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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
State Profile
New Mexico
NM · Region DAL
DDS approval rate
41.3%
+1.5 pts vs national
DDS approval rate
41.3%
National: 39.8%
3-year change
+6.0 pts
Annual receipts
13,138
FY2024
Hearing offices
2
22 ALJs
Latest monthly DDS data · 2026-07
Initial receipts
1,252
Initial determinations
1,009
Initial allowance rate
39.5%
Initial pending
6,230
Recon determinations
87
Recon allowance rate
18.4%
Hearing offices in New Mexico
| Office | Rank | Processing days | Pending | Approval | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALBUQUERQUE | 97 | 264 | 2,145 | 54.0% | 18 |
| NHC ALBUQUERQUE | — | 317 | 291 | 49.7% | 6 |
ALJs in New Mexico (22)
Sorted by approval rate.
| Judge | Office | Approval | Decisions | Awards | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stults, Douglas | OKLAHOMA CITY | 83.4% | 338 | 282 | |
| Rauenzahn, MaryKay | SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE | 78.7% | 127 | 100 | |
| Suing, Timothy | HOUSTON WEST | 77.3% | 22 | 17 | |
| Juge, Christopher H. | NEW ORLEANS | 62.9% | 170 | 107 | |
| Fellabaum, Jennifer | ALBUQUERQUE | 60.2% | 241 | 145 | |
| Elias, Yasmin | PHOENIX NORTH | 58.8% | 51 | 30 | |
| Hansen, Holly | METAIRIE | 58.7% | 366 | 215 | |
| Carr, Michael | SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE | 58.7% | 46 | 27 | |
| Lough, Sarah | MINNEAPOLIS | 58.0% | 274 | 159 | |
| Wiedemann, Karen | METAIRIE | 57.0% | 284 | 162 | |
| Lindsay, Michelle | ALBUQUERQUE | 52.2% | 23 | 12 | |
| Benedict, David | METAIRIE | 51.7% | 348 | 180 | |
| Leppala, Michael | ALBUQUERQUE | 51.1% | 321 | 164 | |
| Exnicios, Richard M. | METAIRIE | 50.5% | 331 | 167 | |
| Pierce, Katie H | NHC ALBUQUERQUE | 48.2% | 85 | 41 | |
| Timmins, Talia | ALBUQUERQUE | 48.1% | 268 | 129 | |
| O'Melinn, Barry | NHC ALBUQUERQUE | 47.2% | 286 | 135 | |
| Hertzig, Michael S. | METAIRIE | 46.7% | 227 | 106 | |
| Frost-Wolf, Joyce | NHC ALBUQUERQUE | 46.0% | 248 | 114 | |
| Midles, Matt | SAN FRANCISCO | 45.0% | 211 | 95 | |
| Freedman, Robert | ALBUQUERQUE | 43.0% | 351 | 151 | |
| Van Vleck, Deborah J | NHC ALBUQUERQUE | 39.7% | 234 | 93 |
Next step
Estimate approval odds
See SSA historical approval base rates for a New Mexico claim by condition, age, and stage.