Georgia Advance Directive For Health Care (Page 2 of 14) in pdf

of making your own decisions or choose not to make

premiums on, or collect on any type of insurance,

including health, life, and disability insurance. You

your own decisions.

cannot be required to have a Georgia Advance

Directive for Health Care in order to obtain health

Georgia law protects your Health Care Agent as long

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insurance.

as he or she acts in “good faith” and in accordance

with your instructions.

The laws on honoring health care directives differ

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from state to state. Because the Georgia Advance

Your Health Care Agent cannot be held responsible

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Directive for Health Care you complete in Georgia

for the cost of your medical care. However, if you

expresses your preferences about medical care, it

have named your spouse as your Health Care Agent,

will influence that care no matter where you are

your spouse may be responsible for the cost of your

treated. However, there is a possibility that this

medical care because he or she is your spouse.

Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care may

not be honored in another state. If you spend a

A change in your marital status may revoke the

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great deal of time in another state, you may want

appointment of your Health Care Agent.

to complete a document that meets all the require-

ments of that state.

The Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care

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also will give you the option to nominate someone

If you have an emergency and your Georgia

to serve as your guardian. A court may appoint a

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Advance Directive for Health Care is not readily

guardian if it determines that you are not able to

available, life sustaining treatments may be start-

make significant responsible decisions for yourself.

ed. Treatment can be stopped if it is discovered

You may nominate the same person you designated

that it is not what you want.

as your Health Care Agent to serve as your guardian

However, if you chose to nominate someone else to

The Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care is

be your guardian, you should be aware that the per-

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son named as your Health Care Agent would have

not connected to any government health care

program, such as Medicare or Medicaid. Any

priority over your guardian in making your health

competent adult may complete a Georgia

care decisions, unless a court determines otherwise.

Advance Directive for Health Care regardless

of how they pay for their health care.

The person you name as your Health Care Agent

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will have broad powers to make health care

The Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care

decisions for you, including the power to require,

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allows you to appoint a Health Care Agent – this

consent to, or withdraw any type of personal care

is a person who will have the legal power to make

or medical treatment for any physical or mental

decisions regarding your health care – but ONLY

condition.

when you are incapable of making those decisions

yourself or choose not to make your own decisions.

Your Health Care Agent can agree to admit or

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You may be incapable of making your own

discharge you from any hospital, nursing home,

decisions because you are unconscious, mentally

or other institution.

ill, in a coma, in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s

Disease or are otherwise unable to make your own

Georgia law does not allow your Health Care

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decisions. You do not have to be terminally ill or

Agent to put you in a mental hospital against your

near death for your Health Care Agent to be able to

will or to make decisions about sterilization or

make decisions for you, but you must be incapable

psychosurgery.

Georgia Advance Directive For Health Care Page 2

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