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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
NHC CHICAGO
Unassigned region
Avg processing
312days
+46 vs national
Processing time
312
10.4 months
Hearing wait
11.0
months (current)
Cases pending
1,515
FY receipts
1,294
FY dispositions
2,037
Active judges
10
Video hearings
96%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
55.6%
-2.1 vs avg
Backlog ratio
0.64
Shrinking
Rank
Unranked
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 10 judges
14%
86%
0%Median 59.2%100%
At NHC CHICAGO, approval rates range from 14.2% (Sanzi, Thomas) to 85.7% (Thrasher, Richard) — a 72-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 (59.2%), not the best case.
Judges at NHC CHICAGO (10)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thrasher, Richard | 85.7% | 98 | 84 | 14 | |
| Kramzyk, Henry | 67.0% | 91 | 61 | 30 | |
| Martin, John | 63.6% | 247 | 157 | 90 | |
| Valkavich, Helen | 59.3% | 236 | 140 | 96 | |
| Lucas, Brian | 59.2% | 314 | 186 | 128 | |
| Fuller, Roxanne | 59.1% | 66 | 39 | 27 | |
| Poulose, Mary Ann | 58.8% | 216 | 127 | 89 | |
| Bridges, Kathryn | 50.4% | 234 | 118 | 116 | |
| Sharrard, Anne | 46.8% | 139 | 65 | 74 | |
| Sanzi, Thomas | 14.2% | 155 | 22 | 133 |