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I'm new to this community and just starting my SDI claim process. My doctor is licensed in Nevada but I work in California, so this thread has been incredibly helpful! Based on everyone's experiences, it's really clear that out-of-state doctors ARE accepted by EDD, but there are definitely some best practices to follow to avoid delays: 1. Make sure your doctor fills out ALL sections of the medical certification form completely 2. Ensure their license number and contact info are clearly written (use their full legal name as it appears on their license) 3. Give your doctor's office a heads-up that EDD might call for verification 4. Consider including a copy of their medical license with your initial submission 5. Be prepared for potential verification delays of 1-2 weeks What really stands out to me is how many people mentioned that EDD doesn't proactively notify you when they're doing verification - you only find out if you call to check your status or if your doctor's office is prepared for the call. That makes the tip about prepping your doctor's office even more important. It's honestly frustrating that EDD's website doesn't clearly address this situation since it seems so common for people living near state borders! But this community discussion has provided way more practical guidance than anything I could find through official channels. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - it's made me feel confident about proceeding with my trusted Nevada doctor rather than starting over with someone new who doesn't know my medical history.
Welcome to the community! I'm also new here and just went through a very similar situation with my doctor being licensed in Oregon while I work in California. Your summary of the key steps is excellent and matches exactly what I learned from my experience and reading through everyone else's stories here. I especially appreciate how you highlighted that EDD doesn't proactively notify you about verification - that was something I didn't realize until I read through all these responses. It really emphasizes why preparing your doctor's office is so crucial. When EDD called my doctor's office, they were ready for it and responded immediately, which definitely helped speed up my claim. One thing I'd add to your great list is to make sure you have your doctor's direct office phone number handy in case you need to help facilitate contact during the verification process. Some people mentioned having to help connect EDD with their doctor's office when there were communication issues. You're absolutely right about EDD's website being frustratingly unclear on this! It's such a common situation for people living near state borders, yet their official resources provide almost no guidance. This community has been invaluable for getting real, practical advice from people who've actually navigated this process successfully. Best of luck with your claim - sounds like you're well-prepared with all the insights shared here!
I'm also new to this community and dealing with the exact same situation! My doctor is licensed in Nevada and I work in California. This entire thread has been such a lifesaver - I was really worried about my claim being rejected because of the out-of-state doctor issue. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that out-of-state doctors are definitely accepted, but the verification process seems to be where delays can happen. I'm taking notes on all the great advice here: making sure the medical certification form is completely filled out with clear license info, preparing my doctor's office for potential EDD calls, and maybe including a copy of their Nevada license upfront to speed things up. It's really reassuring to see so many people who have successfully gone through this process with out-of-state doctors. The practical tips about using the doctor's full legal name exactly as it appears on their license and making sure their direct phone number is clearly written are details I never would have thought of but seem really important for avoiding verification delays. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - this has been way more helpful than anything I could find on EDD's website! I feel much more confident now about proceeding with my trusted doctor rather than trying to find a new California provider who doesn't know my medical history.
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This thread is an absolute goldmine! I'm dealing with carpal tunnel surgery next month and had no idea about any of these paper vs electronic complications. After reading through everyone's experiences, I feel like I have a complete roadmap now. The most eye-opening part for me is realizing that "filing online" doesn't mean the whole process is electronic - seems like such basic information that should be clearly explained on EDD's website! I love how @Yuki Sato figured out the exact question to ask: "Are you registered for EDD's SDI Online system, and if so, can you submit my disability certification electronically?" That's going straight into my notes for when I call my hand surgeon's office. I'm also really impressed by all the practical tips like @Tate Jensen's suggestion about bringing a pre-addressed stamped envelope and asking for a scanned copy through patient portals. These are the kinds of real-world solutions you just don't find in official guides. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone here had experience with multiple procedures/claims? I might need both hands done eventually, and I'm wondering if having a successful first claim makes the second one easier to navigate, or if you basically start from scratch each time with the paperwork process. Either way, this community has probably saved me weeks of confusion and stress. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences so openly!
Great question about multiple procedures! I actually went through this exact situation - had my left knee done first, then my right knee six months later. The good news is that once you've been through the process once and your doctor's office has your information on file, the second claim is usually much smoother. My orthopedic surgeon's office already had my details in their system and knew exactly what form to use and how I preferred it submitted (fax, in my case). They were even proactive about it - called me the day after my second surgery to let me know they'd already submitted the certification electronically since they had figured out their SDI Online access between my two procedures. One tip though - make sure to file each claim separately online with its own disability start date. Don't assume EDD will automatically connect multiple procedures. And if there's any gap between surgeries where you return to work, that helps keep the claims distinct and prevents any confusion about continuous vs intermittent disability. You're so smart to be planning ahead like this! The carpal tunnel recovery process can be tricky with dominant vs non-dominant hand timing. Hope your first procedure goes smoothly and gives you a good template for the second one if needed.
This entire thread has been a lifesaver! I'm scheduled for gallbladder surgery in two weeks and was completely clueless about the SDI process. After reading everyone's experiences, I realize I need to get way ahead of this. Just called my surgeon's office using @Yuki Sato's exact wording about SDI Online registration, and it turns out they ARE registered but their front desk staff had no idea! The office manager is going to walk me through their electronic submission process when I come in for my pre-op appointment next week. Without this thread, I definitely would have gotten the "we only do paper" runaround from the front desk. I'm also bookmarking the Claimyr service and @Luca Esposito's tracking spreadsheet idea. The level of preparation and advocacy you need for something that should be straightforward is honestly ridiculous, but this community has given me all the tools to navigate it successfully. One question - for those who had abdominal surgeries, did you run into any issues with the recovery timeline estimates? My surgeon said 4-6 weeks off work, but I'm worried EDD might question the duration since gallbladder removal is often portrayed as "minimally invasive." Just want to be prepared in case they push back on the timeline. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical knowledge that makes all the difference!
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That's great news that your primary doctor is willing to help! Just wanted to add a few more tips from my experience helping people with similar situations: 1. Make sure to get the surgical center's contact information in case EDD needs to verify anything directly 2. Ask your Colombian surgeon to include specific details about work restrictions (like no lifting over 10 lbs, no bending, etc.) in their report - EDD loves specifics 3. Consider getting a letter from your employer confirming your job duties require physical work that would be restricted post-surgery 4. Keep all your travel documents (boarding passes, passport stamps) as proof of timeline The fact that your primary doctor is documenting everything before and after should really strengthen your case. Good luck with the surgery and recovery!
This is such helpful advice! I hadn't thought about getting a letter from my employer about my job duties. I work in construction so there's definitely a lot of heavy lifting, climbing, and physical work that would be impossible after hernia surgery. I'll ask my boss for something in writing about what my daily tasks involve. Also good point about keeping all travel documents - I'll make sure to save everything. Thanks for thinking of these details!
One more thing to consider - make sure you understand Colombia's medical record system and how to get copies of everything you'll need. Some countries have different documentation standards than what EDD expects. I'd recommend asking the Colombian surgical center upfront what records they provide post-surgery and if they can format them in a way that includes all the details California might want (procedure codes, recovery timeline, work restrictions, etc.). Also, find out about their policy for providing additional documentation if EDD requests more info later - you don't want to be stuck trying to get extra paperwork from abroad months after your surgery. The more prepared you are on the documentation side, the smoother your SDI claim should go.
That's excellent advice about the documentation standards! I'm actually planning to visit the surgical center next week for my consultation, so I'll definitely ask them about their record-keeping practices and what specific documents they can provide. I'll also ask if they're familiar with US disability requirements - since medical tourism is pretty common, they might already know what foreign patients typically need. Do you think it would be worth having them include English translations right from the start, or is it better to get certified translations done here in California?
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As someone who's completely new to the EDD system, reading through your situation and everyone's experiences has been both incredibly educational and honestly quite alarming! Lorenzo, I'm so sorry you're dealing with this bureaucratic nightmare while trying to recover from such a serious three-fracture leg injury. What really strikes me from all the responses is how common this UI/SDI overlap issue seems to be, yet EDD apparently provides zero clear guidance on handling these transitions. You were following the most logical path - UI after layoff, then SDI after injury - but somehow the system punishes people for these completely normal life circumstances. The 5-week delay with your doctor's certification (especially with it getting lost initially!) perfectly illustrates how administrative failures can trap people in impossible situations where you're forced to choose between financial survival and potential overpayment penalties later. Based on everyone's advice, especially after reading Isaiah's terrifying $2,900 overpayment experience, the path forward seems crystal clear: stop UI certification immediately, call EDD to confirm your SDI will automatically begin after the 23-day block period, and document absolutely everything. Anastasia's tip about asking specifically for the "benefit begin date" and Ana's advice about being proactive rather than reactive seem particularly crucial. I really hope you can get through to EDD soon and resolve this without further complications. This thread has already become such an invaluable resource for understanding these confusing benefit transitions - thank you for sharing your experience despite all the stress you're dealing with. Please keep us updated on how your call goes!
As someone completely new to the EDD system, this thread has been incredibly eye-opening and honestly quite concerning! Lorenzo, I'm so sorry you're dealing with this bureaucratic maze while trying to recover from such a serious injury. What really stands out to me from reading everyone's experiences is how this UI/SDI overlap situation seems to happen to so many people, yet EDD provides virtually no clear guidance on how to properly navigate these transitions. You were doing exactly what any reasonable person would do - filing UI after being laid off, then switching to SDI after your injury - but the system somehow treats this logical sequence as problematic. The 5-week delay with your doctor's certification (especially with it getting lost in their system initially!) really highlights how these administrative failures can create impossible situations where people are forced to choose between having no income or risking future overpayment issues. After reading through all the advice here, especially Isaiah's terrifying $2,900 overpayment story, the consensus seems absolutely clear: stop UI certification immediately, call EDD to confirm your SDI will start after the 23-day block period, and document everything thoroughly. The specific tips from Anastasia about asking for the "benefit begin date" and Ana's advice about being proactive with EDD rather than waiting seem particularly valuable. I really hope you can get through to EDD soon and get this resolved without any additional complications. A three-fracture leg injury sounds incredibly painful, and dealing with all this bureaucratic stress while trying to heal must be exhausting. Please keep us updated on how your call goes - this thread has already become such a helpful resource for anyone facing similar benefit transition issues!
Andre Rousseau
As someone who's completely new to this community and just beginning my SDI claim process, this entire discussion has been incredibly educational! I had no idea there was so much complexity around medical certification submissions. Keisha's journey from confusion to successful resolution really shows the importance of advocating for yourself and not just accepting the first answer you get. What strikes me most is how even medical offices can be unclear on proper EDD procedures - it makes me realize I need to have a detailed conversation with my healthcare provider about the correct submission process before we even complete the forms. The range of experiences shared here, from quick approvals to month-long delays, really emphasizes why getting this right the first time is so crucial. I'm taking notes on all the practical advice about certified mail, keeping copies, and following up with EDD. Thank you to everyone for sharing both your successes and challenges - having access to these real-world experiences makes navigating the SDI process feel much less overwhelming for newcomers like me!
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Kaylee Cook
•Welcome to the community, Andre! I'm also brand new to SDI claims and this thread has been absolutely invaluable for understanding what to expect. What really resonates with me about your comment is the emphasis on having that detailed conversation with your healthcare provider upfront - I think that's going to be my approach too after reading through all these experiences. Keisha's story really demonstrates how much time and stress can be saved by simply asking the right questions and pushing for the correct procedures from the beginning. It's honestly a bit alarming to learn how many medical offices aren't properly trained on EDD submission requirements, but it's also empowering to know we can educate ourselves and advocate for the proper process. The practical tips everyone has shared here - from certified mail to follow-up procedures - are going to be so helpful when I reach that stage of my claim. Thanks for adding your perspective as another newcomer - it's really encouraging to see others taking the time to thoroughly understand the process before diving in!
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ElectricDreamer
As someone who's completely new to both this community and the entire SDI process, this thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! I'm just starting my own disability claim and honestly had no clue about any of these complexities around medical form submissions. Keisha's experience really shows how important it is to trust your instincts when something doesn't feel right - even when medical professionals seem confident about their approach. What's particularly eye-opening is learning how common it seems to be for healthcare offices to not fully understand EDD's submission requirements, especially with new staff handling these forms. This makes me realize I need to have a very thorough conversation with my doctor about the proper procedures before we even start the paperwork process. I'm definitely taking notes on all the practical advice shared here about certified mail, documentation, and follow-up steps. Thank you to everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences - both the successes and the challenges. Having access to this kind of knowledge makes navigating these government processes feel so much less intimidating for newcomers like me!
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Mateo Martinez
•Welcome to the community! I'm also completely new to SDI and this thread has been such a learning experience. What really stands out to me is how Keisha's willingness to question the initial guidance and advocate for herself made all the difference. It's honestly pretty concerning to learn that even medical offices handling these forms regularly can be unclear on the proper procedures, but it's also reassuring to know that we can educate ourselves and push for the correct process. Your point about having that thorough conversation with your doctor upfront is exactly what I'm planning to do too - it seems like being proactive is so much better than having to fix problems later. The practical tips everyone has shared here are invaluable, especially about certified mail and follow-up procedures. Thanks for sharing your perspective as another newcomer - it's really helpful to know others are taking the time to understand these processes thoroughly before jumping in!
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