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?

I went through this exact same experience 6 months ago and completely understand your frustration. The "examination" lasted maybe 90 seconds - the doctor asked about my condition, nodded, and left without any physical assessment. I was convinced I'd be denied. Surprisingly, I was approved 8 days later! Turns out the IME doctor had already reviewed all my medical records from my treating physician before I even arrived. The brief questions were just to verify consistency with what was documented. My advice: don't panic yet. These IME doctors are processing high volumes and often rely heavily on your existing medical documentation rather than conducting lengthy examinations. As long as your treating physician has been thorough with their records, you should be okay. Keep checking your EDD account online for status updates. Mine changed from "pending" to "approved" without any notification email. Good luck!

I'm new to this community but going through a similar situation right now. I had my IME three days ago and it was almost identical to yours - doctor walked in, asked maybe 3 questions about my condition, and left without any physical examination. The whole thing felt like a complete waste of time and I've been worried sick about what it means for my claim. Reading through these comments has been really helpful though. It sounds like these rushed IMEs are pretty standard and don't necessarily mean bad news. I'm trying to stay positive and just wait it out like everyone suggests. Has anyone here had experience with how long it typically takes to get updates on weekends vs weekdays? I keep obsessively checking my EDD portal but nothing has changed yet. Thanks for posting about this - it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one who had this bizarre experience!

I had a very similar experience with my IME about 3 months ago and completely understand your anxiety about it! The doctor spent literally 2 minutes with me - asked my name, what my disability was, and if I was taking any medications. No physical exam, didn't even look at my medical records while I was there. I walked out thinking there was no way I'd get approved. But here's the thing - I was approved about 10 days later! It turns out these IME doctors review your medical files extensively before and after seeing you. The brief in-person meeting is really just to verify basic information and check for any obvious inconsistencies. The most important factor is having thorough documentation from your treating physician. If your regular doctor has been documenting your condition well and supports your disability claim, that carries significant weight with EDD. The IME is usually just one piece of the puzzle, not the deciding factor. Try not to stress too much (easier said than done, I know!). Keep checking your EDD portal for updates, but don't read too much into the brevity of the appointment. In my experience and from what I've seen others post here, these rushed IMEs are unfortunately the standard, not an exception. Good luck!

I'm so sorry you went through this stressful experience! I had my IME about 6 weeks ago and it was almost identical - doctor came in, asked maybe 4 basic questions about my condition, and left without doing any physical examination whatsoever. I was absolutely convinced I'd be denied because it felt like such a joke. But I wanted to share some hope with you - I was approved! It took about 12 days for my status to update in the EDD portal. What I learned from talking to others who've been through this is that these IME doctors often do most of their "work" by reviewing your medical records before and after the appointment, not during that brief face-to-face meeting. The key thing that seemed to matter in my case was that my treating physician had been very detailed in documenting my condition, symptoms, and limitations. All those thorough medical records from your regular doctor are what really count. I know it's impossible not to worry (I was checking my EDD account like 10 times a day!), but try to hang in there. These rushed IMEs seem to be the unfortunate norm rather than a sign that something went wrong with your specific case. Fingers crossed you get good news soon!

I'm going through the exact same situation right now and your post perfectly describes my experience! Had my IME yesterday and the "doctor" literally spent about 45 seconds with me - asked my name, what my disability was, and then just said "okay, we're done" and walked out. No physical exam, didn't even pretend to look at my file while I was there. I've been panicking all night thinking this means automatic denial, but reading through all these comments has been incredibly reassuring. It seems like these rushed IMEs are unfortunately the standard practice, not an exception. Multiple people here have shared that they were still approved despite similar joke appointments. The consistent advice seems to be that your treating physician's documentation is what really matters, and the IME is more about checking for red flags than conducting a thorough evaluation. I'm trying to remind myself that my regular doctor has been documenting everything meticulously since my injury began. Thanks for starting this thread - it's such a relief to know we're not alone in this bizarre experience. Hoping we all get positive outcomes despite these terrible IME appointments!

I just want to thank everyone who shared their experiences here! I had my IME this morning and came home in a complete panic after the doctor spent maybe 2 minutes with me total. Reading through all these comments has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. It's wild how consistent everyone's experience has been - these rushed "examinations" that feel completely inadequate, yet so many people still got approved. I'm trying to focus on the fact that my treating physician has been documenting everything thoroughly since my injury started in February. For anyone else going through this - this thread is proof that we're definitely not alone and that these joke IMEs seem to be standard practice unfortunately. I'll try to be patient and wait for my claim status to update, though I know I'll be checking my EDD portal constantly! Thanks again to everyone for sharing - it really helps knowing others have walked this same stressful path.