Advanced directives are an important tool for estate planning because they allow individuals to make important decisions about their healthcare and end-of-life care in advance. They also give family members and healthcare providers clear instructions about what the individual would want in the event that they are unable to make decisions for themselves.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) restricts medical providers from providing information regarding your healthcare to others. In fact, a parent of a person that has just become 18 and is incapacitated due to an injury or illness, will not be able to get information from their child's healthcare providers due to the strict restrictions and fines imposed by the act. Having an advanced directive and nominating a healthcare agent, will keep a family from having to get the court to designate an agent for that person.
One of the key benefits of advanced directives is that they can help prevent family members from having to make difficult decisions about medical treatments during a time of crisis. For example, if an individual has a living will, it will clearly state what types of medical treatments they would want to receive or not receive if they were in a coma or otherwise unable to make decisions for themselves. This can prevent family members from having to make difficult decisions about whether or not to prolong the individual's life through artificial means.
Advanced directives can also help prevent family members from disagreeing about what the individual would want. For example, if an individual has a healthcare power of attorney, it will name a specific person to make medical decisions on their behalf if they are unable to do so. This can prevent family members from disagreeing about who should make decisions for the individual and can ensure that the individual's wishes are respected.
Advanced directives also protect an individual's privacy and autonomy. They allow individuals to make decisions about their healthcare and end-of-life care in advance, which ensures that their wishes are respected and that they maintain control over their own bodies.
In addition to these benefits, advanced directives can also be a cost-effective way to plan for the future. If an individual has a living will or advanced directive, it can help ensure that they are not kept alive through artificial means if they are unlikely to recover. This can prevent unnecessary medical expenses and can help ensure that the individual's assets are used for their own care rather than being spent on medical treatments that will not benefit them.
**None of the information provided here is intended as legal advice and no attorney-client relationship is formed between us until we have a formal written and signed agreement.**
