A case that is remanded (sent back) to the ALJ level is not a case that is approved by the AC. It is a case that gets a second look by the ALJ. It may be approved, it may be denied. But it is not a case that is approved by the AC. Can't count that as an allowance by the AC. A remand is not an approval. It may become one if the ALJ writes it up that way. 22% of the cases sent to the AC are remanded. 73% are still denied. Higher than the DDS.

And so what if claims that are ultimately denied for non-disability reasons are excluded from the data. A person who is not insured for SSDI or has excess income or resources for SSI can't be paid benefits no matter how disabled they are so that data should not be factored in at all. And since the decision that a person is disabled applies to both an SSDI and an SSI claim, it makes much more sense to count them as one decision rather than two decisions.

Positive thinking is generally a good thing. Being an optimist is generally a better way to live than being a pessimist. But positive thinking doesn't change reality. Reality is that of the 2,686,152 claims filed in 2009, 1,376 were approved by the AC, .05%, 1 out of 1952.