Moody v. Andrew M. Saul

District Court, N.D. California·Decided November 2, 2020·No. 4:19-cv-03134-DMR·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

Case No. 19-cv-03134-DMR Plaintiff,

v. ORDER ON CROSS MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT Re: Dkt. Nos. 19, 20 Defendant. Plaintiff Donna M. moves for summary judgment to reverse the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration’s (the “Commissioner’s”) final administrative decision, which found Plaintiff no longer disabled due to medical improvement and therefore terminated her disability benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 401 et seq. [Docket No. 19.] The Commissioner cross-moves to affirm. [Docket No. 20.] For the reasons stated below, the court grants Plaintiff’s motion in part and denies the Commissioner’s motion. I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY On February 27, 2005, the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) found that Plaintiff was disabled beginning on January 1, 2003. The date of that decision is known as the “comparison point decision” or CPD. Administrative Record (“A.R.”) 496-99. At the time of the CPD, Plaintiff had an anxiety disorder that met listing 12.06 in 20 C.F.R. Subpart P, Appendix 1. A.R. 37. On July 17, 2013, the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) found Plaintiff was no longer disabled as of July 1, 2013. A.R. 312-15. The determination was upheld on reconsideration following a December 2013 hearing before a disability hearing officer. A.R. 316- 41. An Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) held a hearing in December 2015 and issued an unfavorable decision on January 22, 2016, finding that Plaintiff’s condition had improved and that she was no longer disabled as of July 17, 2013. A.R. 289-307. The Appeals Council reversed and remanded the matter, finding that the ALJ should have considered whether Plaintiff became disabled again at any time between July 17, 2013 and March 31, 2016, her “last insured” date. A.R. 308-10. The Appeals Council also found that the ALJ erred in giving “significant weight” to the disability hearing officer’s decision, which was not a medical opinion. A.R. 309. The ALJ postponed a second hearing scheduled for October 11, 2017, and held a third hearing on January 29, 2018, at which a medical expert testified. A.R. 251-82. The ALJ issued a second unfavorable decision on March 12, 2018. A.R. 32-55. Following the eight-step analysis that governs continuing disability reviews, the ALJ determined that since July 17, 2013, Plaintiff had depressive disorder, NOS and an anxiety disorder, NOS, which were both severe impairments. A.R. 37, 39. The ALJ found that Plaintiff’s CPD impairment of anxiety no longer met or medically equaled listing 12.06, and that starting on July 17, 2013, Plaintiff “has had the residual functional capacity [“RFC”] to perform a full range of work at all exertional levels involving simple, routine tasks with no public interaction.” A.R. 39. Relying on the opinion of a vocational expert (“VE”) who testified that Plaintiff’s nonexertional limitations “had little or no effect on the occupational base of unskilled work at all exertional levels,” the ALJ found that a finding of “not disabled” was appropriate. A.R. 45. The ALJ concluded that Plaintiff’s disability ended on July 17, 2013, and that she had not become disabled again since that date. A.R. 45. After the Appeals Council denied review, Plaintiff sought review in this court. [Docket No. 1.] The parties both move for summary judgment. An individual is disabled for the purpose of receiving benefits under the Act if she demonstrates a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that prevents her from engaging in substantial gainful activity that is expected to result in death or last for a continuous period of at least twelve months. Reddick v. Chater, 157 F.3d 715, 721 (9th Cir. 1998) (citing 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(1)(A)). The impairment must render the claimant incapable of performing the employment that exists in the national economy. Tackett v. Apfel, 180 F.3d 1094, 1098 (9th Cir. 1999) (citing 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(2)(A)). To determine whether a claimant is disabled, an ALJ engages in a five-step sequential analysis as required under 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520(a)(4)(i)-(v). After a person is found to be entitled to disability benefits, the Commissioner is required to periodically review whether continued entitlement to such benefits is warranted. 42 U.S.C. § 421(i); 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1589-1590. The SSA may only terminate benefits to an existing beneficiary if substantial evidence demonstrates that 1) there has been medical improvement in the individual’s impairment and 2) he or she is now able to engage in substantial gainful activity. See 42 U.S.C. § 423(f)(1); Flaten v. Sec’y of Health & Human Servs., 44 F.3d 1453, 1460 (9th. Cir. 1995) (“Disability benefits cease when the period of disability ends due to medical improvement (or for other reasons) and the individual is again able to do substantial work.” (citations omitted)). ALJs make this determination by following an eight-step regulatory framework, which asks: 1. Is the claimant “engaging in substantial gainful activity”? 2. Does the claimant’s impairment or combination of impairments meet any of the listings in 20 C.F.R. 404 Subpart P, Appendix 1? 3. Has medical improvement occurred? 4. If medical improvement has occurred, is the medical improvement related to the claimant’s ability to work? 5. If there has been no medical improvement, do any of the exceptions to medical improvement apply? 6. Are all of the claimant’s current impairments in combination severe? 7. What is the claimant’s residual functional capacity based on the current impairments, and can the claimant still perform past relevant work? 8. If the claimant cannot perform past relevant work, can he or she perform other work given his or her residual functional capacity? 20 C.F.R. § 404.1594(f)(1)–(8). Commissioner denying a claimant disability benefits. “This court may set aside the Commissioner’s denial of disability insurance benefits when the ALJ’s findings are based on legal error or are not supported by substantial evidence in the record as a whole.” Tackett v. Apfel, 180 F.3d 1094, 1097 (9th Cir. 1999) (citations omitted). Substantial evidence is evidence within the record that could lead a reasonable mind to accept a conclusion regarding disability status. See Richardson v. Perales, 402 U.S. 389, 401 (1971). It is more than a mere scintilla, but less than a preponderance. See Saelee v. Chater, 94 F.3d 520, 522 (9th Cir.1996) (internal citation omitted). When performing this analysis, the court must “consider the entire record as a w

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