Attorney Jeffrey P. Coleman describes why an advanced medical directive is an important part of your estate plan. He also clarifies the role of a Health Care Power of Attorney.
Video Transcript:
An advanced medical directive is a document that tells your medical providers in advance what your wishes might be if certain events occur; for instance, you can designate someone who can provide input to the doctors and give them that authority similar to a Power of Attorney but designated as a Health Care Power of Attorney; you can also identify under what circumstances you would want extraordinary life-extending procedures terminated, for instance: under the terms of the living will, if you became incapacitated and there was no likelihood of further recovery and you were basically in a coma or what the law calls a “persistent vegetative state”, the living will would allow the doctors or advise the doctors in advance that under that circumstance you would wish that extraordinary life support efforts be terminated.