EDD SDI Independent Medical Exam was a joke - 2-hour wait for 60-second appointment

Same thing happened to me last year! Doc barely looked at me. Still got approved tho.

This is actually fairly common with EDD-ordered IMEs. These doctors are contracted to perform dozens of these exams daily and they're often looking for specific red flags rather than conducting a comprehensive evaluation. The doctor will submit a report to EDD based on your medical records (which they review before/after seeing you) and those few questions they asked. Your best course of action is to: 1. Document exactly what happened during the appointment (as you did here) 2. Continue following your regular doctor's treatment plan 3. If you receive an adverse determination based on this IME, you can appeal with detailed notes about the inadequate examination In many cases, the IME doctor will simply confirm your regular physician's assessment, especially if your medical documentation is thorough.

These IME doctors get PAID PER APPOINTMENT!!!!! They're not there to help you, they're there to process as many people as possible and collect $$$$. The whole system is CORRUPT. I had an IME where the doctor literally wrote that I was "observed running in the parking lot" when I was using a WALKER that day!! I appealed and WON but it took 3 months of STRESS and NO INCOME!!!!

I handle disability cases professionally, and this type of IME experience is unfortunately common. These doctors are looking for inconsistencies between what's in your medical file and what you report verbally. The brevity doesn't necessarily mean a negative outcome. After an IME, EDD typically takes 5-10 business days to process the report and update your claim status. If your regular treating physician has provided solid documentation of your disability, the IME is often just a verification step rather than the sole determining factor. If you're concerned, you might want to contact EDD to check on your claim status, though reaching them can be challenging with their high call volumes.

My IME was exactly like yours but with a twist - the doctor spent more time typing on his computer than actually examining me. When I got my determination letter 2 weeks later, it stated the IME doctor found "no objective medical evidence" of disability despite my MRIs showing herniated discs! Make sure you're documenting everything. If they deny you based on this IME, immediately file an appeal and contact your treating physician to provide additional supporting documentation. The good news is that many appeals are successful if you have proper medical documentation. The bad news is that appeals can take 6-8 weeks to process in 2025. My appeal took exactly 7 weeks.

has anyone else noticed these IME appointments are always in weird office buildings with like no signage? mine was in some random building with no elevator and i have a bad back lol. had to climb stairs and was in so much pain by the time the doc saw me but he still barely examined me

After my experience with an IME last year, I learned it's helpful to bring a copy of all your medical records with you to the appointment. While the doctor should have them already, sometimes they don't review them thoroughly beforehand. I also started keeping a daily symptom journal that documented my disability, which proved invaluable when I had to appeal my initial determination. Did the IME doctor give you any paperwork or tell you what the next steps would be?

Just to follow up on my earlier comment - I've seen many cases where the IME appears rushed but the outcome is still favorable. The doctor may have already reviewed your file thoroughly before you arrived. One important thing to know: California law gives your treating physician's opinion significant weight in disability determinations. So even if the IME doctor disagrees, your regular doctor's assessment can often prevail, especially if they've been documenting your condition consistently. If your claim status doesn't update within 10-14 days after the IME, I'd recommend contacting EDD to check on the status. Make sure to document all communication attempts with EDD.

my uncle had same thing happen last month with his back injury claim and he still got approved so maybe its not as bad as it seems?