Healthcare Law
What Is Health Care Law?
Health care law involves federal, state and local laws relating to health care patients, providers and vendors in the health care industry. Attorneys practicing in health care law represent the entire spectrum of the industry, including physicians, hospitals, health insurers and consumers.
Health care law concerns many issues, such as:
- Public health and safety
- Medical malpractice
- Patient rights and privacy
- Licensing of health care professionals
- Managed care
- Insurance
- Medical ethics
- Diseases and infections
- Hospitals and other care facilities
- Medicare and Medicaid issues
Health care attorneys can assist clients in making many important, sometimes life-altering, decisions. A health care attorney can help a client in choosing a Medicaid plan, filing claims and getting paid in accordance with that plan.
A local attorney may also aid a client in arranging long-term care for a loved one or help a client to set up advance directives to make the patient's wishes known about medical treatment before the patient needs the care.
What is Power of Attorney?
A power of attorney is a legal instrument used to delegate legal authority to another person. A written document is signed by one person giving another the power to act in conducting the signer's business, including signing papers and making financial, property and legal decisions in the name of the person granting the power.
The person who signs or executes a power of attorney is called the principal. The person receiving the power of attorney is called an agent or attorney-in-fact. A power of attorney for health care appoints an agent to direct health care decisions should the principal be unable to do so. There are two types of power of attorney. A Non-Durable power of attorney grants powers limited to specific matters, such as handling specific financial or health care decisions. A power of attorney may expire on a date stated in the document or upon written cancellation.
A Durable power of attorney covers all activities and is effective until it is revoked by the principal, or until the principal's death. In some jurisdictions, a durable power of attorney can also function as a living will.
Each state has its own rules as far as the form and elements required to create a valid power of attorney; a health care lawyer can explain the requirements in your state.
What Is A Living Will?
A living will is a document in which a person appoints someone as his or her representative to make health care decisions if the person becomes incapacitated and unable to give informed consent.
Living wills usually cover specific directives about the course of treatment or in some cases, forbidding treatment, such as prohibiting the use of life support. The requirements differ from state to state, so a health care attorney can be a resource for questions and advice.
Contact a Health Care Attorney
Decisions about your health care or the care of loved ones can often be difficult and complicated. Dealing with insurance and health care providers can be frustrating and confusing. A health care attorney can help you make sense of the complex decisions and issues related to health care.
Connect with a local attorney practicing in health care law today through AttorneyFind.
