EDD scheduled my IME 6 hours away - how to get location changed?

Thanks so much! This is really helpful. Did they end up changing your location when you did this?

Yeah, they did! It took about a week to hear back, but they were pretty understanding. Just be persistent if you don't hear anything at first.

This is great advice! I'd also suggest calling them directly if you don't get a response to your email within a few days. Sometimes talking to a real person can make all the difference.

Ikr? It's like they're purposely making it difficult. Hang in there, hopefully you'll get through to someone helpful eventually!

thanks bro. feels like im drowning in paperwork over here 😭

I've tried but I can never get through. It's always busy or they hang up on me after being on hold forever 😫

Pro tip: I found a way to actually get someone on the phone. There's this site called claimyr.com that has a calling tool. It dials the phone menu, stays on hold, and then sends the call to your phone when a live agent picks up. It costs $20, but it works. Here's a video about it: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ

Wait, seriously? That sounds too good to be true. Has anyone else tried this?

I was skeptical too, but I gave it a shot out of desperation. It actually worked for me! Saved me hours of frustration.

Idk man, paying to talk to a government agency feels wrong. Shouldn't this be free?

I get where you're coming from, but for me, the time saved was worth the cost. To each their own tho 🤷‍♂️

Preach! 🙌 It's like they want us to give up or something.

Oh wow, I didn't even think of that! That's a great idea, I'll definitely ask about it. Thanks!

This is super helpful advice! I didn't know about the ADA angle - that's really smart. The certified mail idea is brilliant too. Do you happen to know what specific email address or department I should send this to? I want to make sure it gets to the right people who can actually make the change.

This is really encouraging to hear! I'm definitely going to try calling the medical provider directly - that's such a smart approach that I hadn't thought of. Did they give you a direct number to call, or did you just look up the clinic's main number? Also, when you mentioned medical conditions that make travel difficult, did you need to provide any documentation for that, or was just explaining the situation enough? Thanks for sharing your success story - it gives me hope that this can actually get resolved! @Omar Hassan

@Omar Hassan Thanks for sharing your experience! That s'really smart to go directly to the medical provider. Quick question - when you called them, did you need your EDD case number or any specific reference numbers to help them locate your scheduled appointment? I want to make sure I have all the right info before I call. Also, did they handle the communication with EDD themselves, or did you still need to follow up with EDD directly? Really appreciate you taking the time to share what worked!

@Omar Hassan Hi. I am in the same boat. I just received a letter in the mail requesting that I travel 140 miles round trip, with 5–6 hours of travel time due to LA traffic. I read this thread and called EDD immediately. I spoke to an agent who was very understanding. He said he would put a notation on my file indicating that we discussed this issue, and that he would submit an escalation request to the appropriate department to review it and call me back with a decision. He told me to allow 3–5 business days for them to process the request and reach out. He also advised me to hold on to the initial letter but said I do not need to do anything yet including (making an appointment with the original doctor while) waiting to hear back. I later called again and spoke with a different agent, who confirmed that there is a notation on my file and that the request has been submitted to a higher-level department. Here are my questions: Was this the process you went through an (escalation to a different department and waiting ,)or did the supervisor/agent assign you a new doctor immediately during the phone call? The agent that I spoke to said he doesn t'have the power to assign a new doctor on his end. Is this true? I know I am required to make an appointment within 7 days of the mailing date of this letter. This deadline will likely pass while I am waiting for the call back. Would this impact my benefits while the issue is pending, because the deadline has passed? According to the agent, it should not, since there is a notation on my file and the issue is under review. However, I am still worried. Did anyone have a similar experience? Thank you so much. This is so stressful. 😞

Hey @PrinceJoe! I'm new here but dealing with a similar nightmare - they want me to travel 8 hours for my exam! From reading everyone's experiences, it sounds like trying multiple approaches simultaneously might actually be your best bet. The success stories seem to come from people who were persistent and used different channels. I'd definitely start with the email to your examination notice contact AND call the medical provider directly on the same day - that way you're covering both the EDD side and the actual clinic side. The ADA reasonable accommodation angle that @Lilah Brooks mentioned sounds really solid too, especially since we re'all dealing with disabilities that make long travel even harder. Good luck and please keep us posted on what works! Solidarity in this bureaucratic mess! 💪

Hey @Rental Property! I'm new to this community but I've been following this thread closely since I'm dealing with a similar situation. Your experience with the EDD agent sounds really promising - having them put a notation on your file and escalate it to a higher department seems like exactly the right process! From what I've read in everyone else's responses, it sounds like the agents you spoke to are being honest about not having the power to reassign doctors directly. That seems to be handled by a specialized department, which makes sense given how complex the medical provider network probably is. Regarding the 7-day deadline - I'd feel stressed about that too, but it sounds like the agent gave you good guidance about holding off while the review is pending. The fact that they documented everything and confirmed there's a notation should protect you. Maybe keep a record of the dates you called and the agents' names just in case? You're doing everything right by being proactive. Fingers crossed you hear back soon with good news! This whole system is so unnecessarily stressful when we're already dealing with health issues. Keep us posted! 🤞