Medical Preparedness · Medical Devices and Power
Medical Devices and Power: a plan for every device that plugs in.
Five planning guides for households where health depends on electricity: sizing backup power, running a generator safely, registering with your utility, and deciding when to leave.
By Dan Whelan, founder of New World Survival
Researched from government agencies, university extension services, and other published sources. See our sources
Planning guidance, not medical advice. This section helps households prepare for medical continuity during disruptions. Work with your doctor, pharmacist, and specialist for your household's specific medical needs.
What this category covers
A power outage is a planning question with answers you can work out now.
HHS counts more than 3 million Medicare beneficiaries with claims for electricity-dependent medical equipment.1 For those households, the question during an outage is not whether the device matters but how long it can keep running and what happens next.
FDA's guidance starts with two calls: notify your electric company and fire department that you have a medical device that needs power, and ask your distributor or manufacturer whether the device can be used with batteries or a generator.2 The guides in this category pick up from there.
FDA also advises checking for water before plugging a device back in, never plugging in a wet cord or device, and confirming settings after power returns, since many devices reset to a default mode.2 Details like these belong in a written plan, not in memory.
What these guides do not cover
- Device settings or prescriptions. Your provider and the manufacturer handle those.
- Electrical wiring and transfer switches. Use a licensed electrician.
- Household backup power in depth: Energy
- Generator placement and carbon monoxide safety for the whole home: Generator and Backup Power Safety
Where to start
Four steps. One number starts all of them.
-
Find the wattage.
It is printed on the device label or in the manual. Every backup decision starts there.
Medical Devices and Power Outages -
Size and test a backup.
Ask the manufacturer what backup the device supports, then run a test before you need it.
Backup Batteries -
Write down when you will leave.
Decide your relocation point while the lights are on.
When to Relocate
Guides in this category
Five guides. From the first outage hour to the decision to leave.
Medical Devices and Power Outages
The four-step power plan for CPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, nebulizers, powered wheelchairs, and other equipment.
Read the guide
Backup Batteries and Portable Power
How to calculate watt-hours, what UPS units and portable power stations can do, and how to test the system before the outage.
Read the guide
Generator Safety for Medical Users
Siting, ventilation, and carbon monoxide monitoring when someone's health depends on the electricity a generator provides.
Read the guide
Utility Medical Programs
How to register life-sustaining equipment with your power company, what these programs offer, and what they do not guarantee.
Read the guide
When to Relocate
A decision framework for leaving before backup power runs out, plus a relocation checklist and where to go.
Read the guide
Related guides and buying help
Common questions
Planning questions, answered plainly.
Who should I tell that I use a powered medical device?
FDA recommends notifying your electric company and your local fire department that you have a medical device that needs power.2 Many utilities also run medical priority programs; what they offer varies by utility, so ask yours directly.
Can my medical device run on a battery or generator?
It depends on the device. FDA advises reading the user instructions or calling the distributor or manufacturer to find out whether it can be used with batteries or a generator.2 Once you know, the Backup Batteries guide shows how to size a battery from the device's wattage.
What should I check when the power comes back on?
FDA advises checking for water before plugging in, never plugging in a wet cord or device, and confirming that the device settings have not changed, since many devices reset to a default mode when power is interrupted.2
Sources
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HHS program site, About page. https://empowerprogram.hhs.gov/about.html. Accessed October 6, 2026.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Offers Tips about Medical Devices and Natural Disasters. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/emergency-situations-medical-devices/fda-offers-tips-about-medical-devices-and-natural-disasters. Accessed October 6, 2026.
Connected guides
Medical Devices and Power connects to the rest of your plan.
First Aid
The hands-on half: emergencies, wounds, burns, and the household kit.
Energy
Household backup power options in depth.
Generator and Backup Power Safety
Carbon monoxide and placement rules for every generator.
Power Outage
How outages unfold and how long they last.
With Medical Equipment at Home
Hazard planning for households that rely on equipment.
Refrigerated Medications
The other thing an outage puts at risk.