Electric service discount for medical equipment

I was reviewing my electric bill and the various pricing plans available when I stumbled upon this info. Of course this is my electric utility but I'm sure others have similar programs. I can always use a bit of a break.

Medical Life Support Discount
We understand that the use of in-home medical equipment can put a strain on your energy budget. That's why we offer a discount to qualifying customers with special medical needs.

Here's how it works
Through the SRP Medical Life Support Discount Program, customers who qualify can receive a $17 monthly discount on their SRP bill while on life-sustaining equipment.

The discount will stay in effect as long as the life-sustaining equipment is in use. A physician must recertify the patient's condition annually.


Eligibility
You may be eligible for this discount if you meet the following conditions:

The patient is using any of the following equipment:
Kidney/hemo/peritoneal dialysis equipment
Ventilators
Apnea monitors
Feeding or infusion pumps
Suction machines
C-PAP
Oxygen concentrators
Please note: small volume nebulizers are not eligible for any medical status.
The SRP account is enrolled in a residential price plan.
The SRP account is in the name of the patient, a close relative of the patient, or the patient's legal guardian.
SRP must receive three items: a completed Customer Questionnaire; a Physician Questionnaire, and a prescription slip completed by the patient's physician.

Just another rip off of the american consumer, XPAP, electric power isn't costly. Now running a iron lung, or O2 Oxygen concentrators, or Kidney/hemo/peritoneal dialysis equipment, do use higher levels of electric. To have XPAP machines classed with real electric treatment devices it just foolish power companies lack of knowledge, wanting it is welfare. Jim

Not that people that require special life support equiptment shouldn't be put on a list for fast service. But if you are really worried about loss of electric power, maybe you could care enough to make backup plans yourself too.

Goofproof wrote:Just another rip off of the american consumer, XPAP, electric power isn't costly. Now running a iron lung, or O2 Oxygen concentrators, or Kidney/hemo/peritoneal dialysis equipment, do use higher levels of electric. To have XPAP machines classed with real electric treatment devices it just foolish power companies lack of knowledge, wanting it is welfare. Jim

Not that people that require special life support equiptment shouldn't be put on a list for fast service. But if you are really worried about loss of electric power, maybe you could care enough to make backup plans yourself too.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. Not so sure you needed to be so nasty about it however. Perhaps you need to review your sleep data, you seem a little grumpy.

This is a legitimate program that I qualify for and plan to take advantage of. You obviously didn't read the post or you didn't understand what you read because nowhere does it say anything about planning for power outages. It is simply a monthly discount on electrical service. So why don't you get on your self-righteous high horse and trot on out of here!

Calm down everyone!

These programs are valid. What they do ensure is that you don't ever get your power turned off from some billing mishap if you have essential medical equipment. To get the discount I expect that they want really low income applicants. The utilities just write off the costs as PR and no one is hurt. It isn't a big hand out except to the very very needy - and that's good.

But technically, people are right. CPAP machines use very little power these days. Even the humidifiers are minimal. I guess a "green" CPAP machine would come complete with a hamster on a treadmill, though I guess they would get to smelling a bit after a while!

Our local utility provider has a different approach. Disconnection of services can be stayed for 30 days with qualifying medical need documented by a physician. This medical reprieve can be used up to 3 times annually, and requires reauthorization with each request. While there is no financial benefit to the customer, I would have no qualms about utilizing a program that does if I qualified. No different in my eyes than using manufacturer's coupons at the grocery store, or being one of the first 100 retail customers to get a special sale price on an item. Any discount is all just part of a company's marketing program. In the case of our utility services, I'd say it has more to do with an attempt to preclude a lawsuit if a death occurs during a lapse in utility service. I'm just glad to see CPAP recognized as medically necessary.

I appreciate your posting this. I wasn't aware of a program that gave a discount, so I'll have to look to see if we have one.

I DO know that I have priority status during power failures because of my equipment. We frequently lose power during storms, both summer and winter, and we have been known to be without power for days. While my ventilator will run on the battery for up to six hours, that's not enough for me to get through even one night.

I filled out paperwork, sent it to my doctor for her authorization, and submitted to my power company to be placed on a priority list for these power outages. That SHOULD help get us higher on the restoration list than we have been in the past.

Jon--

cpap machine with a hamster on a treadmill--the image won't quit

Madalot wrote:I appreciate your posting this. I wasn't aware of a program that gave a discount, so I'll have to look to see if we have one.

I DO know that I have priority status during power failures because of my equipment. We frequently lose power during storms, both summer and winter, and we have been known to be without power for days. While my ventilator will run on the battery for up to six hours, that's not enough for me to get through even one night.

I filled out paperwork, sent it to my doctor for her authorization, and submitted to my power company to be placed on a priority list for these power outages. That SHOULD help get us higher on the restoration list than we have been in the past.

Madalot, are you on Dominion Virginia Power? When I called them they told me that there wasn't any such program.

OutaSync wrote:

Madalot wrote:I appreciate your posting this. I wasn't aware of a program that gave a discount, so I'll have to look to see if we have one.

I DO know that I have priority status during power failures because of my equipment. We frequently lose power during storms, both summer and winter, and we have been known to be without power for days. While my ventilator will run on the battery for up to six hours, that's not enough for me to get through even one night.

I filled out paperwork, sent it to my doctor for her authorization, and submitted to my power company to be placed on a priority list for these power outages. That SHOULD help get us higher on the restoration list than we have been in the past.

Madalot, are you on Dominion Virginia Power? When I called them they told me that there wasn't any such program.

That's strange. I went to their website and downloaded the form myself. Search for "Medical Needs Notification" and it pulls up the form in .pdf format. I completed my portion, sent it to my doctor, then sent it on to Dominion. I got a letter back from Dominion within a few weeks indicating I had been approved for priority status.

Edited to add: Just to clarify something -- they do not promise to get the power on any quicker or anything like that (covering their butts). They do indicate that I am now on record as having medical needs requiring power so they will do their best to get it back as quickly as possible -- ie putting us higher on the list.

So customer service just lied to me, or maybe it's a new thing. It was a couple of years ago that I called. Thanks for the info, I'll check it out.

OutaSync wrote:So customer service just lied to me, or maybe it's a new thing. It was a couple of years ago that I called. Thanks for the info, I'll check it out.

I don't know how long they've been doing it, but family members on another power service knew about it for THEIR power company and suggested I look at Dominion. Seriously -- just go to their website and key in "Medical Needs Notification" and it will pull up the document. You just need to have your doctor complete their portion of it.

In truth, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if customer service either had no clue about or out just didn't want to deal with it so they lied to you. I've run into stuff like that more and more these days.

M.D.Hosehead wrote:Jon--

cpap machine with a hamster on a treadmill--the image won't quit

I have three rats that like to run on their wheel all night, and who wake me up when they're dumb enough to bring food onto it and it rattles around (solid plastic wheel). Maybe I can set something up?

This occurred to me when I was first starting CPAP, so I called my local electric utility--
Their answer was negative. However, not a problem:
Our electricity here is among the cheapest in the country;
largely because our electric company is publicly owned.(NON-PROFIT)
We've fought tooth and nail to keep it public--
crooks have come in and tried to 'buy' it several times, with the help of some of the slimeballs who sometimes get into office.
Watchful citizens have been successful so far. . .
I guess, if there was an outage, I could camp in their lobby. . .

Goofproof wrote:Just another rip off of the american consumer, XPAP, electric power isn't costly. Now running a iron lung, or O2 Oxygen concentrators, or Kidney/hemo/peritoneal dialysis equipment, do use higher levels of electric. To have XPAP machines classed with real electric treatment devices it just foolish power companies lack of knowledge, wanting it is welfare. Jim

Not that people that require special life support equiptment shouldn't be put on a list for fast service. But if you are really worried about loss of electric power, maybe you could care enough to make backup plans yourself too.

You're entitled to your opinion. But I have to wonder if you crunched the numbers.

$17 per month works out to an electric cost of about 17 cents per kwh. (less if you have to pay taxes on the electric costs). That's not too far off what we have to pay for electricity in Ontario and I'm certain that there are some on this list who pay that much for power and more.

$17 per month may not seem like much to you, but it's a lot of money to those who are on (small) fixed incomes. It can make a difference in the quality of life.

Now maybe this is all an argument for a means test to qualify for the electric subsidy, but a means test for it also comes with costs. It may be cheapest, and fairest for the electric company just to give it to all who ask.

I'm just sayin' .......

I spoke with SRP, my electric company this morning. The Medical Life Support discount is in no way related to income -- there are no income qualifications that have to met to receive the discount. There is a form for the physician to complete and a copy of the CPAP prescription must be included.