If you become unable, even temporarily, to make health care decisions, someone else must decide for you. Health care providers often look to family members for guidance. Family members may express what they think your wishes are related to a particular treatment. However, in New York State, only a health care agent you appoint has the legal authority to make treatment decisions if you are unable to decide for yourself.

Anyone 18 years of age or older can be a health care agent. The person you are appointing as your agent or your alternate agent cannot sign as a witness on your Health Care Proxy form.

All competent adults, 18 years of age or older, can appoint a health care agent by signing a form called a Health Care Proxy. You don't need a lawyer or a notary, just two adult witnesses. Your agent cannot sign as a witness. You can use the form printed here, but you don't have to use this form.

Your health care agent would begin to make health care decisions after your doctor decides that you are not able to make your own health care decisions. As long as you are able to make health care decisions for yourself, you will have the right to do so.

Unless you limit your health care agent's authority, your agent will be able to make any health care decision that you could have made if you were able to decide for yourself. Your agent can agree that you should receive treatment, choose among different treatments and decide that treatments should not be provided, in accordance with your wishes and interests.

Your agent must follow your wishes, as well as your moral and religious beliefs. You may write instructions on your Health Care Proxy form or simply discuss them with your agent.

Having an open and frank discussion about your wishes with your health care agent will put him or her in a better position to serve your interests. If your agent does not know your wishes or beliefs, your agent is legally required to act in your best interest.

You may appoint an alternate agent to decide for you if your health care agent is unavailable, unable or unwilling to act when decisions must be made. Otherwise, health care providers will make health care decisions for you that follow instructions you gave while you were still able to do so. Any instructions that you write on your Health Care Proxy form will guide health care providers under these circumstances.

Appointing a health care agent is a good idea even though you are not elderly or terminally ill. A health care agent can act on your behalf if you become even temporarily unable to make your own health care decisions (such as might occur if you are under general anesthesia or have become comatose because of an accident). When you again become able to make your own health care decisions, your health care agent will no longer be authorized to act.

No. Your agent is obligated to make decisions based on your wishes. If you clearly expressed particular wishes, or gave particular treatment instructions, your agent has a duty to follow those wishes or instructions unless he or she has a good faith basis for believing that your wishes changed or do not apply to the circumstances.

No. Your health care agent will not be liable for health care decisions made in good faith on your behalf. Also, he or she cannot be held liable for costs of your care, just because he or she is your agent.

No. The power of a health care agent to make health care decisions on your behalf ends upon your death. Noting your wishes on your Health Care Proxy form allows you to clearly state your wishes about organ and tissue donation.

Choose someone who knows your values and wishes, and whom you trust to make decisions for you. Do the same for a successor agent. Ask both to be sure they understand and agree to be your agent. You may, but do not have to, choose a family member to be your agent. Regardless of your choice, your agent should be someone who will be available if needed and who will decide matters the way you would decide. Name only one person each as your agent and your successor agent.

Yes. You may specify which provider you would like to see when scheduling an appointment. See Our Staff for physician and nurse practitioner biographies and photos. If you have an ongoing health problem, it is usually preferable for you to stay with the same provider as much as possible, as they will already be familiar with you, and can best ensure a consistent medical plan.

Any DPAHC is only as good as your health care agent. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you appoint a trusted family member or friend who: You may also name an alternate agent in case your agent is unavailable or unable to act on your behalf. Discuss your wishes and moral principles with your agent(s) when you sign your PMDD and periodically thereafter.

You can appoint almost any adult to be your agent. You can choose a member of your family such as your spouse or an adult child, a friend, or someone else you trust. You can also appoint one or more "alternate agents" in case the person you select as your health care agent is unavailable or unwilling to make a decision. The law prohibits you from choosing certain people to act as your agent(s).

If you become unable to make your own health care decisions, your agent will have legal authority to make health care decisions for you. Your agent must make decisions that are consistent with any instructions you have written in the Advance Health Care Directive form or otherwise made known to your agent. Physicians and other health care professionals will look to your agent for decisions rather than your next of kin or any other person.

This is a very important question. Whomever you decide to name as your agent under your durable power of attorney for health care, it should be someone you know very well. It should also be someone you respect and someone who’s judgment you value. Moreover, the person you name as your agent should be somewhat knowledgeable about medical issues, although it’s not necessary that this person have any medical training.

The person you name as your health care proxy should be someone you trust and someone with whom you feel comfortable discussing your wishes. Your proxy does not need to agree with your wishes for medical care, but you should feel comfortable that he or she will respect your right to get the kind of medical care you want. You can appoint a spouse or partner, a relative or a close friend.

You may receive treatment from any AMA (American Medical Association) approved facility and/or physician provided the treatment is within CHM Guidelines. The CHM Reductions department—an invaluable resource—exists to assist members in obtaining bill reductions from medical providers, to help patients qualify for assistance programs, and even to give advice on the best places to receive treatment.

No, they can be integrated. In fact, each type of medicine has its own strengths, and all can contribute to your overall health and well-being.

You may give very general instructions and preferences, or be quite specific. It would be helpful to your agent to have directions from you about life-prolonging intervention, particularly medically administered food and water (tube feedings), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the use of machines to help you breathe, and organ and tissue donation.

You can make your specific wishes known to your health care agent in a conversation or in a separate personal wishes statement. You will not be able to consider every possible situation that might require your agent to act on your behalf, but you should let your agent know how you feel about those conditions, illnesses and treatments that concern you the most.

Depending on your condition, health care goals (feel better, get better, or stay better), finances and schedule, you may choose from different levels of care. Acute/Relief Care - This initial treatment is intended to decrease inflammation, reduce spasms, and alleviate pain. The number of treatments necessary to accomplish this depends on your age, underlying spinal condition, condition duration and other lifestyle choices.

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Advance Care Plan provides directions to your doctor on how you want to be treated if you are terminally ill or permanently unconscious and unable to make decisions for yourself. An Advance Care Plan tells your doctor what you do not want unless you write in other specific instructions. It is a written record of decisions that you have made yourself.