I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! My claim has been stuck on "pending medical provider form" for about 3 weeks. What's really frustrating is that I called EDD and they told me the form was never received, but when I called my doctor's office, they swear they faxed it weeks ago. I ended up asking my doctor for a copy of the completed form so I could fax it directly myself - that way I know for sure it gets to them. The fax number for EDD medical forms is 1-916-464-3200 if that helps anyone else in this situation. Also, @Cole Roush for the direct deposit switch, log into your online account and look under "Payment Information" or "Profile" - there should be an option to update your payment method. It took about 5 business days to take effect for me, but it's so much better than dealing with that clunky debit card system. Hang in there everyone, this bureaucratic nightmare will eventually sort itself out! 🤞

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Been stuck on "pending medical provider form" for almost a month. What's really helped me is keeping a detailed log of every interaction - dates I called, who I spoke with, confirmation numbers, etc. One thing that worked for me was calling EDD and asking them to give me the EXACT date and time they show the form was supposed to be received. Then I took that info back to my doctor's office and had them check their fax logs. Turns out there was a transmission error on their end that they didn't even know about! Also pro tip: if you're having trouble getting through on the phone, try calling right at 8:00 AM sharp. I set multiple alarms and called the second it hit 8 - got through on the second try. For the direct deposit, once you're in your online account, look for "Benefit Payment Preferences" - it might be buried in the settings menu. The whole interface is pretty clunky but it's definitely doable. Stay strong everyone, we'll get through this bureaucratic maze eventually! 💪

I went through something similar last year and it was incredibly frustrating. Here's what finally worked for me: I gathered all my pay stubs and tax documents, calculated exactly what my weekly benefit should be based on CA's formula (it's your highest quarter earnings divided by 26, up to the max), and then wrote a clear, concise letter explaining the discrepancy. I sent everything via certified mail AND faxed it on the same day. The key was being super specific about the dollar amounts and showing my math. It took about 6 weeks, but I eventually got the correction plus backpay for the difference. Don't give up - you're entitled to the correct amount! Also, try calling first thing in the morning (like 8 AM sharp) when the hold times are usually shorter.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - it's so frustrating! One thing that helped me get some traction was contacting my local state assembly member's office. They have constituent services staff who can sometimes intervene on your behalf with state agencies. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it can speed things up significantly. Also, make sure you're calculating your benefit correctly - CA SDI is 60-70% of your average weekly wage (depending on income level) up to the current maximum. If you earned over $31,767 in your highest quarter, you should be getting close to the max. Document everything and don't let them wear you down - you deserve the correct amount!

This is such a relief to see resolved! I'm actually going through the exact same thing right now - I'm at week 5 of my baby bonding leave and my payment didn't show up yesterday. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful, especially knowing about the mid-claim review process. It's absolutely ridiculous that EDD doesn't notify people about these automatic reviews - it causes so much unnecessary stress and panic when you're already dealing with a new baby and tight finances. I'm going to try calling first thing tomorrow morning at 8am sharp. Thanks Gabriel for posting this and updating us with the resolution - it gives me hope that I can get this sorted out quickly too!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm currently on week 3 of my baby bonding leave and had no idea about these mid-claim reviews that happen around week 4. Reading Gabriel's experience and everyone's helpful responses has been incredibly valuable - I feel way more prepared now for what might happen next week. It's absolutely unacceptable that EDD doesn't inform claimants about these automatic reviews beforehand. The stress of thinking your benefits just disappeared for no reason, especially when you have bills due and a new baby to care for, is completely unnecessary. Thank you Gabriel for sharing your story and keeping us updated with the resolution. I'm bookmarking this post as a reference and will definitely try the 8am calling strategy if I run into the same issue. This community has been such a lifesaver for navigating the chaos that is California EDD!

have you checked your spam folder? sometimes confirmation emails end up there. also, make sure your using the correct email address. i made that mistake once and spent days trying to figure out why i wasnt getting any updates lol

Another thing to check - make sure the file name doesn't have any special characters or spaces. I had issues uploading a document called "Medical Records - January 2024.pdf" but when I renamed it to "MedicalRecords_Jan2024.pdf" it worked fine. The system can be picky about file naming conventions. Also, try uploading during off-peak hours (like early morning or late evening) when their servers aren't as busy - sometimes that helps with the upload success rate.

As someone who just went through this exact process last month, I can confirm what others have said - you'll need new DE2508 forms and unfortunately cannot file early for PFL baby bonding (I tried and got rejected too!). One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is to make sure you both check your EDD online accounts before filing to ensure all your personal information is still current. My address had changed since my first claim and I didn't realize it until my payment got delayed because the mail went to my old address. Also, when you file on your respective start dates, do it early in the morning if possible. The EDD online system tends to be slower/glitchier during peak hours. I filed mine at 6 AM on my first day and it went through smoothly. Your plan to have your husband start immediately after you sounds perfect - that's exactly what we did and it worked great for maximizing family time while ensuring income continuity. Just make sure you both communicate those exact dates to your employers clearly to avoid any payroll coding issues. Good luck with your bonding time! It's such a special period and worth all the paperwork hassle. 🍼

I just want to echo what everyone else has said about NOT being able to file early for PFL baby bonding - this is such a common misconception! I made the same mistake thinking I could file ahead like with disability claims. One thing that really helped me was creating a checklist ahead of time with everything I'd need ready to go on filing day: - Updated employer info and exact last day worked - Baby's birth certificate - Bank account info for direct deposit - Any previous PFL claim reference numbers I also set up calendar reminders for both the filing date AND to follow up if I didn't hear anything within 2 weeks. The second claims really do take longer to process - mine was almost 3 weeks vs 1 week for my first claim. Your plan sounds really smart with the back-to-back scheduling! Just make sure both your employers are crystal clear on the exact handoff date. My sister and her husband did something similar and it worked out perfectly once they got through the initial paperwork hurdles. Also seconding the advice about filing early in the morning - the EDD system is definitely more reliable before everyone else logs on for the day!