By Sam Setyan | Updated October 31, 2026
A recent law change is going to end the financial strain some Californians experience when applying for California disability benefits. For years, insured, pregnant, or sick workers applying for benefits have faced unexpected financial strain when doctors charge fees for EDD medical certification.
When a worker has to leave a job to care for a family member, focus on their health or recovery, or adjust to pregnancy, childbirth, and caring for an infant, a financial hurdle seems excessively unfair when finances are already strained.
Some Californians shared their stories on r/Edd Reddit. One person’s doctor charged $150 for the required EDD medical certification form, and others shared similar stories with lower fees for digital submissions and higher fees if the doctor has to fill out a paper copy. One person shared they couldn’t afford it and had to set up a payment plan.
It’s not right, and California lawmakers agreed. While this has been a standard practice for years, it’s soon going to change. AB 2292 prohibits fees for every state disability document, whether you need an EDD disability form for a doctor to fill out for an initial claim or a simple EDD disability form for doctor recertifications.
Can Doctors Charge a Fee to Fill Out EDD Forms?
Currently, doctors can charge fees, often administrative fees, for filling out EDD forms.
They can charge you or your medical insurance for examinations and medical services to diagnose your condition, but many doctors also charge additional fees for initial filing and recertification.
They justify the fees as time-consuming administrative tasks that take up a doctor’s valuable time away from caring for patients. Reviewing files, completing EDD medical certification forms, ensuring the form is complete, and sending it off takes time, so doctors charge a fee to cover that time.
What AB 2292 Changes
California Assembly Bill 2292 was signed into law on September 28, 2026. It establishes statutory protections under Section 2708, stating that medical certifications are part of patient care. This changes what doctors can charge you when you need EDD forms filled out.
Starting January 1, 2027, healthcare providers like doctors, psychologists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and licensed midwives can no longer charge certain fees, including administration fees, for completing EDD forms. It doesn’t matter whether they complete the form online or on paper. They cannot charge a fee for either option.
What Can Doctors Still Charge People For?
The law doesn’t require doctors to provide free medical care. Doctors retain the right to charge for medical services. This includes any tests, examinations, and other medical services you receive in order to prove you’re eligible for benefits. You should still expect to pay a copay, coinsurance, or deductible.
EDD Forms vs. Employer Leave Paperwork
AB 2292 also only covers official state medical eligibility forms issued by the Employment Development Department (EDD). It doesn’t cover any medical forms your human resources department requires you to complete.
If your employer asks you for a company-specific medical form before approving your leave or providing workplace accommodations, doctors can still charge you for this additional paperwork.
Which EDD Forms Are Covered by AB 2292?
This new law covers the EDD forms for your initial medical certificate and any necessary recertification exams and forms that ensure you keep receiving benefits as detailed below.
Initial SDI Medical Certification
- Form DE 2501 (Part B): The Physician/Practitioner’s Certificate is for disability insurance claims for workers who cannot work for at least 8 consecutive days, lost wages because of a disability, were employed or looking for employment when the disability occurred, and are under medical treatment from a licensed health professional.
- Form DE 2501F (Part D): The Physician/Practitioner’s Certificate is for paid family leave benefits for care for a seriously ill family member.
Continued Claims and Recertification
- Form DE2525XX: The Physician/Practitioner’s Supplementary Certificate for EDD disability extensions.
- Form DE2525XFA: The Physician/Practitioner’s Supplementary Certificate for continued paid family leave.
What the New Rule Means for Pregnant Workers
If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, you often have to complete several certification cycles as you progress through your pregnancy, EDD disability maternity leave, postpartum period, and time to bond with your new baby.
Pregnant workers applying for EDD disability for pregnancy are entitled to up to four months of disability leave per California’s Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL). That leave can be taken before or after birth for things like bed rest, recovery from childbirth, and severe morning sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum).
If you transition to Paid Family Leave (PFL) after claiming California SDI pregnancy benefits, you may qualify for up to eight weeks of a partial wage after giving birth. In the past, your doctor could charge the administration fee repeatedly, driving up your costs.
Under the new law, the paperwork for each transition is also free of any fees from your doctor. It lets you focus on your postpartum recovery and your new baby without worrying about high administrative fees.
Paid Family Leave Caregiving Claims
If you care for a family member, you also won’t have to pay charges for the required medical paperwork from your family member’s EDD forms. You won’t pay a fee with the initial Paid Family Leave California form or any renewals.
Your Rights Against Pregnancy Discrimination at Work
Your doctor cannot charge a fee for the forms needed for PDL and PFL. Your employer also cannot discriminate against you. You can claim both PDL and PFL without facing consequences such as a demotion or termination.
What to Do If a Provider Still Charges a Form Fee
If a medical billing office attempts to charge you an administrative fee on or after January 1, 2027, follow these steps.
- Inform them that Unemployment Insurance Code § 2708(h), added by AB 2292 (Stats. 2026, ch. 734) prohibits any fees for filling out an EDD medical certification form.
- If they collected a fee in error, make a written request asking for a refund and cite the new law.
Speak to a Los Angeles Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyer
AB 2292 protects you from unfair fees. If your doctor continues to refuse to fill out the paperwork without a fee and won’t refund the fee you paid, talk to an experienced employment attorney helping California workers.
You have the right to get doctors to fill out your EDD forms free of charge. You’re also entitled to have time off for pregnancy-related health issues, childbirth, and postpartum issues. If your company refuses to give you that time off, speak to a pregnancy discrimination attorney immediately. Schedule a free consultation now.
