ALJs With Highest And Lowest Reversal Rates

The database posted by The Oregonian makes it possible to generate a list of Administrative Law Judges with the highest and lowest reversal rates, that is the rate at which they approve claims. These lists are somewhat misleading since they include ALJs in supervisory positions and ALJs who retired early in the year, but here are the lists of the highest and lowest, with their total dispositions.

Highest Allowance Rates

Judge Name	Decisions	Total Dispositions	Fully Favorable	Partially Favorable	Approval Rate	Unfavorable	Denial Rate	Year
BURKE, JAMES A	899	958	832	35	91%	32	3%	2008
WASHINGTON, CALVIN	1,038	1,106	981	27	91%	30	3%	2008
WHITE, DOUGLAS G	455	481	430	6	91%	19	4%	2008
STOREY, PETER B	214	223	204	2	92%	8	4%	2008
BUEL, SR., TOBY J	474	501	461	3	93%	10	2%	2008
KRAFSUR, GERALD I	618	657	599	13	93%	6	1%	2008
SMITH, MANNY	378	404	362	13	93%	3	1%	2008
TAYLOR, II, HARRY C	989	1,020	942	7	93%	40	4%	2008
ALDEN, NANCY	442	464	415	19	94%	8	2%	2008
GORMLEY III, MATTHEW J	63	66	61	1	94%	1	2%	2008
DAUGHERTY, DAVID B	1,250	1,291	1,238	1	96%	11	1%	2008
O'BRYAN JR., W HOWARD	1,690	1,750	1,670	10	96%	10	1%	2008
WIEMAN, F. JOSEPH	57	59	54	3	97%	0	0%	2008
GARMON, OLLIE	145	146	145	0	99%	0	0%	2008
CRISTAUDO, FRANK	1	1	1	0	100%	0	0%	2008

Lowest Allowance Rates

Judge Name	Decisions	Total Dispositions	Fully Favorable	Partially Favorable	Approval Rate	Unfavorable	Denial Rate	Year
MASON, THOMASINE G	3	3	0	0	0%	3	100%	2008
RUCKER, JAMES R	0	1	0	0	0%	0	0%	2008
ABRAMS, RICHARD L	108	150	11	5	11%	92	61%	2008
ABRUZZO, DOUGLAS W	185	233	21	6	12%	158	68%	2008
ORR, WALTER	254	339	36	5	12%	213	63%	2008
WRIGHT, ROBERT	524	3,154	379	40	13%	105	3%	2008
FAVA, ANTHONY	39	43	4	2	14%	33	77%	2008
HARPER, RICHARD H	223	1,028	130	12	14%	81	8%	2008
DOMBECK, JAMES E	285	1,289	155	36	15%	94	7%	2008
KUPERSMITH, LINDA E	99	176	24	5	16%	70	40%	2008
PADILLA, MELVIN A	296	335	27	26	16%	243	73%	2008
RODRIGUEZ, GILBERT	449	479	68	13	17%	368	77%	2008
VANDERHOOF, GARY L	835	1,000	142	29	17%	664	66%	2008
BARR, HARRY H	138	158	26	3	18%	109	69%	2008
BLUCHER, JONATHAN P	252	280	20	30	18%	202	72%	2008

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First Appearance By Patty Duke For Social Security -- And I Find It Spooky

I had posted earlier that Patty Duke had agreed to be a spokesperson for Social Security. Here is a press release touting her first appearance in this role, this time promoting filing claims online, which will probably be the only thing she will be promoting.

The press release also mentions that "Cathy Lane" will be part of the promotional effort. Ms. Duke portrayed someone named "Patty Lane" on her old television show from 1963-1966, as well as someone named "Cathy Lane," who was supposed to be her identical twin cousin. Patty Duke is bipolar. Portraying two characters on her old television show was entertainment. For a bipolar woman to resurrect that second character more than 40 years later is more than a little spooky,to me ,but maybe I am just too familiar with psychiatry. How many people remember that old television program anyway, much less remember that Patty Duke portrayed two characters? I must have seen the show, but I had no recollection of it and had to look it up. Maybe it was just too girly for the teen-aged boy that I was then.

Update: The video that Patty Duke did is now available online and I find it weird. No one but the most ardent Patty Duke fans will be able to appreciate the references to her old show. Was this the theme music to her old show? Something like the old set? I think this is going to mystify a lot of people.