Your Doctor Can No Longer Charge a Fee Just to Fill Out Your Disability Form
You were already off work and already worried about money, and then the doctor’s office said there was a fee just to fill out the form.
It felt wrong. You paid it anyway, because the benefits could not start without it.
That experience is common enough that it now has a direct answer, and it takes effect on January 1, 2027.
AB 2292 adds subdivision (h) to Unemp. Ins. Code § 2708, so a physician or practitioner may not charge an administrative fee to complete the medical certificate you need for State Disability Insurance or Paid Family Leave benefits. Whether a particular charge is a barred form fee depends on what the office actually billed for.
The same rule covers a later recertification exam and the forms you need to stay eligible. Offices can still bill for real medical services, along with your usual copay, coinsurance, or deductible, when those charges match a comparable exam and are not imposed just to complete the paperwork.
Two limits matter. This change applies starting January 1, 2027, so a fee charged before then is not covered by it.
It also speaks to the state disability and family leave certificates. A medical note your employer requests under its own leave or accommodation process is a separate question, and the answer there depends on what was asked for and why.
The practical risk is delay. A certificate that sits unfinished can hold up benefits while your employer is still waiting to hear when you will be back.
Benefits paperwork and job protection run on separate tracks. Keeping both moving is the part people underestimate.
If the paperwork for your leave has stalled, whether over a fee or over what your employer is asking for, the delay can affect both your benefits and your job. That is what a first conversation is for.
Contact Michael Trust Law, APC for a no-charge initial consultation. The facts determine whether you have a claim – and how much of a conversation that takes.
This post shares general information based on common patterns I see in California workplaces. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and outcomes depend on specific facts – no lawyer can guarantee a result. Past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. AI may have been used to create this post. All content reviewed by a CA attorney before publication.