Health care directive – An important part of any estate plan, but the terminology can get complex

Description

Abstract: A health care directive is a critical piece of one’s overall estate plan. Why? It allows a person to communicate their preferences in advance for medical care in the event of incapacitation and the loss of the ability to communicate health care wishes. However, depending on one’s jurisdiction, a directive can go by several different names, including living wills, advance medical directives and directives to physicians. This article defines various terms associated with a health care directive.