Health Care Directive Vs Medical Power Of Attorney

Power of attorney versus health care directive.

Health care directive vs medical power of attorney.

The advance directive serves as a blue print to your preferred health decisions. Clearly outline how the person charged with power of attorney is to proceed with your health care choices. A medical or health care power of attorney is a type of advance directive in which you name a person to make decisions for you when you are unable to do so. In some states this directive may also be called a durable power of attorney for health care or a health care proxy.

Medical power of attorney designates a person. Advance directives generally fall into three categories. Enacting only a durable power of attorney may leave you at the behest of the decision making of your elected representative. As stated earlier the medical power of attorney takes effect when your attending physician certifies in writing that you are incapacitated and cannot make health care decisions for yourself.

A medical power of attorney will focus only on health related decisions and will be written according to the exact specifications of the individual making the directive. As referenced above the medical power of attorney gives your agent the right to make medical and health care decisions for you. A hipaa authorization a health care directive and a health care power of attorney can easily be confused because all three have to do with your permission about your medical care and medical information. Advance directive is the general term that refers to the various documents that could include a living will instruction directive health care proxy or health care power of attorney.

This is a written document that. Plus both health care directives aka living wills and health care powers of attorney are known as advance directives which only. Living will power of attorney and health care proxy. The term advance directives refers to treatment preferences and the designation of a surrogate decision maker in the event that a person should become unable to make medical decisions on her or his own behalf.