Need form to submit doctor's disability extension to EDD - where to find it?
Just found out my recovery is taking longer than expected. My doctor wants to extend my disability period by another 6 weeks. Is there a specific form I need to submit to EDD for this extension? My original claim was approved in January 2025 and was supposed to end March 15th, but now I need until end of April. I looked all over the SDI Online portal but can't find where to submit extension documentation. The last thing I want is for my benefits to suddenly stop mid-recovery. Has anyone gone through this process recently? Thanks in advance!
20 comments
Join the conversation
Sofia Rodriguez
Your doctor needs to complete another DE 2501 Physician/Practitioner Certification form for the extension period. You don't submit anything yourself. Make sure your doctor submits it before your current disability period ends to avoid any payment gaps. They can submit it electronically through SDI Online if they're registered in the system, or they can mail a paper form.
0 coins
NightOwl42
•Thank you! I'll call my doctor's office tomorrow morning and make sure they know to submit another DE 2501. Do you know how far in advance they should submit it? Like 2 weeks before my current end date or something?
0 coins
Dmitry Ivanov
yep what they said above ^^ its all on your doctor. my disability got extended twice last year and i didn't have to do anything except tell my doc i wasn't ready to go back to work yet
0 coins
NightOwl42
•That's really good to know. I was stressing about having to fill out more paperwork myself. Sounds like I just need to make sure my doctor does their part!
0 coins
Ava Thompson
While it's true your doctor submits the extension form, YOU need to follow up and make sure it actually gets processed! I had my doctor submit an extension last month and then my payments suddenly stopped because EDD claimed they never received it. Had to spend HOURS trying to reach someone at EDD to fix it. I recommend calling EDD about 5-7 days after your doctor submits the extension to confirm they received it and are processing it. Good luck actually getting through to them though...
0 coins
Miguel Herrera
•I had the EXACT same thing happen!!! Called EDD literally 45 times and couldn't get through. Ended up missing a rent payment because of their incompetence. The whole system is a JOKE.
0 coins
NightOwl42
•Oh no, that sounds like a nightmare! I definitely don't want to end up in that situation. I'll make sure to follow up with EDD after my doctor submits the extension form.
0 coins
Zainab Ali
After struggling to get through to EDD about my extension (kept calling for days), I found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to an EDD agent in about 20 minutes. You might want to check it out at claimyr.com if you have trouble reaching them. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd. Saved me a ton of frustration when I needed to confirm my doctor's extension was actually received.
0 coins
NightOwl42
•Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely check out that service if I have trouble getting through to EDD. The video looks helpful.
0 coins
Dmitry Ivanov
•it actually works? i might try that next time. spent my whole day off last month trying to get ahold of someone
0 coins
Connor Murphy
Just a heads up - make sure your doctor includes SPECIFIC DATES for your extension. My doctor just wrote "extending disability for 4 more weeks" without exact dates and EDD denied it initially. Had to get him to resubmit with exact start/end dates for the extension period. Also, if the doctor changes your diagnosis at all or adds new conditions, sometimes EDD treats it as a whole new claim rather than an extension which complicates things.
0 coins
NightOwl42
•That's super helpful advice! I'll make sure my doctor puts exact dates and keeps the same diagnosis information. The last thing I need is more complications.
0 coins
Yara Nassar
I went through this back in 2023 and there was a seperate extention form my doctor had to fill out it wasnt the regular DE 2501 it was something else. Maybe they changed it since then but double check with your doctor they have the right form. My doctor submitted the wrong one at first and it delayed everything by like 3 weeks.
0 coins
Sofia Rodriguez
•The process was updated in 2024. Now doctors use the same DE 2501 form for both initial claims and extensions. They just check a box indicating it's an extension rather than a new claim. But you're right that it used to be a separate form before that.
0 coins
NightOwl42
Just wanted to update everyone - I talked to my doctor today and they're going to submit the DE 2501 with the extension next week. They confirmed they'll include specific dates and keep the diagnosis consistent. I also asked them to let me know once they've submitted it so I can follow up with EDD to make sure it was received. Thanks for all the helpful advice everyone!
0 coins
Ava Thompson
•Smart move! Just make sure they submit it at least 7-10 days before your current disability period ends. That should give EDD enough time to process it before your current claim expires. Let us know how it goes!
0 coins
Malik Thomas
Great to hear you got it sorted out! One more tip - if your doctor submits electronically through SDI Online, you can actually track the status of the submission in real-time. My doctor showed me how to log into their portal once and we could see exactly when EDD received and processed my extension. It was way less stressful than wondering if it got lost in the mail. Wishing you a smooth recovery!
0 coins
Andre Laurent
•That's really cool that you can track it in real-time through the doctor's portal! I had no idea that was even possible. I'll definitely ask my doctor about that when they submit mine. Thanks for the tip and well wishes - hoping everything goes smoothly with the extension process!
0 coins
Donna Cline
Just went through this exact situation a few months ago! One thing I wish someone had told me - if your extension gets approved, EDD will send you a new Notice of Computation showing your updated benefit period end date. Keep an eye out for that in your mail or check your SDI Online account regularly. It usually arrives about a week after they process the extension. Also, if you're planning to return to work before your extension period ends, make sure to notify EDD right away to avoid any overpayment issues. Hope your recovery goes well!
0 coins
PixelPrincess
•Thanks for the heads up about the Notice of Computation! I'll definitely keep an eye out for that and check my SDI Online account regularly. Good point about notifying EDD if I return to work early - I hadn't thought about potential overpayment issues. Really appreciate all the detailed advice from everyone in this thread. It's made me feel so much more prepared for this process!
0 coins