50 signatures reached
To: Governor Brian Kemp, Representative Drew Ferguson, Senator Jon Osoff, Senator Raphael Warnock, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, ACLU of Georgia, Georgia Health and Human Services
Help PPP for Human Rights
PROTECT POWER-DEPENDENT PATIENTS
What if you needed power to live?
Most don't think about the need for power to live when establishing utility services. However, imagine if one of these scenarios where to happen to you or a loved one:
You're on a ventilator at home following an accident,
You or a family member use an oxygen concentrator at home for cancer therapy,
You have a heart pump (ventricular assistance device or VAD) from pregnancy induced heart failure; and need to charge your external batteries or connect to your wall charger while at home, or
You're on hemodialysis at home, and
YOUR POWER GETS DISCONNECTED!
The Misconception - there are NO federal laws to Protect Power-dependent Patients who use life-sustaining medical equipment at home to Live!
Did you know that all states do not fully regulate Utility Distributors? That's the case in Georgia. It's literally the luck of the draw. Where you live can determine if you can be disconnected from Utilities even if you need power to live.
• In the State of Georgia Local Distribution Companies such as Griffin Utilities are not fully regulated by the Georgia Public Service Commission.
• Per the Griffin Utilities Customer Service manual there is a ONE-TIME, seven (7) day postponement of disconnection for individual customers on life-support who need power to live.
• Griffin Utilities only allows 25 days from the date your bill is printed to the date of disconnection if you need power to live.
• Griffin Utilities does not offer Budget Billing if you need power to live.
• Griffin Utilities does not offer Grace Periods if you need power to live.
• There are No ADA Reasonable Accommodations or Protections to Griffin Utility’s policies and procedures pertaining to waivers or postponement of Late Fees, nor Reconnect Fees for individual customers on life-support who need power to live.
• Griffin Utilities does not generally offer Payment Extensions if you need power to live.
Help us advocate to PPP (PROTECT POWER-DEPENDENT PATIENTS); for some of the most vulnerable on local and state levels to prevent LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO DISCONNECTIONS.
PPP HELP
Why is this important?
WHAT IF YOU NEEDED POWER TO LIVE AND YOUR POWER WAS DISCONNECTED OVER $79.
Then your utility distributor refused to restore service unless you paid an additional $75 in reconnect fees (while knowing you need power to live)!
We are NOT asking not to pay. We are only asking for adequate reasonable accommodations or protections to Griffin Utilities policies and procedures so customers who need power to live are NOT AT RISK of disconnection; or Risk LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO DISCONNECTIONS.
THE RESOLUTION
ADA Reasonable Accommodations and/or Protections to Griffin Utilities Policies & Procedures to Protect Power-dependent Patients (PPP).
A. Payment Extensions - Consider offering Payment Extensions prior to an account becoming delinquent for power-dependent individual customers.
B. Grace Period - there are NO grace periods. Consider establishing a delinquent payment grace period. Provide this delinquent account Grace Period prior to sending a disconnect notice or warning of disconnection to power-dependent individual customers.
C. Late Fees - Waive Late Fees or allow fees to be distributed over time without fear of disconnection for power-dependent individual customers.
D. Reconnect Fees - Waive Reconnect Fees or allow fees to be distributed over time without fear of disconnection for power-dependent individual customers.
E. Budget Billing - Consider the establishment of Budget Billing for power-dependent individual customers.
F. Advance Notice of Disconnection - Provide a 24 to 72 hour advance notice of disconnection.
G. Priority List -
Maintain separate data or a Priority List of Griffin Utilities power-dependent individual customers.
Consider adding Power-Dependent Individual Services to the current Priority List; and at a heightened state such as major medical facilities, nursing homes, and hospices.
H. Scheduled Outages - Advance notice of scheduled outages/rolling blackouts for power-dependent individual customers.
Help us advocate to PPP (PROTECT POWER-DEPENDENT PATIENTS); for some of the most vulnerable on local and state levels.
Please sign this Petition.
How it will be delivered
In person or press conference.