What is a Medical Decision Maker and how do I pick one?

A legal Medical Decision Maker (also called a Medical Power of Attorney or Surrogate Decision Maker or Healthcare Agent) is someone you legally empower to make medical decisions for you if you are ever in a health condition where you’re unable to make those decisions yourself. It’s important to pick someone who would make decisions that you would want and that may not always be the person closest to you.

A Medical Power of Attorney form is a document that needs to be filled out, witnessed, notarized and distributed for it to have legal protection and authority (Koda's Care Plans include this component). The person (or persons) you pick as your Medical Power of Attorney must know you have picked them and understand what the role requires them to do. The person you pick must be a willing participant. Your Medical Power of Attorney does not have to be related to you but it is helpful if it is someone local to you. If you do not pick a Medical Power of Attorney ahead of time, your state’s law may determine who will speak for you.