Medical Power of Attorney
Purpose
When you grant someone medical power of attorney, you are authorizing them to make certain decision on your behalf regarding your medical treatment.
Parties
You – As the principal of this document, you are authorizing your agent to make decisions regarding your health care treatment.
Agent – The agent is the person you choose to make the decisions on your behalf.
Attributes
Complexity: 8/10 – This document is more complex than an advance directive because it implicates a broader range of medical decisions that can be made on your behalf and involves another person making those decisions in your best interest. You should consult your physician to better understand the medical decisions that could be made for you.
Privacy: 10/10 – This document does not become public record.
Control: 8/10 – While you can be very specific about what decisions your agent can and can’t make, you are still giving someone else authorization to make medical decisions on your behalf. You should only grant this authorization to someone you trust to serve your best interests.
Our Self-Help Medical Power of Attorney form with instructions is available for purchase and download.