Medical Baseline Program

Any medical device used to sustain life or relied upon for mobility (as determined by a licensed qualified medical practitioner). Equipment must be used in the home. Generally, equipment used for therapy does not qualify for Medical Baseline.

Life-support equipment includes respirators (oxygen concentrators), iron lungs, hemodialysis machines, suction machines, electric nerve stimulators, pressure pads and pumps, aerosol tents, electrostatic and ultrasonic nebulizers, compressors, intermittent positive pressure breathing (IPPB) machines, and motorized wheelchairs.

Qualified medical practitioners include licensed physicians, surgeons and persons licensed pursuant to the Osteopathic Initiative Act per California Public Utilities Code §739 and nurse practitioners consistent with PG&E’s current practice and as now provided in California Public Utilities Codes & §799.3. In addition, per PG&E’s current practice, a licensed physician assistant working as a part of the customer’s physician team may certify a patient eligibility as having a life-threatening condition or illness.

When you are approved for the Medical Baseline program, you will receive a welcome email or letter. You can also confirm your Medical Baseline enrollment in your online account or on the "Special Account Information" section of your bill. "Life-Support" and/or "Medical" will appear in this section of your bill if you've been approved.

You will receive a notification letter if your Medical Baseline application has been denied or if you have been removed from Medical Baseline program due to failure to self-certify or recertify as required.

To unenroll from the Medical Baseline or Life Support program, sign in to your account and click on “Enrolled in Medical Baseline” link on the menu. Then, click “Unenroll” and confirm your unenrollment. You can also call 1-800-743-5000 and ask to be removed from the Medical Baseline Program.

Self-Certification is required every two years for Medical Baseline customers with permanent medical conditions (as designated by their medical practitioners). Customers with non-permanent conditions follow Self-Certification for year one and a Recertification (requiring medical practitioner's signature) for year two.

Self-Certification helps confirm that the Medical Baseline customer is still a full-time resident at the address and has current contact preferences in PG&E’s system for Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) and other emergency notifications.

Re-Certification is required to verify that the Medical Baseline customer still needs extra PSPS notifications and additional allotment of energy due to their ongoing medical condition.

If you request to stop service at your old address and start service at your new address at the same time, your Medical Baseline Program is automatically transferred to your new address.

If you request to stop service at your old address today and start service at your new address at a later date, then your Medical Baseline Program will not be automatically transferred to your new address. You will need to call us at 1-800-743-5000 and request your Medical Baseline Program to be transferred to your new address.

You can now apply to PG&E’s Medical Baseline program without having to visit your medical practitioner’s office.

Please follow the instructions and guidelines for online applications in the Application section on this page.

Yes. Eligibility for Medical Baseline is not based on income. Medical Baseline eligibility is solely based on medical needs. Your eligibility or enrollment in CARE/FERA or any other assistance programs are not related to and do not affect your eligibility for Medical Baseline.

You can enroll in Medical Baseline whether you are on CARE/FERA or not. Please see the Application section on this page for more information on how to apply.

Depending on your rate plan and your medical related energy needs you may be granted additional Medical Baseline energy allotments after evaluation.

Eligible Medical Baseline customers who are on tiered rate plans (i.e. E1, E-TOU-C, G1, etc.) may receive a “standard” Medical Baseline quantity of approximately 500 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity and/or 25 therms of gas per month, in addition to regular Baseline quantities of their current rate.

Depending on your medical needs and the number medical devices you are using, you might be eligible for more than one standard Medical Baseline Allotment. Contact PG&E at 1-800-743-5000 and request to be evaluated for an additional Medical Baseline allotment.

Please note: Additional allotments of electricity only work with electric rate plans with baseline allowances (e.g., E1, E-TOU-C, etc.). Customers on D-MEDICAL receive a flat 12% discount on their electric charges irrespective of the number of allotments.

Eligible Medical Baseline customers may receive a “standard” Medical Baseline quantity of approximately 500 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity if they are on a rate plan with a baseline, and/or 25 therms of gas per month, in addition to regular Baseline quantities of their current rate. This additional energy allotment is provided at the lowest price on your current rate.

Medical Baseline customers on the Electric Home (E-ELEC) rate may be eligible to receive 12% discount (D-MEDICAL) on their electric charges. Please see the Applicability section of the D-MEDICAL Tariff (PDF, 110 KB) for more information.

When there is more than one resident with medical needs living in the address, only one Medical Baseline application per household is required.

Depending on your medical needs and the number of medical devices used by Medical Baseline customers in the same address, you might be eligible for more than one standard Medical Baseline Allotment. Contact us at 1-800-743-5000 and request to be evaluated for an additional Medical Baseline allotment. Additional Medical Baseline allotments are not automatically granted.

No. Medical Baseline eligibility is solely based on medical needs. Your eligibility or enrollment in Medi-Cal or any other health insurance is not related to and does not affect your eligibility for Medical Baseline.

You can enroll in Medical Baseline whether you are on Medi-Cal or not. Please review the Application section on this page for more information on how to apply.

No. Physical therapy devices, such as sauna and hot tub, do not qualify for Medical Baseline.

Qualifying medical devices include any medical device used to sustain life or used for mobility. Please review a complete list of qualifying medical devices.