Obamacare & Living Wills

Navigating Complex Issues with Help from Our McKinney Estate Planning Attorneys

Under the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, doctors will now be reimbursed for taking the time to speak with patients about certain estate planning matters. This initiative is designed to encourage the elderly to write a living will, and to assign medical power of attorney. A surprisingly large portion of senior citizens have no will or estate plan at all, which can prevent their wishes from being met if they become hospitalized or incapacitated.

Creating a will is a great idea, no matter what age you are or how much money you have. At Willingham & Galvan, our McKinney estate planning attorneys have created more than 4,000 wills, making us uniquely qualified to handle even the most complex estate planning matters.

Questions about living wills? Call our firm today at (214) 499-9647 to schedule your consultation.

The Importance of a Living Will

While a last will and testament is important to protect your wishes after your death, a living will can do the same thing while you are alive. In this document, you can specify what types of medical care you do, and do NOT want to receive if you are ever unable to make the decision for yourself.

These procedures can include:

• Blood transfusions
• Dialysis
• Being placed on a respirator
• Specified surgeries

Those who are terminally ill may also choose to include a “do not resuscitate” order, commonly known as a DNR. This document will inform emergency medical personnel that you do not wish to receive CPR or similar life-saving treatments in the event of a medical emergency.

Protect your wishes. Contact us today to start forming your living will.

Medical Power of Attorney

Establishing medical power of attorney is also extremely important, as it allows you to give someone the ability to make medical decisions on your behalf when you aren’t able to. You can give this individual as much or as little power as you want, although most people tend to grant them full power. This means that if a situation arises which is not covered in your living will, you will still have someone you trust making decisions for you.