Medical Directives

Medical Directives are sometimes called Living Wills, Advanced Directives, Personal Directives or Advanced Decisions. By any name, the purpose is the same: to allow you to define your medical care preferences in advance of a serious condition while you are of clear mind and able to articulate those preferences.

Our Medical Directives start at $45, fully stating your treatment preferences when you have a terminal condition or are persistently unconscious and are unable to make decisions. The price can go up to $65 with the addition of a Health Care Proxy to make medical decisions for you, in accordance with your stated wishes, and very specific anatomical gift (organ donation) preferences. Both are optional.

Before you start, please review these definitions, which will be in your final Medical Directive and describe the choices you'll be making momentarily.

Life-sustaining treatment means any medical procedure or intervention, including but not limited to the artificial administration of nutrition and hydration if the declarant has specifically authorized the withholding and withdrawal of artificially administered nutrition and hydration, that when administered to a qualifying patient would only serve to prolong the process of dying or to maintain the patient in a condition of persistent unconsciousness. The term 'life-sustaining treatment' shall not include the administration of medication or the performance of any medical treatment deemed necessary to alleviate pain nor the normal consumption of food and water.

Artificially supplied nutrition and hydration (or artificially administered food and water) means the provision of nutrients or fluids by a tube inserted in a vein, under the skin in the subcutaneous tissues, or in the stomach (gastrointestinal tract).

Comfort care means treatment, including prescription medication, provided to a patient for the sole purpose of alleviating pain, and does not include artificially administered food and water.

A terminal condition means an incurable and irreversible condition that, even with the administration of life-sustaining treatment, will, in the opinion of the attending physician and another physician, result in death within six (6) months. If you're found to have a terminal condition, you state:

Persistently unconscious means an irreversible condition, as determined by the attending physician and another physician, in which thought and awareness of self and environment are absent. If you're found to be persistently unconscious, you state:

There can be many more health decisions needed on a daily basis than aren't covered by these universally accepted standards you've designated so far. A Health Care Proxy can make those decisions for you, with your directives here still the final word. Please note, this person will have access to your medical records, if necessary, to help make informed decisions.

In addition to your state standing as an organ donor (designated on your driver's license in many states), you can make specific directives about your anatomical gifts here.