Can I apply for EDD SDI online if my doctor only uses paper forms?

yeah u can do ur part online and doc does paper. i did this 2 months ago. just make sure u give doctor the correct claim ID# after u submit your online part

You can absolutely apply online while your doctor submits a paper form. Here's the process: 1. Complete your portion online through SDI Online 2. After submitting, you'll get a Receipt Number 3. Give your doctor the "Physician/Practitioner Certification" form (DE 2501) along with your Receipt Number 4. Make sure your doctor knows they need to mail the form to EDD within 49 days This mixed approach is actually very common! Many medical offices still use paper forms. Just make sure you follow up with your doctor's office to confirm they've mailed your form.

My doctor did paper forms too!!! And let me tell you it was a NIGHTMARE. Took them THREE WEEKS to process my claim because they had to manually match up my online application with the paper doctor form. EDD kept telling me they couldn't find my doctor's certification even though the office swore they sent it. Had to get them to send it TWICE before EDD finally found it in their system. Make sure your doctor writes your receipt number CLEARLY on the form!!!!

I'm a medical office administrator who handles SDI paperwork regularly. Here's some advice to minimize delays: 1. When you submit your online portion, immediately print out the physician certification form (it will have your claim number pre-printed) 2. Hand-deliver this to your doctor's office rather than having them use their own blank form - this ensures your claim number is already on it 3. Ask the office when they typically submit paperwork to EDD (many offices batch-send forms only on certain days) 4. Request that they fax rather than mail the completed form for faster processing 5. Follow up with both your doctor's office AND EDD after 7-10 days to verify receipt This hybrid approach (online claimant/paper doctor) works fine, but requires more followup on your part to ensure all pieces connect properly.

If your doctor only does paper forms, DEFINITELY get tracking info when they mail it!!! I had this same situation last year and my claim was delayed over a month because EDD "never received" my doctor's certification. Found out later they had it the whole time but filed it wrong or something. The whole system is broken.

I actually had my claim denied initially bcuz my doctor filled out the paper form wrong. Make sure they complete ALL sections esp the diagnosis code and expected return date. My doc left some parts blank and EDD just denied it without even contacting me or the doc to get the missing info. Had to appeal and everything. So frustrating.

One more important tip: If your claim seems to be taking longer than usual to process (which sometimes happens with the hybrid paper/online approach), you can request a "Status of Claim" by calling EDD. The EDD should be able to tell you if: 1. They've received your doctor's certification 2. If there are any issues with either portion of your claim 3. When you might expect a decision Remember to document the date/time of every call and the name of representatives you speak with. This documentation can be extremely helpful if you need to escalate an issue later.

Hey Mikayla! I just went through this exact situation about 6 months ago. You're totally fine to do your part online while your doctor uses paper forms - it's actually super common. Here's what worked for me: After you submit your online application, immediately download and print the physician certification form that will have your claim number pre-filled. Take this directly to your doctor's office rather than letting them use their own blank form. This prevents any mix-ups with claim numbers. Also, ask your doctor's office if they can fax the completed form instead of mailing it - mine did this and it was processed within 3 days instead of weeks. Make sure to get the fax confirmation sheet as proof it was sent. One last thing - set a reminder to check your SDI Online account every few days to see if your claim status changes from "pending" to processed. This way you'll know right away if there are any issues. Good luck with your surgery and recovery! The carpal tunnel relief is so worth it.

Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me when I was in this situation - if your doctor's office is hesitant about faxing the form, you can explain that EDD actually prefers electronic submission when possible because it reduces processing delays. Some older medical offices worry about security, but faxing to EDD is totally standard and secure. Also, if you're really concerned about timing (like if you need benefits to start ASAP), you might want to call EDD about a week after your doctor submits the paper form to confirm they received it. I know the phone lines are terrible, but sometimes catching issues early can save you weeks of back-and-forth later. The mixed online/paper approach really does work fine - don't let anyone tell you otherwise! The key is just staying on top of the paper portion since that's where most delays happen.

I just wanted to chime in as someone who works in disability claims processing (not for EDD, but similar state agency). The hybrid online/paper approach you're dealing with is actually becoming more common as agencies modernize but many medical providers haven't caught up yet. One thing I haven't seen mentioned - when your doctor fills out the paper form, make sure they use BLACK INK only. We see a lot of delays when forms are filled out in blue ink or pencil because they don't scan clearly into the system. Also, if your doctor has messy handwriting, ask them to print clearly or even type the form if possible. The receipt number from your online submission is absolutely critical - that's how EDD will match your online portion with the paper certification. I'd suggest writing it in multiple places on the form (not just where it's supposed to go) to make sure it's visible even if the form gets folded or damaged in processing. Good luck with your surgery and claim!

Just went through this exact same situation last month! Yes, you can definitely do your part online while your doctor handles the paper certification - I was worried about the same thing but it worked out perfectly fine. Here's what I learned that might help you: 1. After you submit online, you'll get a receipt number that's super important - make sure your doctor has this 2. Print out the physician form from your SDI Online account rather than letting your doctor use their own blank form (it'll have your info pre-filled) 3. Ask your doctor's office about their typical turnaround time for these forms - mine took about a week to complete and send The only hiccup I had was that my doctor's office initially said they'd mail it, but I asked them to fax it instead and that sped things up significantly. EDD processed my claim within about 10 days total. One last tip - make sure to follow up with your doctor's office after a few days to confirm they actually sent the form. Mine got busy and almost forgot until I called to check! Good luck with your surgery - the recovery time will fly by and you'll be so glad you got it done!

Hey! I actually work as a patient coordinator at an orthopedic office and we deal with SDI claims all the time. You're absolutely fine to submit your portion online while we handle the paper certification - happens probably 3-4 times a week! Here's my insider tip: when you bring the pre-filled physician form to your doctor's office, also bring a sticky note with your receipt number written in BIG numbers and ask them to attach it to the form. Sometimes the pre-printed numbers can be hard to read after the form gets handled by multiple people, and that sticky note has saved so many claims from getting lost in the system. Also, don't be afraid to be a little pushy about the timeline. We always tell patients we'll get it done "within a week" but honestly if you mention that you need it processed quickly for financial reasons, most offices will prioritize it and get it done in 2-3 days. Your carpal tunnel surgery is going to be such a relief - I see patients come back after and they're always amazed at how much better they feel. The SDI process might seem stressful now but once you get that first payment, you'll be so glad you went through with it!

I'm actually dealing with a similar situation right now! My doctor's office is also very old-school with paper forms only. From reading all these responses, it sounds like the hybrid approach (online for you, paper for doctor) is totally normal and works well as long as you stay on top of the process. What really stood out to me from everyone's advice is how important it is to print that pre-filled physician form from your SDI Online account rather than letting your doctor use their own blank form. That receipt number seems to be the key to making sure everything gets matched up properly in EDD's system. I'm definitely going to follow the game plan that's emerged from all these helpful responses: submit online first, print the pre-filled form with receipt number, hand-deliver it to the doctor's office, ask about faxing instead of mailing, and follow up regularly to make sure it actually gets sent. The sticky note tip from Carmen is brilliant too! Thanks for asking this question - I've learned so much from everyone's experiences and feel way more prepared to navigate this process now!

I'm in a very similar situation - my orthopedic surgeon's office also only does paper forms! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. I was initially stressed about mixing online and paper submissions, but it's clear this is actually really common and totally manageable. The consistent advice here about printing the pre-filled physician form from your SDI Online account (rather than letting the doctor use a blank form) seems crucial for avoiding delays. That receipt number is obviously the key to everything getting matched up properly in EDD's system. I'm taking notes on all the tips shared here - especially about asking for faxing instead of mailing, using black ink only, and that brilliant sticky note idea to make the receipt number extra visible. The follow-up advice is really important too since it sounds like staying proactive is essential to avoid things falling through the cracks. Thanks for starting this thread! It's given me a clear roadmap for when I need to file my claim in a couple months. Good luck with your carpal tunnel surgery - from what everyone's saying, the relief will be so worth it!

I'm a case worker who handles SDI claims and wanted to add a few things that might help. The hybrid approach (online claimant/paper doctor) is definitely standard - we see it constantly and it processes just fine when done correctly. A couple additional tips based on what I see go wrong frequently: 1. Make sure your doctor includes the EXACT dates you'll be unable to work. Vague entries like "several weeks" or "until healed" cause delays because we need specific start/end dates for benefit calculations. 2. If your doctor estimates you'll be out longer than 12 weeks, they need to indicate this clearly on the form. Short-term vs extended disability claims have different processing tracks. 3. The diagnosis code (ICD-10) must match your actual condition. I see claims delayed when doctors use generic codes instead of the specific carpal tunnel syndrome code. 4. One thing people don't realize - if your claim gets approved, payments are retroactive to your first day of disability, so even if the paper processing takes a few extra days, you won't lose any money. The key really is that pre-filled form with your receipt number. Hand-delivering it to your doctor's office and asking them to fax it is your best bet for smooth processing. Good luck with everything!

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!