Source: http://pa.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20180427_0001056.EPA.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 16:07:38+00:00

Document:
NANCY A. BERRYHILL,  Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Respondent.
Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1), the Court has conducted a de novo review of the portions of the R&R to which objections have been made. After independently reviewing the Administrative Record (“Record”) and for reasons that follow, the Court will adopt and approve the R&R (Doc. No. 12) in its entirety.
On December 30, 2014, the ALJ concluded that Plaintiff was not disabled within the meaning of the Act and denied her request for DIB. (R. at 33.) Plaintiff filed a request for review of the ALJ's decision with the Social Security Appeals Council (R. at 17-18), and on June 20, 2016, the Appeals Council denied her request (R. at 1-4).
On August 22, 2016, Plaintiff filed the Complaint in this Court, seeking judicial review of the ALJ's decision pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). (Doc. No. 1.) The Court referred the matter to Magistrate Judge David R. Strawbridge for an R&R. (Doc. No. 11.) On September 29, 2017, the Magistrate Judge filed an R&R recommending that Plaintiff's request for review be denied. (Doc. No. 12.) On October 4, 2017, Plaintiff filed Objections to the R&R (Doc. No. 13), which are now ripe for a decision.
To prove a “disability, ” a claimant must demonstrate “the inability to do any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.” 20 C.F.R. § 404.1505(a). The claimant has the burden of proving the existence of a disability and can satisfy this burden by showing an inability to return to former work. Rossi v. Califano, 602 F.2d 55, 57 (3d Cir. 1979). If she does so, the burden shifts to the Commissioner to show that, given the claimant's age, education, and work experience, she is able to perform specific jobs that exist in the national economy. 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(2)(A); 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(f).
(ii) At the second step, we consider the medical severity of your impairment(s). If you do not have a severe medically determinable physical or mental impairment that meets the duration requirement in § 404.1509, or a combination of impairments that is severe and meets the duration requirement, we will find that you are not disabled.

References: § 636
 § 405
 § 404
 v. 
 § 423
 § 416
 § 404