§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.