Confused about paper SDI form for carpal tunnel surgery - do I skip workers' comp section?
I'm scheduled for carpal tunnel release surgery tomorrow and my doctor's office is seriously old-school - they gave me actual paper forms to fill out for my SDI claim instead of filing electronically! I'm staring at this form (looks like a DE 2501?) and there's a whole section about workers' compensation. My condition isn't work-related at all, just years of bad computer ergonomics and genetics catching up with me. Do I just leave the workers' comp section completely blank? Or write "N/A" everywhere? The medical office staff just handed me the paperwork and said "fill this out" without any guidance, and I'm worried about my claim being delayed if I complete it wrong. Has anyone dealt with paper SDI forms recently? My recovery is supposed to be 6-8 weeks and I really can't afford any payment delays.
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Dylan Wright
Just write N/A in the workers comp section. The DE 2501 form is used for both regular disability and work-related disability claims, but you only need to fill out the parts that apply to your situation. Make sure you complete all the other sections though, especially your personal info, employment details, and the last day you worked. Your doctor will need to complete their portion too. Paper claims take longer to process than electronic ones (usually 2-3 weeks vs 1-2 weeks), so file it ASAP after your surgery.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
•Thank you! That's a relief. I was worried leaving any section blank would cause problems. Do you know if I need to mail it myself after the doctor fills out their part, or does the doctor's office typically handle that?
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Sofia Torres
i had to do paper forms last year for my pregnancy disability leave bc my doctor was also old school lol. just skip the workers comp part completely, thats wat i did. no problems with my claim. good luck with ur surgery!!
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Fatima Al-Farsi
•Thanks for sharing your experience! That makes me feel better. Did your claim take a long time to process with the paper forms?
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GalacticGuardian
I HATE THAT THEY STILL USE PAPER FORMS!!! It's 2025 for crying out loud! My doctor also only does paper and my claim took FOREVER to process - almost 3 weeks before I saw a penny! The EDD system is completely broken. They lost my first form and I had to resubmit everything. Make copies of EVERYTHING before you send it in and write down the date you submitted it. Also write N/A on every line of the worker's comp section so they can't claim you left it incomplete.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
•Oh no, that sounds like a nightmare! I'll definitely make copies of everything. When you say they lost your form, how did you find out? Did they notify you or did you have to call them?
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Dmitry Smirnov
Write "not applicable" or "N/A" in the workers comp section. That's what I did when I filed for SDI after my knee surgery in January. Just make sure you fill out everything else completely. My claim was approved without any issues even though I used the paper form. One thing though - the doctor's office should be completing their portion of the form, not just handing it to you empty. They need to provide medical certification of your disability on the form.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
•They told me to bring it back after surgery and they'll complete their part then. The doctor is doing the certification part after the procedure is done. Does that sound right?
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Dmitry Smirnov
•Yes, that makes sense. They need to document the actual procedure and recovery timeline after it's completed. Just make sure you get it back to them promptly after surgery so they can complete their part and submit it.
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Ava Rodriguez
To properly complete the DE 2501 paper form for non-work-related disability like your carpal tunnel surgery: 1. Complete all sections except the workers' compensation portion 2. Write "N/A" or "Not Applicable" in the workers' comp section 3. Ensure your doctor completes Part B with your diagnosis and estimated recovery time 4. Make copies of everything before submitting 5. Note that paper claims typically take 14-21 days to process, compared to 7-10 days for online claims Also important: You still need to register for an SDI Online account even with a paper claim. This allows you to track your claim status and certify for continued benefits during your recovery period. The 7-day waiting period still applies, so you won't receive benefits for the first week after your disability begins.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
•This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I didn't realize I still needed to register for an SDI Online account with a paper claim. I'll do that right away. For the waiting period - does that start from the surgery date or from when they receive my paperwork?
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Ava Rodriguez
•The waiting period starts from your first day of disability (usually your surgery date), not when they receive your paperwork. So if your surgery is tomorrow, that will be day 1 of your waiting period. You won't be paid for those first 7 days, but you should still report them as days you were disabled. Benefits would start on day 8 if you remain disabled. Make sure your doctor records the correct start date of your disability on the form.
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Miguel Diaz
When I had my hip replacement surgery last year my doctor also gave me paper forms for SDI. I remember getting so confused by all the different sections too! The workers comp part threw me off. I ended up calling EDD and waiting on hold for 3 hours just to ask this exact question lol. They told me to just put N/A. But honestly my claim still got delayed anyway because my doctor's office took forever to submit their part. Paper forms are such a pain in the 🍑
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Zainab Ahmed
•3 hours on hold? That's ridiculous! Next time try using Claimyr.com - it got me through to an EDD agent in under 25 minutes when I was dealing with my disability claim issues last month. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd that shows how it works. Seriously saved my sanity when I needed to check on my delayed payment. Way better than spending your whole day on hold!
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Dmitry Smirnov
My doctor also only uses paper forms and it's sooooo annoying! Make sure you follow up with them regularly to make sure they submit everything on time. My doctor's office "forgot" to mail my form and my benefits were delayed by 3 weeks! I was calling them every other day after that.
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Sofia Torres
wait i just realized something... are u having the surgery TOMORROW? u should have filled out this form BEFORE ur last day of work ideally. the edd wants u to file within like 49 days of becoming disabled but the sooner the better. hope ur not cutting it too close!
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Fatima Al-Farsi
•I'm still working today (just half day) and my surgery is tomorrow morning. So today is technically my last day of work before disability starts. The doctor said I should fill out my part today and bring it to my appointment tomorrow where they'll complete their section. Does that timing sound ok?
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Dylan Wright
•Yes, that timing works fine. The important thing is that your claim is filed within 49 days of your disability starting. Since your disability starts tomorrow with the surgery, you're well within the timeframe. Just make sure the doctor completes their section promptly after your procedure.
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Ava Rodriguez
One more important tip since you mentioned your recovery might be 6-8 weeks: When completing the form, be aware that your doctor will estimate your recovery time. If your actual recovery takes longer than initially estimated, you'll need to get your doctor to complete a supplemental medical certification (DE 2525XX) to extend your disability period. Many people miss this step and their benefits stop prematurely. Mark your calendar for about 2 weeks before the estimated recovery end date to check if you'll need an extension.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
•Thank you for mentioning this! I hadn't thought about what happens if my recovery takes longer. I'll definitely keep track of the end date they estimate and follow up if needed. Is the extension process also done on paper in my case, or would that be handled differently?
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