MPOA
There are more and more cases of medical kidnapping. Here are some notes I put together.
Ministers may want to put together information on how to create some protection for people. If you get put into a hospital you may want a MPOA in the hands of people you trust.
medical power of attorney form (MPOA) allows a person (“principal”) to select an agent to make health care decisions
When the individual checked themselves in in the video they empowered the hospital to make decisions about your health, care and living arrangements will be made by your care professional, the doctor or social worker who is in charge of your treatment or care.
You need to empower someone before that happens. Car accidents,injuries, being unconscious, etc may allow them to assume that power. You may need documents that can allow people to step in. If you go through more states you may need more than one form filled out and you may need to name more people in the event your first advocate is not available.
There are numerous free forms available but they may be state sensitive.
Here are the basic steps to make your medical POA:
- Decide who you want to be your healthcare agent. Your agent will have a lot of authority, so you should choose someone you trust to have your best interests at heart. It’s a good idea to speak to this person beforehand and make sure they’re willing to be your agent.
- Decide which healthcare decisions you want your agent to be able to make.
- Get a medical power of attorney form. Most states provide blank POA forms for free, but it’s not always easy to customize them or include detailed preferences. You can also use free online software to create a living will, which includes a healthcare power of attorney.
- Complete the form, and sign and witness it according to the laws in your state. In most states, you’re required to get your POA form notarized. Some states also require additional witnesses, or the signature of your agent.
- Give a copy of your medical POA form to your agent and other interested parties, like your medical office. Your agent will need to provide the form as proof of their position before they’re allowed to make any healthcare decisions for you.
- Keep your medical POA form in a safe place with your other estate-planning documents. This could be in a fireproof safe in your home, a safe deposit box, or at a trusted attorney’s office.
- Update your medical POA as your circumstances change.