Back to all states
Updated June 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 · 2026-03
Initial receipts
1,039
Initial determinations
863
Initial allowance rate
38.8%
Initial pending
5,502
Recon determinations
132
Recon allowance rate
18.9%
Hearing offices in New Mexico
| Office | Rank | Processing days | Pending | Approval | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALBUQUERQUE | 92 | 261 | 2,000 | 53.8% | 18 |
| NHC ALBUQUERQUE | — | 316 | 416 | 48.0% | 6 |
ALJs in New Mexico (22)
Sorted by approval rate.
| Judge | Office | Approval | Decisions | Awards | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stults, Douglas | OKLAHOMA CITY | 83.9% | 254 | 213 | |
| Suing, Timothy | HOUSTON WEST | 77.3% | 22 | 17 | |
| Rauenzahn, MaryKay | SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE | 76.2% | 84 | 64 | |
| Fellabaum, Jennifer | ALBUQUERQUE | 62.9% | 186 | 117 | |
| Hansen, Holly | METAIRIE | 60.6% | 284 | 172 | |
| Carr, Michael | SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE | 58.6% | 29 | 17 | |
| Elias, Yasmin | PHOENIX NORTH | 58.0% | 50 | 29 | |
| Lough, Sarah | MINNEAPOLIS | 57.2% | 236 | 135 | |
| Juge, Christopher H. | METAIRIE | 56.3% | 144 | 81 | |
| Wiedemann, Karen | METAIRIE | 55.8% | 217 | 121 | |
| Lindsay, Michelle | ALBUQUERQUE | 52.2% | 23 | 12 | |
| Benedict, David | METAIRIE | 51.6% | 248 | 128 | |
| Timmins, Talia | ALBUQUERQUE | 49.8% | 205 | 102 | |
| Exnicios, Richard M. | METAIRIE | 49.0% | 253 | 124 | |
| Leppala, Michael | ALBUQUERQUE | 48.9% | 235 | 115 | |
| Hertzig, Michael S. | METAIRIE | 48.6% | 179 | 87 | |
| Midles, Matt | SAN FRANCISCO | 48.1% | 162 | 78 | |
| Pierce, Katie H | NHC ALBUQUERQUE | 48.1% | 79 | 38 | |
| O'Melinn, Barry | NHC ALBUQUERQUE | 47.2% | 286 | 135 | |
| Frost-Wolf, Joyce | NHC ALBUQUERQUE | 46.0% | 248 | 114 | |
| Freedman, Robert | ALBUQUERQUE | 43.2% | 271 | 117 | |
| 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.