We've all been told to check our fire alarms when we change the clocks. Well, it's time to check our appointment of Health Care Agent or Health Care proxy during benefits season.
The reasons for a health care agent are that hospital, insurers, and every health services provider inbetween will use HIPAA as a means of thwarting attempts to assist you when you get sick and are determined to be unable to make decisions for yourself.
Such decisions range from the simple access to insurance company personnel to get reimbursements to the drama of end of life decisions.
Many states have a STATUTORY form that you can use that is good within your own state. You can modify these forms for your own use, get them witnessed and notarized and make sure your health agent has the original and that copies are distributed. If you decide to keep your original, make sure your health agent knows where it is since he or she will need it to make decisions for you. Retaining the original and letting people know where it is will work in the event your alternate health care agent needs to present the document.
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