Medical Power of Attorney
What decisions can a Medical Power of Attorney make?
A Medical Power of Attorney is a document that names another person to make healthcare decisions for you if you cannot make them for yourself. You decide exactly what authority this person has, but here are some examples of what you may want to include in your Medical POA.
1. You certainly want this person to have the ability to communicate with your doctors to come up with a treatment plan.
2. You can give this person the power to authorize long-term care treatment, if needed. Sometimes the need for assisted living or a nursing home does not occur in an instant, so it’s a good idea to have this in place with someone you trust well ahead of time.
3. You probably want to allow your POA to access your medical records, just in case they are ever needed down the road. They may be necessary to provide to other doctors or hospitals or they may be necessary should a legal proceeding arise regarding your medical treatment.
There will likely come a time in all of our lives when we cannot do these things and make these decisions for ourselves. That’s when your POA can step in to handle these matters for you. Bauman Estate Planning has the experience necessary to create a Medical Power of Attorney that will be honored by doctors, hospitals, and other treatment facilities.
Why do I need a Power of Attorney now?
You probably don’t need anyone to make medical decisions for you right now. However, there is a very good chance that you will need someone to make decisions for you at some point in your life. The problem is that no one really knows when that time will come. This may happen suddenly, so you should not wait to have a Medical Power of Attorney in place. Once it’s too late, your loved ones could end up in a costly and invasive Guardianship Court case.
Everyone over age 18 should have a Medical POA, no matter your age or family situation. Don’t assume that your family will be able to make healthcare decisions for you without one. Don’t assume that your spouse and kids won’t need this document to take care of you when you really need them. Hospitals, doctors, and other healthcare providers could require this document for certain decisions. The cost of a Medical POA is minimal compared to the problems that could occur from not having one.
With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been more obvious just how important it is to have a Medical Power of Attorney. At Bauman Estate Planning, we make this process very simple. Don’t put this off any longer. None of us knows what the future holds. I can meet you at either of my 2 Louisville locations. We can also handle the entire process remotely if you prefer.
Here are some links to other Kentucky estate planning documents I can help you with:
General Durable Power of Attorney Financial Power of Attorney
Call Bauman Estate Planning today at (502) 267-7967 or click on the link at the top of the page to schedule a phone call or in-person meeting with Jason.