EDD SDI for pregnancy bedrest: Do I pay my doctor $25 to file or should I apply online myself?

I'm going through pregnancy disability right now (34 weeks) and I did everything online. The doctor's office still has to submit their medical certification electronically, but I didn't have to pay anything. I filed on a Monday and was approved by Friday of the same week! The online process was pretty straightforward - just make sure you have your last day worked, first day disabled, and estimated return date ready when you apply. Your doctor will get an email to complete their part after you submit yours.

The $25 is probably an administrative fee the doctor's office charges for filling out forms. It's annoying but pretty common. I filed online myself last year (not pregnancy but surgery) and it was fine, but then waited FOREVER for my doctor to submit their part. Kept getting notices from EDD saying they were waiting on medical certification. Called the doctor's office like 5 times before they finally did it!! So if paying $25 guarantees they'll submit it right away, might be worth it.

I've processed SDI claims for many patients, and I can clarify a few things. The $25 fee is common - medical offices charge this administrative fee because form completion requires staff time and physician review. However, this fee doesn't change how EDD processes your claim. Two options: 1) Pay the $25, and they'll complete the DE 2501 paper form and mail it in for you. 2) File online yourself (SDI Online), and your doctor will need to complete their certification electronically after receiving notification. In my experience, online applications typically process 1-2 weeks faster than paper forms. Paper forms can take 2-4 weeks while online often takes 7-10 days once both parts are submitted. The key factor is how quickly your doctor submits their portion - this is where delays usually happen. I recommend filing online yourself and then immediately notifying your doctor's office that they'll be receiving the electronic certification request so they can watch for it.

My sister had same sitaution last year with her twin pregnancy!! Omg she said DO NOT use the paper forms!!! Ended up taking like 6 weeks to get her first payment because the paper form got "lost" at EDD. She had to have her doctor redo everything and nearly got evicted waiting for the money. Online is way faster!!!!

When I tried submitting my claim online last month, I kept getting stuck in an endless loop of not being able to reach anyone at EDD to help with questions. After three days of constant busy signals and getting hung up on, I found this service called Claimyr that connected me to an actual EDD representative in about 20 minutes! Totally worth it for the peace of mind. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd and their website is claimyr.com. I'd recommend filing online yourself and if you run into any issues getting through to EDD, check them out.

dont pay them!!! doctors offices are required to fill out disability paperwork its PART OF YOUR CARE!!! my obgyn tried to charge me too and i called my insurance and complained and they made them do it for free. its literally illegal for them to charge you, call your insurance company!!

i did the online thing for my pregnancy disability last year and it was pretty easy. but make sure u follow up with ur doctor cuz mine totally forgot to do their part and i had to keep bugging them lol. took about 10 days to get approved after everyone did their part. good luck with ur pregnancy!!! bedrest is so boring omg

One thing to consider - if your doctor is charging $25 to submit the form, are they actually going to submit it right away? Or will it sit in a pile of paperwork for days/weeks? That happened to me and it was super frustrating. At least with the online method, you know your part is submitted immediately, and you can follow up specifically about the doctor's certification.

One additional point about pregnancy disability through SDI: make sure you understand how the benefit periods work. You can typically receive SDI benefits for up to 4 weeks before your due date and 6 weeks after vaginal delivery or 8 weeks after cesarean delivery (longer if there are complications). Since you're going on disability earlier (at 31 weeks), your claim will be based on medical necessity rather than the standard pregnancy period. After your SDI pregnancy disability benefits end, you may be eligible for Paid Family Leave (PFL) to bond with your baby for an additional 8 weeks. This requires a separate application but uses the same online system. I recommend applying for PFL about 2 weeks before your SDI benefits end to avoid gaps in payment.

Just wanted to add my experience from last month - I was in a similar situation at 29 weeks and chose to file online myself. It was honestly pretty straightforward, even though I was nervous about messing something up! The SDI Online portal walks you through each step and you can save your progress if you need to take breaks. One tip: have your employer's information handy (full company name, address, your employee ID if you have one) because they ask for detailed work history. Also make sure you're clear on your last day worked vs. first day disabled - those dates matter for your benefit calculation. I got approved in about 8 days total, but like others mentioned, the key was staying on top of my doctor's office to submit their part quickly. I called them the day after I filed online to confirm they got the electronic request. Save yourself the $25 and do it online - you've got this! And congratulations on your pregnancy, hope the rest of your bedrest goes smoothly. 💕

I went through this exact same situation with my first pregnancy! I was also put on bedrest around 30 weeks and faced the same dilemma. I ended up doing the online application myself and I'm so glad I did - it was approved in just 6 days! The online system is really user-friendly and you can always call EDD if you have questions (though I know the wait times can be brutal). The key is definitely following up with your doctor's office to make sure they submit their electronic certification quickly. I actually went in person the day after I filed online to remind them and make sure they had the notification. One thing that helped me was taking screenshots of each step as I completed the online application, just in case I needed to reference something later. Also, don't stress too much about making mistakes - you can always call to correct minor errors if needed. The $25 fee your doctor wants to charge is totally optional and won't speed up the process at all. Save your money and file online tonight - you'll probably have your first payment within 2 weeks! Good luck with everything and take care of yourself during bedrest! 🤗

I just went through this same process a few weeks ago at 32 weeks! I was torn between paying my doctor's $30 fee or doing it online myself. I ended up choosing the online route and I'm so glad I did - it was approved in exactly one week! Here's what I learned: The online application really isn't as scary as it seems. It took me about 15-20 minutes to complete, and you can save your progress if you need to step away. Make sure you have your Social Security number, employer details, and the exact dates (last day worked, first day of disability) ready before you start. The most important part is what everyone else mentioned - staying on top of your doctor's office! I called them the morning after I submitted my online claim to let them know they'd be getting an electronic request. They actually appreciated the heads up and completed their part within 2 days. Skip the $25 fee and file online tonight. You'll save money and probably get your benefits faster. The peace of mind of knowing your application is already in the system is worth it! Best of luck with your bedrest - make sure to rest up for that little one! 💙

Hey there! I just wanted to chime in as someone who recently went through this exact situation at 30 weeks with my second baby. After reading all these responses, I'm definitely in the "file online yourself" camp! I made the mistake of paying the $20 fee with my first pregnancy thinking it would be faster, but it actually took 3 weeks because my doctor's office sat on the paperwork. This time around, I filed online on a Tuesday night, called my OB's office Wednesday morning to give them a heads up about the electronic certification, and they completed it by Friday. I was approved the following Monday - so 6 days total! The online system really is straightforward, and honestly at 31 weeks with complications, you probably don't want to be making extra trips to the doctor's office just to drop off paperwork and fees. Plus, once you file online, you can track the status and see exactly where things stand. One extra tip: when you call your doctor's office tomorrow, ask them how long they typically take to complete electronic certifications. Mine told me 2-3 business days, which helped me know when to follow up if I didn't see movement on my claim status. Save the $25 and use it for something fun during bedrest - maybe some new books or cozy pajamas! You've got this mama! 💪