In fall 2014, the Employment Development Department (EDD) revised the Claim for Paid Family Leave (PFL) Benefits form (DE 2501F). The initial deadline to discontinue use of the old form (12-03) was May 1, 2015; however, this date was extended to July 1, 2015.

Effective July 1, 2015, only the new form, DE 2501F Rev. 1[7-14], will be accepted. To order new forms, practices can visit the EDD Forms and Publications page or call (877) 238-4373.

Physicians are also reminded that they can certify claims for State Disability Insurance (SDI) and PFL online via EDD’s electronic claim filing system, SDI Online. The system allows physicians, practitioners, claimants, employers and voluntary plan administrators to submit claims and other supporting documents online. For more information about SDI Online or to establish a physician/practitioner account, visit www.edd.ca.gov/disability.

For California workers covered by SDI, PFL provides up to six weeks of benefits for individuals who must take time off work to care for a seriously ill child, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or registered domestic partner, or to bond with a new child.

For more information on the process of creating an SDI online account and completing the online doctor’s certificate, practices can listen to CMA’s On Demand webinar, “Utilizing the New State Disability Insurance (SDI) Online System.”

For more information on PFL, see California Medical Association On-Call document #6203, "Family and Medical Leave." On-Call documents are available free to members in CMA's online health law library. Nonmembers can purchase documents for $2/page.