The Ins and Outs of a Health Care Power of Attorney
While thinking and preparing for health problems you might face is never fun, you should plan ahead to prevent further complications.
Once you decide to address this topic, you need to get familiar with the necessary forms—advance health care directive, living will, and health care power of attorney (POA).
This article provides explanations regarding the last item on this list and shows you an efficient way to prepare this document.
What Is a Power of Attorney for Health Care?
A health care power of attorney is a legal document that lets you grant a person—i.e., your health care agent—powers to make medical decisions on your behalf in case you cannot speak for yourself.
This document is also known under the following names:
- Medical power of attorney—You should not confuse a health care or medical POA with a financial power of attorney
- Health care proxy—While, in some states, a health care POA and proxy refer to the same form, some U.S. states distinguish between these two documents
- Living will—You should consult your state laws to determine whether preparing a power of attorney for health care is sufficient, or you also need to create a living will
Keep in mind that a (durable) health care power of attorney form is often part of a more comprehensive document—an advance directive.
What Powers To Delegate in a Form for Power of Attorney for Health Care
Since you need to specify what powers you are granting to your health care agent, you should cover the following:
- Health care you want to receive, including medical treatments, drug administration, or surgery
- Medical providers to oversee your medical treatments
- Health care facilities where you would like to receive medical care
- Artificial administration of fluids and food
- (Do not) resuscitate orders
Who To Choose for an Agent in a Health Care Power of Attorney
When creating a power of attorney for health care, you should appoint the right person as your health care agent since:
- You will grant them powers to authorize or withhold medical treatment for you
- They will give instructions to your physician or other health care providers
That is why you should select a person who is reliable and who will understand and respect your wishes.
While you need to check your state legislation regarding certain restrictions, in most cases, you can pick your:
- Sibling
- Parent
- Spouse
- Relative
- Close friend
How To Write a Power of Attorney for Health Care
If you are not sure how to prepare a health care power of attorney, take a look at some options presented in the following table:
| How To Create a Power of Attorney for Health Care | What To Pay Attention To |
|---|---|
| Hire a lawyer | While attorneys can draw up any legal document, you need to be aware that this might be the most expensive choice |
| Do it on your own | You can find a free medical power of attorney template online, but you should keep in mind that some are too generic, and you will need to:
|
| You should use our affordable yet efficient robot lawyer to create a health care power of attorney for you in a matter of minutes |
DoNotPay Generates a Power of Attorney for Health Care Automatically
Our AI-powered app can help you:
- Make the necessary medical care decisions by providing you with an airtight health care power of attorney
- Save time, energy, and money you need to spend if you choose to hire a lawyer or prepare the document by yourself
What do you need to do? and:
- Access the Advance Health Care Directive product
- Enter your agent’s name and health care wishes
- Specify the:
- Powers you are delegating to your agent
- Medical treatments you (don’t) authorize
- Provide the names of the witnesses
Keep in mind that some states require you to have this document notarized. DoNotPay can also help with this aspect by connecting you with an online notary public.
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