The ComEd medical certification form is what Illinois residential customers use to stop a pending electric shutoff when someone in the household has a medical condition that losing power would worsen. You download the form, have a licensed physician or your local board of health sign it, and fax or mail it back to ComEd. Once accepted, it blocks disconnection for 60 days and sets up a structured payment plan for the past-due balance.1Legal Information Institute. Illinois Code tit 83 – 280.160 Medical Certification
Who the Form Protects
Under Illinois Administrative Code Title 83, Section 280.160, a residential customer can block a pending disconnection if someone living at the service address has a medical condition that would be aggravated by losing electricity, or if losing power would create a medical emergency for that person.1Legal Information Institute. Illinois Code tit 83 – 280.160 Medical Certification The patient does not have to be the account holder. They just need to actually live at the address on the bill.
The regulation does not spell out qualifying diagnoses. Reliance on electrically powered equipment such as oxygen concentrators, CPAP machines, or nebulizers is a common basis, as are conditions where an unheated or uncooled home would be dangerous. The certifying provider decides whether losing power poses a real health risk.
Who Can Sign It
Only two categories of certifying parties count under the rule: a licensed physician, or a local board of health.1Legal Information Institute. Illinois Code tit 83 – 280.160 Medical Certification Physician assistants and nurse practitioners are not listed as authorized signers. If the provider you normally see is not a licensed physician, ask their supervising physician to sign, or contact your local board of health.
Where to Get the Form
The form is posted as a PDF through the Illinois Commerce Commission’s filing system.2Illinois Commerce Commission. ComEd Medical Certification Form ComEd also hosts a medical certification page on its website. If you can’t get to either, call ComEd customer service at 1-800-334-7661 and ask for a copy to be mailed.
Filling It Out
The form has three sections. Incomplete or unreadable entries are the fastest way to get it kicked back, so pull out your most recent ComEd bill before you start.
Customer Information
Enter your ComEd account number exactly as printed on the bill, and the full service address tied to that account.2Illinois Commerce Commission. ComEd Medical Certification Form An address that doesn’t match the account will slow processing. Print clearly. Faxed handwriting that staff can’t read is a routine reason forms get rejected.
Patient Information
Write the full legal name of the household member whose condition requires uninterrupted service. That person must actually reside at the service address.1Legal Information Institute. Illinois Code tit 83 – 280.160 Medical Certification
Physician or Medical Professional Information
The certifying physician enters their name, license number, and office phone number, then signs the statement confirming that cutting electric service at the listed address will aggravate an existing condition or create a serious risk of medical complications.2Illinois Commerce Commission. ComEd Medical Certification Form An unsigned form has no legal weight. Make sure the license number is legible, because ComEd may call the office to verify.
Submitting It to ComEd
Once the physician has signed, send the form to ComEd one of two ways:2Illinois Commerce Commission. ComEd Medical Certification Form
- Fax to 1-888-806-2273. This is the fastest option when a disconnection date is close. Keep the confirmation page as proof.
- Mail to ComEd, P.O. Box 805379, Chicago, IL 60680-5379. Mail is slower, so save it for situations where shutoff isn’t imminent. Certified mail gives you a delivery receipt.
After you send it, check your account status online or call 1-800-334-7661 to confirm the certificate was received and processed. A failed fax or a lost letter can leave you without power while you assume everything went through.
What the Certificate Actually Does
A valid certificate protects the account from disconnection for 60 days from the date of certification.1Legal Information Institute. Illinois Code tit 83 – 280.160 Medical Certification During that window, ComEd cannot shut off your electricity for non-payment. You still owe for the power you use. The certificate pauses collection, not the meter.
Thirty days into the certification period, a medical payment arrangement automatically starts.3Illinois Legal Aid Online. How to Prevent a Shut Off by the Utility Company You pay one-twelfth of the total overdue balance as the first installment, then spread the rest across 11 equal monthly payments added to your regular bills. Missing installments can jeopardize the protection, so plan for that first payment before day 30.
If Your Power Is Already Off
A medical certificate can also get service back on after a shutoff, but only if you submit it within 14 days of the disconnection date. When ComEd receives a valid certificate inside that window, it must restore electricity within one day.1Legal Information Institute. Illinois Code tit 83 – 280.160 Medical Certification The utility cannot treat you as a new applicant, meaning no new deposit or application fee just because the power was cut.
The 60-day protection clock does not start until service is actually back on, so you get the full period even if reconnection takes a couple of days. Past 14 days, the medical certificate route is closed and you’ll need to work out standard reconnection with ComEd.
Renewing After 60 Days
If the medical condition continues past 60 days, a new certificate is possible, but the rules tighten. The account qualifies for a new medical certificate only after one of two things happens: the account balance is brought current, or 12 months have passed since the start of the earlier certification.1Legal Information Institute. Illinois Code tit 83 – 280.160 Medical Certification You can’t stack certificates back to back indefinitely. The 60 days are meant to give you time to set up a payment plan and pursue assistance.
If ComEd Rejects the Certificate
If ComEd rejects the certificate or you believe the utility isn’t honoring it correctly, start with an informal complaint to the Illinois Commerce Commission. The informal step is required before you can file a formal complaint.4Illinois Commerce Commission. File a Complaint Call 1-800-524-0795 (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), file online through the ICC website, or write to the Illinois Commerce Commission at 527 East Capitol Ave, Springfield, IL 62701. Consumer counselors generally work to resolve complaints within one to 14 days. Contact the ICC while you still have power. Reconnection is always harder than prevention.
Help Paying What You Owe
The certificate buys time but doesn’t erase the balance. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) can help pay utility costs directly. For the 2026 program year, a household of four with annual income at or below $76,884 may qualify.5Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. How To Apply – Utility Bill Assistance Applications are open from October 1, 2025 through August 15, 2026, or until funding is exhausted. Households already disconnected or with a disconnect notice within seven days get priority access starting October 1. Apply at helpillinoisfamilies.com or call 1-833-711-0374.