EDD SDI claim timing after last work day - confused about doctor certification requirements

Congrats on your pregnancy! Yes, you can absolutely file your SDI claim today after your last day of work yesterday. No need to wait. As for the doctor part - your regular maternity letter is NOT enough. Your doctor needs to complete Part B of the claim (medical certification). When you start your online application, you'll get a receipt number that you need to give to your doctor. They'll then need to login to SDI Online using their medical provider account to complete their portion. Some doctors offices are super familiar with this process while others might need a reminder about how to do it. I recommend checking out this EDD YouTube video that walks through the whole process: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km

u can file same day no prob but doctor MUST fill out stuff online not just letter. my ob was soooo slow took them 2 weeks and my claim got delayed!! make sure u bug them every coupl days lol

I've gone through this process twice with my pregnancies. Here's what you need to know: 1. You can file your claim immediately after your last day of work. Actually, EDD recommends filing within the first 9 days to avoid losing benefits. 2. For doctor certification, yes, you need more than just a maternity letter. Your OB needs to complete Part B of the DE 2501 form (if filing on paper) OR complete the medical provider portion online (if you file online). The process typically works like this: - You file your claim and get a receipt number - You provide this receipt number to your doctor's office - Their billing/admin staff will log into SDI Online and complete the medical certification - Your claim cannot be processed until both parts are complete Some doctors' offices are very familiar with this process, while others rarely do it. I recommend speaking directly with the office manager or billing specialist rather than just your doctor. They're usually the ones who handle this paperwork.

Just to clarify something others haven't mentioned: the doctor certification for SDI maternity claims requires them to verify your pregnancy, expected delivery date, and when you became disabled from work due to your pregnancy. It's not just a simple "yes, she's pregnant" form. Your doctor needs to certify that your pregnancy prevents you from performing your regular work duties. This is why a simple maternity leave letter isn't sufficient. The EDD needs medical verification of your disability status, which only a medical provider can provide. Some healthcare providers have staff dedicated to handling these forms, while others might not be as familiar with the process.

When i had my baby in 2023 the WORST part was getting my doctor to do her part!!! I filed right away but doctor took FOREVER!!! I was calling the office crying because rent was due and still no benefits!! My SIL had same problem with different doctor too so its common issue!!!!

The whole system is DESIGNED to be confusing! I bet tons of pregnant women miss out on benefits because the process is so complicated. My doctor's office had never done an online certification before (small practice) and it took them FOREVER to figure it out. Meanwhile I'm 8 months pregnant with no income. Great system, EDD! 🙄

Quick tip that helped me: When you file your claim, you'll get a confirmation page with instructions for your healthcare provider. Print this out or take a screenshot and physically bring it to your doctor's office. Hand it to both your doctor AND the office manager/billing person. Also, don't file too early before your leave starts. You can file on your last day of work or immediately after, but not before your disability actually begins. With pregnancy, you're typically considered disabled 4 weeks before your due date (or earlier with complications). One more thing - if your doctor's office is slow, you can call EDD directly to check the status of the medical certification. Sometimes just letting your doctor know that EDD is waiting for their certification can light a fire under them.

make sure u have ur date of birth, ssn, docs info (name address phone) and employer details ready when u apply makes it way faster!!! also create sdionline account before u start if u dont already have 1

You all have been so incredibly helpful! I'm going to file my claim today and then immediately contact my doctor's office about completing their portion. I had no idea the process was so involved. I'll make sure to stay on top of them about finishing their part so I don't experience payment delays. One last question - after both parts are completed, how long does it typically take to get the first payment?

Hey Ashley! Congratulations on your pregnancy! Just wanted to add one more tip that saved me a lot of stress - when you call your doctor's office about completing the EDD certification, ask to speak with whoever handles "disability paperwork" or "third-party forms." A lot of front desk staff won't know what you're talking about if you just say "EDD" or "SDI," but they'll know exactly who handles disability forms. Also, some offices have specific days they process these forms (like Wednesdays only), so ask about their timeline upfront. That way you'll know if you need to follow up or if they're just working within their normal schedule. You've got this! The process seems overwhelming at first but once you get both parts submitted, it's pretty straightforward from there.

Just went through this exact process 6 months ago! One thing I wish someone had told me - if your doctor's office says they've "submitted" the certification but your claim still shows as pending medical certification after a few days, don't panic. Sometimes there are technical glitches on EDD's end or the doctor's office thinks they submitted it but it didn't go through properly. You can actually check the status of your claim online through your SDI account to see if the medical portion is complete. If it's been more than a week and still showing as incomplete, definitely call both your doctor's office AND EDD to figure out what's going on. Also, pro tip: once your claim is approved and you start receiving benefits, save some of that money for taxes! SDI payments are taxable income, which caught me completely off guard when tax season came around. Good luck with everything and congratulations again! 🍼

Hey Ashley! Congratulations on your pregnancy! 🎉 Just wanted to chime in with something that really helped me when I went through this process - create a little timeline/checklist for yourself to stay organized: ✅ File SDI claim online (you can do this today!) ✅ Get receipt/confirmation number ✅ Call doctor's office same day with receipt number ✅ Follow up with doctor's office after 3-5 business days ✅ Check claim status online weekly ✅ Be prepared to escalate to office manager if needed I also recommend taking screenshots of every step of your online application, including the confirmation page with instructions for your doctor. Having everything documented helped me when I had to follow up multiple times. One more thing - if you're planning to take the full 6-8 weeks of maternity leave, you'll need to file a separate claim for bonding time after your disability period ends. But don't worry about that now, just focus on getting this first claim submitted! You're going to do great! The hardest part is just getting started. 💪

Hey Ashley! Congrats on your upcoming arrival! 🎉 I just wanted to add one more piece of advice that really helped me - when you're gathering all your documents for the SDI claim, make sure you have your employer's exact legal business name and address (not just the location where you work). Sometimes these are different, especially if you work for a chain or franchise. You can usually find this info on your W-2 or paystub. Also, if you've had any wage changes in the last 18 months (raises, bonuses, etc.), make note of those dates. EDD calculates your benefit amount based on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period, so having accurate wage info ready can help ensure you get the correct benefit amount. One last thing - if you have any complications during delivery that extend your recovery time beyond the standard 6-8 weeks, you'll need your doctor to submit an updated medical certification. Just something to keep in mind for later! Best of luck with everything - you've got this! 💕

Hi Ashley! Congrats on your pregnancy! 🎉 I just went through this same process a few months ago and wanted to share something that really helped speed things up for me. When you call your doctor's office about the EDD certification, ask them if they prefer to receive the receipt number via their patient portal message system rather than over the phone. My OB's office told me that when patients send the receipt number through the portal along with a message saying "Please complete EDD SDI medical certification for maternity leave," it goes directly to their billing department and gets processed much faster than when it comes through the front desk. It saved me about a week compared to my friend who just called. Also, if your doctor's office seems confused about the online process, you can mention that they need to log into "SDI Online for Medical Providers" - sometimes using that exact phrase helps them know exactly what system they need to access. You're going to do great! The fact that you're being proactive about this shows you're already on the right track. Best of luck with your claim and your little one! 💕