Protecting Your Voice—Even When You Can’t Speak for Yourself
Estate planning isn’t just about who inherits your assets—it’s also about who can speak for you when you can’t.
Whether you’re 25 or 85, married or single, a parent or not—everyone needs a few key documents in place to protect their medical wishes and appoint someone they trust. At Krueger, Hernandez & Thompson, we help you create a personalized plan that ensures your care is handled the way you want, even in an emergency.
Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare
A Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare allows you to legally appoint someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated. This person—called your healthcare agent—can:
- Approve or refuse specific treatments
- Authorize hospital admission or discharge
- Make end-of-life decisions based on your stated preferences
- Access and share your medical records as needed
Most importantly, your agent is legally bound to follow your wishes as outlined in the document.
What Happens If You Don’t Have One?
If no healthcare power of attorney is in place, decisions about your care will fall to others—based on state law and a predefined order of priority:
- A court-appointed guardian
- Your spouse or domestic partner
- An adult child
- A sibling
- A close friend
- Your nearest living relative
The issue? These individuals may not know your wishes—or agree with each other. Avoid confusion by choosing someone now, while you’re healthy and able to make your intentions clear.
Changing Your Healthcare Agent
Yes, you can absolutely change your agent. If your relationship changes or you simply feel someone else is a better fit, we’ll help you draft a new healthcare power of attorney and revoke the old one. Be sure to let both your current and former agents know about the update and always destroy outdated copies.
Emergency Advance Directives
In some situations, you can verbally express your wishes to a doctor and have that directive honored in an emergency—as long as you’re still of sound mind and have a witness present. But relying on an emergency directive alone is risky. A written plan, crafted with an attorney, is much more effective and enforceable.
Don’t Forget the HIPAA Release
Due to federal privacy laws under HIPAA, even your spouse or child may be unable to speak with your doctor unless you’ve authorized them in writing. A HIPAA release is a simple but essential document that ensures your loved ones can:
- Access your medical information
- Speak to healthcare providers
- Coordinate care during emergencies
We’ll make sure your HIPAA release works in tandem with your other documents for full coverage and peace of mind.
Let’s Get Your Plan in Place
You never know when an accident, illness, or emergency might strike—but you can be prepared.
At Krueger, Hernandez & Thompson, we make it easy to get your healthcare documents in order, whether you’re just starting your estate plan or updating an old one. We’ll walk you through each decision and make sure everything is legally sound, compassionate, and crystal clear.
Call (608) 824-9540 or contact us online to schedule your consultation.
Speak now—so your wishes are honored later.
