83 Ill. Adm. Code 735.140
Illness Provision
Section 735
Section 735.140 Illness
Provision
a) Certificate of Illness
1) A Telephone company shall postpone discontinuance of telephone
service to a residential customer for thirty (30) days from the date of
certification by a licensed physician that discontinuance of service will
aggravate an existing medical emergency or create a medical emergency for the
customer or a permanent resident in the customer's household.
2) Initial certification shall prohibit discontinuance of service
for thirty (30) days. Certification may be renewed by the customer for one
additional thirty (30) day period by providing another certificate to the
utility. Failure to so renew the certificate shall entitle the utility to
initiate discontinuance procedures.
3) Initial certification by the certifying physician may be by
telephone if written certification is forwarded within five (5) days.
b) Contents of Certificate
This certificate of medical emergency must be in writing on
stationery which clearly sets forth the name of the doctor, hospital, or
medical clinic. The certificate must clearly show the name of the person whose
illness would be aggravated, the nature of the medical emergency, and the name,
title, and signature of the licensed physician certifying the medical
emergency.
c) Payment Arrangements
Within the first thirty (30) days the customer must enter
into a Deferred Payment Agreement for the retirement of the unpaid balance of
the account and keep the current account paid during the period that the unpaid
balance is to be retired.
d) Restoral of Service
In the event service is discontinued within ten (10) days
prior to certification of illness by or for a qualifying resident, service
shall be restored to that residence if a proper certification is thereafter
made in accordance with the foregoing provisions.
e) Notice
Notice of discontinuance of service sent to residential
customers must include a notice substantially in the form of Appendix B herein.