I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who responded to this thread! As someone who was really anxious about mixing online and paper submissions, all of your experiences and advice have been incredibly reassuring. The consistent message seems to be: yes, the hybrid approach works fine, but success really depends on being proactive about the paper portion. I'm definitely going to follow the roadmap that's emerged from everyone's advice: 1. Submit my portion online first 2. Print the pre-filled physician form with my receipt number 3. Hand-deliver it to my doctor's office (with that genius sticky note tip!) 4. Ask about faxing instead of mailing 5. Follow up regularly to ensure it actually gets sent 6. Make sure my doctor uses black ink and includes specific dates/diagnosis codes It's amazing how many people have dealt with this exact same situation! Really shows that old-school medical offices mixing with modern online systems is super common. I feel so much more confident about the whole process now. Thanks again everyone - this community is incredibly helpful! I'll update after my surgery and claim process to pay it forward for the next person in this situation.

I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago with my knee surgery! You're absolutely fine to do your part online while your doctor handles the paper certification - it's actually really common and works great when you follow the right steps. Here's what I learned that made all the difference: 1. After submitting online, immediately print the physician form from your SDI account (it'll have your claim number pre-filled) 2. Take that printed form directly to your doctor's office - don't let them use their own blank form 3. Ask them to fax instead of mail it (cuts processing time from weeks to days) 4. Write your receipt number on a sticky note and attach it to the form for extra visibility 5. Follow up after 3-4 days to make sure they actually sent it The key thing everyone's mentioned about that receipt number is so true - that's how EDD matches everything up. My claim processed in about 6 days total because I stayed on top of the paper portion. One more tip: when you talk to your doctor about filling it out, mention that you need specific dates (not "several weeks") and make sure they use black ink only. These little details can prevent delays. Don't stress about the mixed format - it's super standard! Just be proactive about managing the paper side and you'll be fine. Good luck with your surgery!

I had the exact same issue last month! Turns out my employer hadn't submitted the complete wage verification forms. I had to call HR and make sure they resubmitted everything properly. Once they did, it took about 2 weeks for the rest of my payments to come through. Definitely worth checking with your employer first before spending hours on hold with EDD. Also, keep all your documentation - I had to provide proof of my leave dates multiple times. Hope this helps!

I went through something similar earlier this year! In my case, it was because there was a discrepancy in my leave start date between what I reported and what my doctor's certification stated. Even though it was just a one-day difference, it caused the system to only process payment for the overlapping period. I had to get my doctor to submit a corrected form with the exact dates, and then it took about 3-4 weeks for the additional payments to process. Check your medical certification forms carefully - sometimes the smallest date errors can cause these issues. Also, when you do get through to someone, ask specifically about "benefit period discrepancies" - that's the magic phrase that helped me get answers faster!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently going through a similar situation - injured my shoulder at work 6 weeks ago and finally got my specialist to submit the SDI paperwork last week. I was really worried about the gap between my injury date and when the paperwork was filed, but reading everyone's experiences here gives me hope that EDD will backdate to my actual injury date as long as my doctor certified that correctly. I kept all my initial ER visit records and follow-up appointments, so I should be able to document the entire timeline if they ask. It's such a relief to know that specialist wait times are common and EDD generally understands these delays aren't the patient's fault. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community has been way more helpful than trying to get through to EDD on the phone!

I just wanted to share my recent experience that might help others with similar timing concerns. I had a workplace injury last month where there was a 4-week gap between my injury date and when my orthopedic surgeon finally submitted my SDI paperwork. I was really stressed about whether EDD would question the delay, but they approved my claim with full backpay to my injury date without any issues. The key was that my doctor properly documented the original injury date on the DE 2501 form and I had kept all my initial urgent care records. What really helped was that I proactively included a brief note with my claim explaining that the delay was due to specialist referral wait times, not because I wasn't seeking treatment. EDD processed my claim in about 10 days and I received backpay for all the weeks I was off work (minus the 7-day waiting period of course). For anyone dealing with similar gaps - don't panic! As long as your medical provider certifies the correct disability start date and you have documentation showing you sought initial treatment promptly, EDD seems pretty understanding about specialist appointment delays. The healthcare system is backed up everywhere right now and they know it.

UPDATE: I finally got this resolved! For anyone with similar issues: 1. I found an incomplete medical form in my account that was holding everything up (thanks to everyone who suggested checking for this) 2. I used the Claimyr service that someone recommended here and actually got through to a real person after trying for weeks! 3. The EDD rep was able to expedite my payment since I explained my financial hardship My payment should be in my account within 48 hours. What a relief! The system is still broken though - they really need to implement actual notifications when there are issues with your claim.

Congratulations on getting it resolved! Your experience is unfortunately way too common with EDD's SDI system. The fact that incomplete forms can hold up payments for weeks without any notification is absolutely unacceptable for people who depend on these payments for basic survival. I've been dealing with various state agencies for disability issues for years, and California really needs to overhaul their notification system. A simple automated email or text saying "Action Required: Incomplete Form" would prevent so much unnecessary stress and financial hardship. For future reference (and for others reading), I'd also recommend taking screenshots of your account after every certification and form submission. That way you have proof of when things were submitted if issues arise later. The system glitches are too frequent not to document everything. Hope your recovery goes smoothly and you don't have to deal with payment delays again!

I've been on CA disability twice and wanted to share a few additional tips that really helped me! First, your sister should download the Bank of America mobile app once she gets her card - it's actually easier to manage transfers and check balances through the app than the website. Second, if she's worried about the first payment timing, she can call the EDD automated phone line at 1-866-401-2849 to check if her payment has been issued (it usually gets loaded onto the card 1-2 days after the "paid" date shows in her online EDD account). One thing I learned the hard way - if she needs cash quickly and there's no BofA ATM nearby, Walmart MoneyCenter locations will let you withdraw up to $999 per transaction for just a $3 fee, which is way better than most ATM surcharges. Also, once she sets up the online account, she can get text alerts when payments are loaded onto her card, which is super helpful for budgeting. Hope her claim goes smoothly and congratulations on the upcoming baby!

Just wanted to add something that saved me a lot of stress when I was on disability - your sister should definitely take a photo of both sides of the EDD card as soon as it arrives and store it securely on her phone or in a safe place. The card number, expiration date, and security code are all you need to set up online transfers or make online payments, so if she ever loses the physical card, she can still access her funds digitally while waiting for a replacement. I had my card fall out of my wallet once and this backup saved me from being completely stuck without access to my money for over a week. Also, make sure she memorizes or writes down the PIN separately from where she stores the card info - you need both for ATM withdrawals but keeping them separate is safer if one gets compromised. The EDD system can be frustrating enough without adding preventable headaches on top of it!