Ensuring Your Health Care Preferences Are Respected

At Wilson & Wilson Estate Planning and Elder Law LLC, we understand the importance of having your health care preferences followed by medical professionals. Our clients often express concerns about the extent to which medical personnel will respect the instructions outlined in their health care documents, such as living wills and advance directives.

If you've meticulously recorded your health care preferences, rest assured that health care providers are generally bound by law to respect those decisions and to acknowledge the authority of your designated health care agent. This dutiful adherence is expected as long as the instructions are a viable interpretation of your wishes.

Nonetheless, certain circumstances may arise in which a health care provider feels compelled to refuse acting in accordance with your or your agent's decision. These exceptions may include conflicts with the provider’s own ethical stances, institutional policies based on conscience, or concerns that the chosen medical path is not aligned with professional health care standards.

Despite these exceptions, medical personnel cannot simply disregard your directives. Health care providers having moral or professional reservations must communicate their noncompliance promptly to you or your health care agent and facilitate your transfer to an alternative provider or institution willing to respect your directives.

There exists a particular scenario where medical practitioners may override your advance directives: pregnancy. Should you become pregnant and your health care documents become activated, it's advised to clearly delineate your decisions regarding medical care during pregnancy.

Medical response to your directives during pregnancy will vary. It hinges on multiple factors such as the pregnancy’s progression, potential risks to both you and the unborn child, and individual health care providers' policies. Especially during the latter stages of pregnancy, medical professionals are inclined to perform all necessary procedures to sustain both you and the fetus.

Furthermore, state laws may dictate that life-sustaining measures not be withdrawn from a pregnant individual or that such interventions remain operative if there is a plausible chance the fetus could reach full term.

At Wilson & Wilson Estate Planning and Elder Law LLC, we are committed to ensuring that your health care documents clearly convey your wishes and are respected by medical professionals. Should you have any concerns or need assistance in preparing your health care directives, contact us at (708) 482-7090 for a Consultation. Together, we can create a plan that gives you peace of mind, knowing that your health care preferences will be honored.