Healthcare Planning in Minneapolis
Incapacity Planning Assistance in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Throughout Minnesota
A debilitating illness or injury can strike at any time. Adults of all ages and health conditions should consider what would happen to them if they were suddenly hospitalized and not able to communicate.
Our experienced estate planning attorneys at Guttman Law can assist you with all matters of healthcare planning in Minneapolis. We can assist you with executing advanced healthcare directives, completing HIPAA authorizations, and more. Our Minneapolis healthcare planning lawyers understand that it can be unpleasant to plan for incapacity and strives to make the process as efficient and painless as possible.
Schedule a free initial consultation to learn more about how we can assist you with healthcare planning. Call (612) 324-4055 or contact us online today!
Advanced Healthcare Directives
Should you become incapacitated or otherwise unable to communicate after being hospitalized, you will not have the ability to advocate for yourself or make decisions about your care. If you have a healthcare agent, your chosen agent will make decisions on your behalf. However, in order to be effective, your healthcare agent should also have clear and specific instructions for how you wish to be treated in a wide range of scenarios.
Advanced healthcare directives allow you to formally dictate your preferences and instructions for various types of medical care in situations where you are unable to directly advocate for yourself. Medical professionals are obligated to honor these preferences and instructions when making decisions about your care.
Advanced healthcare directives can help you:
- Name preferred medical providers, including specific doctors, surgeons, and hospitals
- Provide permission to pursue emergency or experimental surgery if doing so may save your life
- Dictate whether you wish to be placed on a machine (such as a ventilator) that will help keep you alive
- Dictate whether you wish to be resuscitated if your heartbeat stops
- Dictate whether you receive treatment for pain and injuries
- Provide instructions for end-of-life care
We can review many common scenarios that may warrant advanced healthcare directives. Once we understand your goals and preferences, our team can help review and execute your directives.
Securing Your Medical Records with HIPAA Authorization
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1966 (HIPAA) is a federal law that restricts the distribution of medical records to unauthorized parties. While HIPAA is meant to protect private health information, it can sometimes have the unintended consequence of keeping your loved ones from advocating on your behalf.
Some medical providers have historically refused to allow an incapacitated individual's loved ones access to medical records without express authorization. We can help you avoid this obstacle by incorporating HIPAA authorizations into your healthcare plan. By signing a HIPAA authorization, you explicitly give a chosen agent access to your medical records in emergency situations.
Our team of experienced estate planning lawyers at Guttman Law can help you prepare for many scenarios through healthcare planning in Minneapolis. Explore your options with us by calling (612) 324-4055 or contacting us online today!