The DTE medical hold form — officially the Medical Certification Form — lets a Michigan residential customer postpone or reverse a shutoff when someone in the household has a medical condition that would worsen without gas or electric service. It has three sections (patient, account holder, and physician or public health official), and DTE processes a completed submission within one business day.1DTE Energy. Medical Certification Form Once approved, the hold prevents disconnection for at least 21 days.
Which Protection You’re Applying For
The same form covers two different categories under Michigan law, and the category sets how long your hold runs and how often you have to renew.
A medical emergency is a condition of the customer or a household member that would be aggravated by loss of service. A physician or public health official has to certify it.2Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 460.9s – Postponement of Service Shutoff Protection runs in 21-day blocks, up to 63 days in a 12-month period per household member.
A critical care customer is someone who depends on home medical equipment or a life-support system where loss of power would be immediately life-threatening. A physician or medical facility must document the specific equipment.2Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 460.9s – Postponement of Service Shutoff Critical care status is renewed annually, though DTE still requires a fresh form each year.1DTE Energy. Medical Certification Form
If a household uses both types of protection in the same year, the combined extensions cannot exceed 126 days.2Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 460.9s – Postponement of Service Shutoff
Filling Out the Three Sections
Download the current form from the billing and payment assistance area of DTE’s website, or ask DTE to send you one. Every field is required unless marked otherwise, and incomplete or illegible forms are not processed.1DTE Energy. Medical Certification Form
Section 1: Patient Information
This identifies the person in the household whose health is at risk. You’ll give the patient’s name, their relationship to the account holder, and the nature of the medical situation. If the patient is under 18, a legal parent or guardian fills out this section and signs on the patient’s behalf.1DTE Energy. Medical Certification Form
Section 2: Account Holder Information
The person named on the DTE account completes this part, whether or not they’re also the patient. You’ll need the DTE account number from a recent bill, your full name, the service address, a phone number, and an email.1DTE Energy. Medical Certification Form
Section 3: Physician or Public Health Official Certification
This is the section that carries the legal weight. Only a physician or public health official can complete it; Michigan law limits certification authority to those professionals.2Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 460.9s – Postponement of Service Shutoff The certifier provides name, title, license number, business address, phone, and fax.1DTE Energy. Medical Certification Form
The certification itself must name three things: the medical condition, any medical or life-support equipment the patient uses, and the specific period during which a shutoff would aggravate the condition.3Legal Information Institute. Michigan Administrative Code R 460.130 – Medical Emergency Generic language like “patient needs electricity for health reasons” gets forms sent back. The physician should write the diagnosis, explain why service is medically necessary, and name any equipment.
How to Submit the Form
DTE accepts the completed form two ways: through the Document Submission Portal on its website, or by email to MedicalHold@dteenergy.com.4DTE Energy. General Assistance Include a copy of valid identification along with the form.1DTE Energy. Medical Certification Form
If a shutoff notice is already pending, the completed form must reach DTE within three business days to keep service on.1DTE Energy. Medical Certification Form DTE’s own processing time is one business day, so the slow step is usually getting the physician’s section signed. Call the doctor’s office, explain the deadline, and ask them to prioritize a one-page certification.
If Your Service Has Already Been Disconnected
A medical certification still works after a shutoff. Under Michigan law, the utility must restore service for up to 21 days once it receives a valid certification, with additional 21-day extensions available up to 63 days in a 12-month period per household member.2Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 460.9s – Postponement of Service Shutoff DTE’s form confirms that service is restored where applicable once the hold is approved.1DTE Energy. Medical Certification Form
How Long the Hold Lasts and How to Renew It
An approved medical emergency certification postpones shutoff for 21 days. To extend, submit a fresh certification; each extension needs a new sign-off from the physician or public health official confirming the emergency is ongoing. The hard ceiling is 63 days in any 12-month period per household member.3Legal Information Institute. Michigan Administrative Code R 460.130 – Medical Emergency
Critical care renewal runs on an annual cycle instead, but you still have to send a new Medical Certification Form every year to keep the protection active.1DTE Energy. Medical Certification Form Don’t wait for the anniversary date. Book the renewal visit a couple of weeks early so the account doesn’t drop back into standard collections.
The Bill Still Comes Due
A hold stops a shutoff. It does not pause or forgive the bill. Michigan’s administrative rules say plainly that nothing in the medical emergency rule relieves a customer of the obligation to pay for service.5Michigan Administrative Rules. R 460.101 to R 460.169 – Utility Consumer Standards and Billing Practices For critical care customers, DTE can also require a reasonable payment plan for any past-due balance.
If payment is the real problem, the hold period is the window to set up a plan. Michigan rules require utilities to allow at least two documented payment arrangements on undisputed balances, with terms that reflect ability to pay, the size of the debt, and how long it has been outstanding.5Michigan Administrative Rules. R 460.101 to R 460.169 – Utility Consumer Standards and Billing Practices When the medical protection runs out, an unpaid balance puts you back where you started.
The Hold Does Not Prevent Outages
The form itself warns that if utility service is a necessity, the customer must make other arrangements for on-site backup or alternatives in case of service loss.1DTE Energy. Medical Certification Form The hold blocks a billing-related disconnection. It cannot stop a storm outage, grid work, or equipment failure. For a ventilator, oxygen concentrator, or similar device, battery backup or a generator is the safety net the certification cannot provide.
If DTE Denies the Hold
If DTE rejects a certification for any reason, you can escalate to the Michigan Public Service Commission. The MPSC’s Customer Assistance division handles utility complaints and can review whether the utility followed the administrative rules.
File a complaint online through the MPSC complaint form, or call 800-292-9555 or 517-284-8100, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.6Michigan Public Service Commission. Contact Us Have your DTE account number, the denied form, and the certifying physician’s name ready before you call.