Appendix Health-care Power of Attorney and Combined Advance Directive Legislation
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Appendix HEALTH-CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY AND COMBINED ADVANCE DIRECTIVE LEGISLATION
SELECTED FEATURES COMPARED: DECEMBER 2009
Explanation: The descriptors in the chart are generalizations of statutory language and not quotations, so the statutes must be consulted for precise meaning. All states limit appointed agent's from acting over the objection of the principal, unless otherwise noted in the column under Limits on Agent's Powers.
Abbreviations:
LW = Living Will
DPA = Durable Power of Attorney
UHCDA = Uniform Health Care Decisions Act.
POLST = Physician Order for Life sustaining Treatment, or similar protocol
STATE | TYPE | PROVIDES FORM | LIMITS ON AGENT'S POWERS | PROHIBITED AGENTS |
1. alabama Ala. Stat. §§ 22-8A-2 to -14 (West 2007). Natural Death Act | Combined Advance Directive [Modeled on UHCDA] | YES Must be substantially followed | • Mental health facility admission and treatments • Psycho-surgery • Sterilization • Abortion | • Indiv. Provider* *Exception for relatives employed by the provider |
See also Durable Power of Attorney Act, § 26-1-2 Separate LW Statute: NO | • Pregnancy limitation • Nutrition & hydration—refusal permitted if expressly authorized |
FORMALITIES OF EXECUTION | PROHIBITED WITNESSES Note: "Provider" includes employees of provider | REGISTRY FOR ADVANCE DIRECTIVES | OUT-OF-STATE DIRECTIVES RECOGNIZED | POLST PROTOCOL STATEWIDE |
• 2 or more witnesses age 19 or older | • Minor = 18 • Agent • Proxy signor • Relative/Spouse • Heir/Beneficiary • Person responsible for care costs | YES |
STATE | TYPE | PROVIDES FORM | LIMITS ON AGENT'S POWERS | PROHIBITED AGENTS |
2. alaska Alaska Stat. §§ 13.52.010 to -.395 (West 2007). Health Care Decisions Act Separate LW Statute: NO | Combined Advance Directive [Modeled on UHCDA] plus incorporates mental health directive | yes Optional | • Psycho-surgery* • Sterilization* • Abortion* • Removal of bodily organs* • Temporary admission to mental health facility* • Electro-convulsive therapy* • Psychotropic mediation* • Life-sustaining procedures* • Pregnancy limitation *Consent/refusal permitted only if expressly authorized. | • Facility provider* *Exception for relatives |
3. arizona Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 36-3201 to -3262 (West 2007). | Combined Advance Directive | yes Optional | None specified | None specified |
FORMALITIES OF EXECUTION | PROHIBITED WITNESSES Note: "Provider" includes employees of provider | REGISTRY FOR ADVANCE DIRECTIVES | OUT-OF-STATE DIRECTIVES RECOGNIZED | POLST PROTOCOL STATEWIDE |
• 2 witness or notarized | • Agent • Facility provider One may not be: • Relative/Spouse • Heir/Beneficiary | YES | ||
• 1 witness or notarized | • Agent • Provider If only one witness, person may not be: • Relative/Spouse • Heir/Beneficiary | YES |
STATE | TYPE | PROVIDES FORM | LIMITS ON AGENT'S POWERS | PROHIBITED AGENTS |
4. arkansas Ark. Code Ann. § 20-13-104 (2007). Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Act See also Ark. Code Ann. § 20-17-201 to -218 (proxy appointment in Living Will Declaration) | Special DPA | NO (But proxy appointment in Living Will Declaration does have optional form) | • Life-sustaining treatment—unless the DPA incorporates a proxy authorization from the Living Will Declaration statute, § 20-17202 • Pregnancy limitation | None specified |
5. california Cal. Prob. Code §§ 4600-4948 806 (West 2007). Separate LW Statute: NO | Combined Advance Directive | YES Optional | • Civil commitment • Electro-convulsive therapy • Psycho-surgery • Sterilization • Abortion | • Supervising Indiv. Provider* • Facility Provider* • Conservator—unless conditions are met. *Exception for relatives who are employees of. |
FORMALITIES OF EXECUTION | PROHIBITED WITNESSES Note: "Provider" includes employees of provider | REGISTRY FOR ADVANCE DIRECTIVES | OUT-OF-STATE DIRECTIVES RECOGNIZED | POLST PROTOCOL STATEWIDE |
• 2 witnesses | None specified | YES, if part of a (living will) declaration | ||
• 2 witnesses or notarized • Special institutional requirements | • Agent • Indiv. Provider • Facility Provider One may not be: • Relative/Spouse • Heir/Beneficiary | YES §§ 4800-4802 | YES | YES Cal. Probate Code §§ 4780-4785 (8/4/08) "Physician Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment" |
STATE | TYPE | PROVIDES FORM | LIMITS ON AGENT'S POWERS | PROHIBITED AGENTS |
6. colorado Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 15-14-503 to -509 (West 2007). Colorado Patient Autonomy Act See also §§ 15-14-501 to -502 and §§ 15-14-601 to -611 re DPA Separate LW Statute: Colo. Rev. Stat. §§15-18-101 to -113. | Special DPA | NO | None specified | None specified |
FORMALITIES OF EXECUTION | PROHIBITED WITNESSES Note: "Provider" includes employees of provider | REGISTRY FOR ADVANCE DIRECTIVES | OUT-OF-STATE DIRECTIVES RECOGNIZED | POLST PROTOCOL STATEWIDE |
None specified | N/A | YES |
STATE | TYPE | PROVIDES FORM | LIMITS ON AGENT'S POWERS | PROHIBITED AGENTS |
7. connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 19a-570 to -580d (West 2007). See also §§ 1-43 et seq. (2007) (statutory short form DPA) and § 1-56r (designation of person for decision making). Separate LW Statute: NO | Combined Advance Directive | yes Optional | None specified (but authority is described as authority to "convey" principal's wishes, rather than to make decisions for principal.) • Pregnancy limitation | • Facility Provider* • Attending physician • Administrator or employee of gov't agency financially responsible for care* *Exception for relatives |
8. delaware Del. Code Ann. tit. 16, §§ 2501-2518 (2007). Separate LW Statute: NO | Combined Advance Directive [Modeled on UHCDA] | yes Optional | • Pregnancy limitation | • Residential LTC Facility Provider* *Exception for relatives |
FORMALITIES OF EXECUTION | PROHIBITED WITNESSES Note: "Provider" includes employees of provider | REGISTRY FOR ADVANCE DIRECTIVES | OUT-OF-STATE DIRECTIVES RECOGNIZED | POLST PROTOCOL STATEWIDE |
• 2 witnesses • Special institutional requirements | • Agent | Not Addressed | ||
• 2 witnesses • Special institutional requirements | • Facility provider • Relative/Spouse • Heir/Beneficiary • Creditor • Person responsible for care costs | YES |
STATE | TYPE | PROVIDES FORM | LIMITS ON AGENT'S POWERS | PROHIBITED AGENTS |
9. district of columbia D.C. Code §§ 21-2201 to -2213 (2007). Separate LW Statute: D.C. Code §§ 7-621 to -630 (2007). | Special DPA | yes Optional | • Decision to medicate defendant to render him/her competent to stand trial | • Indiv. Provider • Facility Provider |
10. florida Fla. Stat. Ann. §§ 765.101 to -.404 (West 2007). Separate LW Statute: NO | Combined Advance Directive | yes Optional | • Mental health facility admission* • Electro-convulsive therapy* • Psycho-surgery* • Sterilization* • Abortion* • Experimental treatments not approved by IRB* • Life-sustaining procedures while pregnant* • Pregnancy limitation* *Consent/refusal permissible if expressly authorized | None specified |
FORMALITIES OF EXECUTION | PROHIBITED WITNESSES Note: "Provider" includes employees of provider | REGISTRY FOR ADVANCE DIRECTIVES | OUT-OF-STATE DIRECTIVES RECOGNIZED | POLST PROTOCOL STATEWIDE |
• 2 witnesses | • Principal • Individual Provider • Facility Provider One may not be • Relative/Spouse or Heir/Beneficiary | Not Addressed | ||
• 2 witnesses | • Agent One may not be • Relative/Spouse | YES |
STATE | TYPE | PROVIDES FORM | LIMITS ON AGENT'S POWERS | PROHIBITED AGENTS |
11. georgia Ga. Code Ann. §§ 31-36-1 to -13 (West 2008). Separate LW Statute: NO | Combined Advance Directive | YES Optional | • Mental health facility admission or treatment (incl. mental retardation or addiction) • Psycho-surgery • Sterilization • Pregnancy limitation | • Indiv. Provider directly or indirectly involved |
12. hawaii Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 327E-1 to -16 (2007). See also Haw. Rev. Stat. § 551D-2.5 re DPA for health care Separate LW Statute: NO | Combined Advance Directive [Modeled on UHCDA] | YES Optional | None specified | • Facility Provider* *Exception for relatives |
13. idaho Idaho Code Ann. §§ 39-4501 to -4509 (West 2007), specifically § 39-4505. Separate LW Statute: NO | Combined Advance Directive | YES Optional | • Pregnancy limitation | • Indiv. Provider* • Community Care Facility Provider* *Exception for relatives who are employees of. |
FORMALITIES OF EXECUTION | PROHIBITED WITNESSES Note: "Provider" includes employees of provider | REGISTRY FOR ADVANCE DIRECTIVES | OUT-OF-STATE DIRECTIVES RECOGNIZED | POLST PROTOCOL STATEWIDE |
• 2 witnesses • Special institutional requirements | • Agent • Heir/Beneficiary • Indiv. Provider One may not be • Institutional provider | YES | ||
• 2 witnesses or notarized | • Indiv. provider • Facility provider • Agent One may not be • Relative/ Spouse • Heir/ Beneficiary | YES | ||
• 2 witnesses or notarized | • Agent • Indiv. Provider • Community Care • Facility One may not be • Relative/Spouse or Heir/Beneficiary | YES § 39-4515 | Not Addressed | YES |
STATE | TYPE | PROVIDES FORM | LIMITS ON AGENT'S POWERS | PROHIBITED AGENTS |
14. illinois 755 ILL. Comp. Stat. 45/4-1 to 4-12 (West 2007). Separate LW Statute: 755 Ill. Comp. Stat. 35/1 to 35/10. | Special DPA | yes Optional | None specified | • Indiv. Provider |
15. indiana Ind. Code §§ 30-5-1-1 to 30-5-5-19 (2007), specifically §§ 30-5-5-16 and -17, and Ind. Code §§ 16-36-1-1 to -19, specifically §§ 16-36-1-6 and -7. Separate LW Statute: Ind. Code Ann. §§ 16-36-4-1 to -21 Ind. Code Ann. §§ 16-36-1-1 to -14 (West 2007). | General DPA with health powers. Health Care Consent Statute including appointment of health care representative | NO But mandatory language for authority re life-sustaining treatment (§ 30-5-5-17) NO But mandatory language above is... |
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