An Advance Medical Directive, also known as a living will, personal directive, advance directive, medical directive, or advance decision, is a legal document in which a person specifies what actions should be taken for their health if they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves because of illness or incapacity.

The Advance Medical Directive (AMD) empowers the creator/principal to choose comprehensive “end of life” directives, as found in a Living Will and appoint a personal health care agent to make medical decisions on behalf of the principal who, because of medical or mental incapacity, may become unable to do so.

The AMD also allows the principal to empower his/her agent to have unhindered access to personal health records notwithstanding the federal regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accounting Act (HIPAA).

All states either statutorily recognize the AMD as the primary health care document or will accept it in place of a Living Will and/or a Health Care Power of Attorney (since all forms of living wills and health care powers of attorney are effectively “medical directives” anyway).

When properly designed, the AMD (a.k.a. > Advance Health Care Directive) properly combines the applications, powers, and authorities that can be granted through ALL principal-implemented medical directive documents.

You can complete this form anytime and all adults are urged to complete the forms.  Younger adults actually have more at stake, because, if stricken by serious disease or accident, medical technology may keep them alive but insentient for decades.  Some of the most well-known “right to die” cases arose from the experiences of young people incapacitated by tragic illness or accidents and maintained on life support.

You have the right and ability to change this document anytime you change your mind on how you want things done or who you want to carry out your wishes.  This document puts your wishes in writing and gives your doctors and loved ones a step by step instruction manual on what you want, and how far you want them to go.