Pregnant with COVID & can't get EDD SDI paperwork completed - urgent care/OBGYN/PCP all refusing

OMG this is EXACTLY what happened to me except with a broken ankle instead of COVID. Nobody wants to fill out the paperwork anymore!! Its like they're all afraid of liability or something. I ended up having to BEG my orthopedist and had to pay $75 fee for "paperwork completion" which is total BS. Maybe try offering to pay a fee at your OBGYN?

You're in a difficult situation, but there is a clear answer here. Since you tested positive for COVID at urgent care, they are the ones who should complete your medical certification for EDD SDI. They diagnosed you, so they are responsible for certifying your condition. Print out the DE 2501 form, fill out your portion (Part A), and bring it back to the same urgent care where you tested positive. If they refuse, ask to speak with the medical director or practice manager. As for being pregnant, that's a separate issue. If you need disability for pregnancy-related reasons in the future (not COVID), then your OBGYN would handle that paperwork. But for COVID, the diagnosing provider (urgent care in your case) is responsible.

The healthcare system is such garbage now! Drs offices have all gotten so greedy and lazy that they wont even do basic paperwork for patients anymore. I had to switch PCPs last year because mine started charging $150 for ANY form completion. Total scam. I bet if you offered them $200 cash they'd suddenly have time to complete your paperwork...

have u tried telehealth?? my friend got covid last yr & did virtual visit with doc who filled out all her disablity stuff. maybe try that if ur stuck at home anyway

Here's what you need to do to resolve this situation: 1. Since you were diagnosed with COVID at urgent care, they are the appropriate provider to complete your medical certification for EDD SDI. The medical provider who diagnoses and treats the condition that's causing disability is responsible for certification. 2. Complete Part A of the DE 2501 form yourself, then bring or send it to the urgent care where you tested positive. 3. If they refuse, escalate to their practice manager or medical director and reference California guidelines that the diagnosing physician is responsible for completing disability certification. 4. Document all communications with dates/times and names of who you spoke with at each office. 5. For your pregnancy-related disability (which would be separate), your OBGYN would handle that certification when you're ready to start that claim - typically 4 weeks before your due date unless there are complications. Don't pay extra fees for this paperwork - the urgent care should complete it as part of your COVID treatment.

I went thru this NIGHTMARE for my wrist injury. Urgent care diagnosed but refused to do paperwork, then specialist wouldn't do it until I'd been seen 3 times!!! I ended up using Claimyr to reach an actual EDD disability agent (https://claimyr.com) and they connected me within 30 minutes. The agent explained I should file my claim anyway and list ALL the doctors involved, then EDD would contact them. You can see how it works in their video demo https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd SDI ended up approving my claim even though the paperwork situation was a mess. Worth a try in your situation!

To answer your follow-up question about pregnancy disability and COVID disability: Yes, they would be separate claims with different start/end dates. 1. Your current COVID disability claim would be for the period you're unable to work due to COVID (typically 10-14 days unless you have complications). 2. Your pregnancy disability would typically begin about 4 weeks before your due date (or earlier if medically necessary) and continue for 6-8 weeks after delivery (longer for C-section). 3. There can be a gap between these claims if you recover from COVID and return to work before starting your pregnancy disability. Or they could be back-to-back if your COVID recovery timeline leads directly into your pre-delivery disability period. Each claim needs its own medical certification from the appropriate provider: urgent care for COVID, OBGYN for pregnancy.

my sister had this exact problem!!! the solution was she went back to urgent care and asked for the actual doctor who did her covid test, not just the front desk person. showed them the EDD website rules that says the diagnosing doctor has to sign it. she had to wait 2 hrs but eventually got it signed. good luck, the system is broken!!

Regarding transitioning directly from COVID disability to pregnancy disability: There's no required waiting period between claims if you genuinely can't return to work. However, your medical certifications need to accurately reflect your inability to work for each specific condition. Since you're 35 weeks pregnant, your timeline might look like: 1. COVID disability: Current date → approximately 10-14 days 2. Pregnancy disability: Could begin immediately after COVID disability ends if your OBGYN certifies you're unable to work due to pregnancy One important note: When filing the pregnancy claim, you'd submit a new application with your OBGYN's certification. In the application, indicate your previous COVID claim so EDD knows these are consecutive periods of disability for different medical conditions. Document everything carefully, especially any overlap between your COVID recovery and pregnancy disability start date.