During times of extreme weather, California power companies recommend residents have a disaster preparedness plan in place in the event power must be shut off for safety reasons. Medical baseline programs enable patients who depend on power for certain medical conditions and independent living needs to lower energy rates and, most importantly, receive advance notice of public safety power shutoffs to their residence.
With the dry and windy weather conditions forecast in the coming months, it is anticipated that power shutoffs will be top of mind for many of the most vulnerable patients.
To assist hospitals, the California Hospital Association — in partnership with Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Edison — has prepared this on-demand recording that explains more about the medical baseline programs and details the support and resources available from the utility companies.
While the programs are similar across power utilities, there are unique forms and processes for SDGE that can be accessed via the utility’s website. Additional resources are available from SDGE in English and Spanish to support patients during outages.
