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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
NHC CHICAGO
Unassigned region
Avg processing
312days
+48 vs national
Processing time
312
10.4 months
Hearing wait
9.0
months (current)
Cases pending
1,886
FY receipts
1,601
FY dispositions
1,973
Active judges
10
Video hearings
96%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
55.6%
-2.2 vs avg
Backlog ratio
0.81
Shrinking
Rank
Unranked
Processing time in context
Fastest · 73 daysAvg · 264 daysSlowest · 673 days
The draw · approval spread across 10 judges
14%
85%
0%Median 59.9%100%
At NHC CHICAGO, approval rates range from 14.2% (Sanzi, Thomas) to 85.3% (Thrasher, Richard) — a 71-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 (59.9%), not the best case.
Judges at NHC CHICAGO (10)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thrasher, Richard | 85.3% | 95 | 81 | 14 | |
| Kramzyk, Henry | 67.1% | 82 | 55 | 27 | |
| Martin, John | 63.6% | 247 | 157 | 90 | |
| Fuller, Roxanne | 61.7% | 47 | 29 | 18 | |
| Valkavich, Helen | 60.3% | 219 | 132 | 87 | |
| Lucas, Brian | 59.6% | 292 | 174 | 118 | |
| Poulose, Mary Ann | 58.8% | 216 | 127 | 89 | |
| Bridges, Kathryn | 50.2% | 233 | 117 | 116 | |
| Sharrard, Anne | 45.6% | 114 | 52 | 62 | |
| Sanzi, Thomas | 14.2% | 155 | 22 | 133 |