Denied EDD SDI while hospitalized with heart condition - need advice for upcoming surgery

the same thing happen to me!!! i got denied when i was in hospital for kidney issues last year. turns out its becuz the doctor didnt fill out part of the form right. did u check all the paperwork? sometimes they deny for stupid little reasons and dont even tell u what the problem is

There are several common reasons why SDI claims get denied, especially when filed from a hospital setting. The most frequent issues are: 1. Incomplete medical certification (your doctor missed fields or didn't provide sufficient detail about your condition) 2. Timing issues (if you filed more than 49 days after your disability began) 3. Base period earnings problems (not enough wages in your base period) 4. Overlapping with employer-paid sick leave You absolutely should qualify for SDI for vascular reconstruction surgery. I recommend requesting a copy of your claim file through SDI Online to see exactly why you were denied. Look for Form DE 2517 "Disability Insurance Benefit Denial" which should list the specific reason. Also, yes, there are disability advocates who can help! Contact the Legal Aid Society in your county - they often have specialists who deal with EDD SDI claims. You can also file an appeal of your previous denial if you're within the 30-day window.

Maybe they denied u cuz ur company has a private disability insurance plan?? My friend works for Kaiser and they don't use regular SDI, they have their own disability program. Worth checking if ur healthcare employer has something similar.

I've been through this exact nightmare with EDD SDI. For my heart surgery last year, I was denied TWICE before finally getting approved. The key was getting on the phone with an actual claims examiner who could review my file. The problem is that it's nearly impossible to reach anyone at EDD these days. After weeks of calling and getting disconnected, I found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd Once I finally spoke with someone, they explained that my doctor had used an incorrect diagnosis code that didn't match my disability description. The rep was able to note my file and told me exactly what needed to be corrected. Within days of submitting the corrected information, my claim was approved. For your upcoming surgery, I strongly recommend getting everything reviewed in advance. Make sure your doctor is precise about your inability to perform your regular work and the expected recovery timeline.

The EDD system is COMPLETE GARBAGE!!!! I've been fighting with them for months over my disability claim. They denied me because of a "late submission" when I sent everything in ON TIME but they lost it!!! Then they blamed ME for THEIR mistake!!! The people working there don't care AT ALL about sick people. They just want to deny claims to save money. I had to file THREE appeals before they finally approved me, and I'm still waiting for my backpay from 5 months ago!!!! The whole system is designed to wear you down until you give up. DON'T GIVE UP!!!!!

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure you're applying for the right benefit. SDI (State Disability Insurance) is different from SSI (Supplemental Security Income). Your post mentions both SDI and SSI, which are completely different programs administered by different agencies. SDI is through California's EDD for temporary disabilities, while SSI is a federal program through Social Security for long-term disabilities. For your upcoming surgery and recovery period, SDI is definitely the right program since it's temporary. But if your condition is preventing you from working long-term (12+ months), you might eventually need to look into SSDI or SSI through Social Security instead. For your immediate SDI needs, I'd recommend having your doctor review the previous denial if possible and ensuring they complete Form DE 2501 (Medical Certification) very thoroughly for your upcoming surgery.

btw has anyone used those disability advocates that advertise on tv? r they legit or just scams?

Update: I finally got through to EDD today! After trying the Claimyr service that someone recommended, I was connected to a representative in about 15 minutes. The agent explained that my claim was denied because my doctor checked "patient can return to work with restrictions" instead of "patient cannot perform regular work" on the medical certification form. Since I was technically still working from home during my hospitalization (checking emails from my hospital bed), this created confusion in my claim. For anyone with a similar issue: make sure your doctor clearly indicates that you cannot perform your REGULAR work duties, even if you're able to do some modified work. The agent advised me to have my surgeon be very explicit about my complete inability to work during the post-surgery recovery period on the new certification. Thank you all for your help and advice! I feel much more prepared for my upcoming claim.