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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
NHC BALTIMORE
Unassigned regionMaryland hearing outlook
Avg processing
332days
+66 vs national
Processing time
332
11.1 months
Hearing wait
—
Cases pending
0
FY receipts
-893
FY dispositions
1,140
Active judges
8
Video hearings
87%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
47.2%
-10.5 vs avg
Backlog ratio
-0.78
Shrinking
Rank
Unranked
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 7 judges
34%
54%
0%Median 47.6%100%
At NHC BALTIMORE, approval rates range from 34.3% (Loughlin, John) to 53.6% (Bozarth, Shawn) — a 19-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 (47.6%), not the best case.
Judges at NHC BALTIMORE (8)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grunberg, Hope | 66.7% | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Bozarth, Shawn | 53.6% | 224 | 120 | 104 | |
| Hammock, Melissa | 53.0% | 266 | 141 | 125 | |
| Benton, Amy | 51.5% | 33 | 17 | 16 | |
| Barker, Paul | 47.6% | 206 | 98 | 108 | |
| Woode, Charles | 47.0% | 166 | 78 | 88 | |
| Dillon, Christopher | 44.4% | 81 | 36 | 45 | |
| Loughlin, John | 34.3% | 230 | 79 | 151 |