Medical emergencies and unexpected health crises can occur at any age. Advance care planning encourages people to consider potential future scenarios and plan accordingly, even if they’re young and ...

States generally allow a person (principal) to appoint another person (agent) to make health care decisions, receive protected health information, or both on the principal’s behalf. In many states, ...

An advance directive for the state where you live may not be effective in another state. Some states have provisions that respect out-of-state directives as long as they conform to the requirements of ...

One of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that people may be faced with a serious illness or a medical emergency that required vital decisions about their medical care, and sometimes ...

We hear a lot of talk about being prepared for an emergency. Some emergencies in life are medical, and there’s a way to plan ahead for how to handle emergency medical care for yourself or your loved ...

Completing an advance directive form is a great way to write down health care wishes before a medical crisis occurs. These legal documents help loved ones and doctors know what medical treatments a ...

Every April 16, National Healthcare Decisions Day serves as a critical reminder: While we can’t always control the turbulence of life, we can prepare for a smooth landing. Whenever I fly, I’m reminded ...

A new healthcare app this month was released by an unlikely source -- the American Bar Association. As the New York Times' "The New Old Age" blog picked up, the ABA offered up a freemium app for iOS ...

GRAND FORKS -- When someone is hospitalized with a terminal illness, arguments about the right course can spark discontent among family members. Surely, patients would not want their relatives ...

Welcome to State of Mind, a new section from Slate and Arizona State University dedicated to exploring mental health. Follow us on Twitter. When people hear the term “advance directive,” they usually ...

Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and ...