Missouri Bar Publishes New Version of Durable Power of Attorney

Missouri Bar Publishes New Version of Durable Power of Attorney
for Health Care and Health Care Directive

Although the statute hasn’t changed, the bar’s DPA for Health Care form has – online where it can be downloaded, as well as in hard copy. The online version can now be filled out on screen, and then printed. Instructions for the online version are included as hover text, next to the lines they pertain to.
A number of changes have made the printed form more useful and convenient. The old form included the DPA for health care, a health care directive and the HIPAA privacy authorization form. The new form offers Missourians the ability to control several other related end-of-life decisions. Part of the form can authorize the Agent to execute an outside-the-hospital do not resuscitate order. Additionally, the form provides an option to give the Agent the right of sepulcher and instructions on whether or not to make anatomical gifts or to consent to an autopsy. The HIPAA Privacy Authorization form has been modified so that medical records can be disclosed to the Agent and several other individuals.
The old form included Spanish along with the English text. To make the form easier to follow and less bulky, two separate versions will be available. The English version has been printed already; a Spanish version will be available in a few weeks, after translation has been completed. The new form is also designed so that after it has been completed, the legal documents can be separated from the instructions, making the document easier to file.
The form was approved at the May Board of Governors meeting. Work on developing the new form was conducted by the Task Force to Review and Revise the Bar’s Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and Health Care Directive Form. Representatives of the Task Force were appointed by the Elder Law Committee, Health Law Committee and Probate and Trust Committee. The following lawyers comprised the Task Force:
Christine Alsop, St. Louis
Dan Berry, Cape Girardeau
Ann Curchin, Jefferson City
Brigid Fernandez, MSW, St. Louis
Ellen Harmon, RN, MBA, St. Louis
Steve Newman, Jefferson City
Don Otto, Jefferson City
Jerry Sill, Jefferson City
Reg Turnbull, Jefferson City
Scott C. Yost, St. Louis
Martin Zehr, PhD. (clinical psychology), Kansas City

Via: http://www.mobar.org/