Imagine you're in an accident or facing a serious medical emergency and you're unable to communicate with your doctors.
Who gets to make decisions about your care?
Many people assume that a spouse, adult child, parent, or other close family member will automatically be able to step in and make every medical decision for them.
But without proper planning, your family may not have the authority—or the information—they need to make important decisions on your behalf.
That's where medical planning comes in.
What Is Medical Planning?
Medical planning is the process of making your healthcare wishes known and putting the appropriate legal documents in place before you need them.
A medical plan can help address questions such as:
- Who should make medical decisions for me if I cannot?
- What kind of medical treatment do I want?
- What if I am unable to communicate with my doctors?
- Who should have access to my healthcare information?
- What are my wishes regarding end-of-life care?
- What happens if my condition changes?
The goal isn't to predict the future.
It's to make sure your wishes are known if you can't speak for yourself.
Who Makes Medical Decisions If You Can't?
If you are unable to make or communicate your own healthcare decisions, someone else may need to step in.
Without appropriate planning, your loved ones may face uncertainty about who can make decisions and what you would have wanted.
Creating a healthcare directive or other appropriate medical-planning documents allows you to identify the person you trust to help make decisions on your behalf and provide guidance about your wishes.
Choosing Your Healthcare Decision-Maker
The person you choose should be someone you trust to:
- Understand your wishes
- Communicate with doctors and healthcare providers
- Make difficult decisions under pressure
- Advocate for your interests
- Respect your values and preferences
- Act when you are unable to speak for yourself
This person doesn't necessarily have to be your spouse or closest relative.
The most important question is: Who do you trust to make the decision you would make?
What Is a Healthcare Power of Attorney?
A healthcare power of attorney, sometimes called a medical power of attorney, allows you to designate someone to make healthcare decisions for you when you are unable to make or communicate those decisions yourself.
This can be an important part of a comprehensive medical plan.
Your chosen agent may need to communicate with healthcare providers, understand your condition, consider your wishes, and make decisions based on the authority you've given them.
Without clear instructions, your loved ones may be left trying to figure out what you would have wanted during an already stressful situation.
What Is an Advance Healthcare Directive?
An advance healthcare directive can allow you to communicate your wishes about future medical care.
Depending on the document and your circumstances, it may address your preferences regarding treatment if you become unable to communicate or make decisions.
This can be especially important when decisions involve serious or life-threatening medical conditions.
The purpose isn't necessarily to predict every possible medical situation.
Instead, it provides guidance for the people who may have to make decisions for you.
What About End-of-Life Decisions?
End-of-life care can be one of the most difficult subjects for families to discuss.
But avoiding the conversation doesn't make these decisions go away.
It may simply leave your loved ones to make them without knowing what you would have wanted.
Medical planning gives you an opportunity to think through your preferences ahead of time and communicate them to the people you trust.
Your wishes may involve questions about:
- Life-sustaining treatment
- Artificial nutrition and hydration
- Resuscitation
- Pain management
- Comfort-focused care
- Other significant medical treatments
Your attorney can help explain the legal documents available to you and how they fit into your overall estate and medical plan.
Medical Planning Isn't Just for Older Adults
One of the biggest misconceptions about medical planning is that it's only something older adults need.
It's not.
A serious accident or unexpected medical emergency can happen to anyone.
A young adult may need someone to make healthcare decisions after an accident. A parent may want to make sure their wishes are clear. A business owner may need a plan in case an unexpected medical event prevents them from managing their affairs.
You don't create a medical plan because you expect something to happen. You create one because you know you can't predict what will happen.
Your Family Shouldn't Have to Guess
Imagine two different scenarios.
In the first, your family is suddenly faced with a medical emergency and has no idea what you would want. They may disagree about the right decision, struggle to understand your wishes, or face uncertainty about who should speak with your doctors.
In the second, you've already chosen someone you trust, documented your wishes, and talked with your family about your plan.
The emergency may still be difficult—but your family has direction.
That's the value of planning.
Keep Your Medical Plan Up to Date
Creating medical planning documents is important, but keeping them current is just as important.
You may want to review your plan after major life events such as:
- Marriage
- Divorce
- Birth or adoption of a child
- Death of your chosen decision-maker
- A major change in your health
- A change in your wishes
- Moving to another state
You should also make sure the people you've chosen know about your plan and know where to find your documents.
How Does Medical Planning Fit Into Your Estate Plan?
Medical planning is often discussed alongside estate planning because both are designed to prepare for the unexpected.
But they address different questions.
Estate planning asks: What happens to my assets and affairs?
Medical planning asks: What happens to me if I can't make healthcare decisions for myself?
A comprehensive plan may address both.
Depending on your circumstances, your overall planning may include:
- A will
- A revocable living trust
- Financial powers of attorney
- Healthcare decision-making documents
- Advance healthcare directives
- Beneficiary designations
- Asset protection planning
- Business succession planning
The right combination depends on your family, your assets, and your goals.
Start the Conversation Before There's a Crisis
Medical decisions can be difficult enough without adding uncertainty about who should make them.
Taking the time to create a medical plan now can give you greater control over your healthcare decisions and give your family clearer guidance if the unexpected happens.
At Allies Law Firm, our attorneys help Utah individuals and families with medical planning, estate planning, powers of attorney, trusts, and other tools designed to protect you and the people you love.
You can't always control what happens to you. But you can take steps to make sure your wishes are known.
Plan ahead. Choose someone you trust. Make your wishes clear.