Therapist licensing requirements for California EDD SDI certification - out-of-state provider issue

Unfortunately, California EDD DOES require that your medical provider be licensed in California to certify your disability claim. This is a common issue that trips people up. Your therapist needs to have a valid California license number to put on the form for it to be accepted. If you filed online, you might already have gotten (or will soon get) a notice saying your certification is incomplete or invalid.

same thing happnd to me but with my chiropractor from Arizona. EDD refused my claim and i had to get a CA doctor to certify instead. total nightmare.

Actually, there IS a solution! You can have a CA-licensed physician review your medical records and your therapist's treatment notes, then have THEM fill out the medical certification portion. You'll need to find a doctor willing to do this - ideally your primary care doctor who can verify your mental health condition based on your history and the Nevada therapist's documentation. The form doesn't require that the certifying doctor be your only or primary treating physician, just that they're qualified to certify your condition. You'll probably need to schedule an appointment with your CA doctor and bring all your therapy records.

the whole california licensing thing is such bs in my opinion. like my doctor in oregon knows me better than some random CA doctor i've never met, but EDD doesn't care about that! they just want their precious CA license number. the system is designed to make us fail i swear.

Have you tried calling EDD to ask about this specific situation? They might have some exceptions or alternatives for out-of-state providers, especially if you're still establishing care in California.

Another option is to ask your current therapist if they have any colleagues with dual licensure in Nevada and California who could potentially take over your case temporarily just for certification purposes. Some therapists maintain licenses in multiple states specifically to handle these situations.

Quick question - are you doing telehealth with your Nevada therapist? Because that might actually complicate things further since there are interstate telehealth regulations that might apply.

Update to my earlier comment: I checked the EDD physician/practitioner's guide, and it specifically states the certifying medical provider must be licensed in California. Section 2708 of the California Unemployment Insurance Code requires certification from a "duly licensed physician or practitioner." In California, this means licensed by the appropriate California licensing board. Your best option is definitely getting a CA doctor to review your records and certify your disability.

let us know what happens! lots of us deal with this stupid problem

UPDATE: I talked to my primary care doctor in California and explained the situation. She agreed to review my therapy records and fill out a new certification form! I had my Nevada therapist send over detailed notes and my diagnosis, and my CA doctor will submit the certification by the end of the week. She said she's done this before for other patients. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help - especially the suggestion to use my primary care doctor instead.