%), not the best case.
Judges at KANSAS CITY (13)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naggi, Mark | 90.1% | 324 | 292 | 32 | |
| Erickson, Diana | 84.1% | 226 | 190 | 36 | |
| Lehr, Michael | 75.8% | 389 | 295 | 94 | |
| Jung, P H | 58.8% | 267 | 157 | 110 | |
| Ambuehl, Christel | 53.8% | 132 | 71 | 61 | |
| Werner, Michael | 52.2% | 316 | 165 | 151 | |
| Deans, Joan H | 51.9% | 324 | 168 | 156 | |
| Comisky, Michael | 45.2% | 292 | 132 | 160 | |
| Mein, Christina Young | 43.4% | 355 | 154 | 201 | |
| Barnes-Williams, Janice | 41.7% | 240 | 100 | 140 | |
| Neal, Toni | 38.9% | 18 | 7 | 11 | |
| Kelly, Robert | 25.2% | 329 | 83 | 246 | |
| Cooke, Christine | 19.0% | 21 | 4 | 17 |