Living Wills and Advance Directives Forms Arkansas

After you've gone to the trouble of writing down your wishes for medical treatment in a living will or advance directive, you may be concerned about what would happen if a doctor or hospital didn't want to follow your instructions. Health care providers are generally required to comply with the wishes you set out in your health care; here you can learn about the situations in which a health care provider is permitted to reject a medical decision made by you or your agent.

Local Companies

Owings Law Firm
(501) 661-9999
1320 Brookwood Dr
Little Rock, AR
William B Putman Attorney At Law
(479) 521-4111
Fayetteville, AR
Walthart Brian
(870) 735-3420
304 E Broadway St
West Memphis, AR
Wood Melissa Atty
(501) 225-3535
650 S Shackleford Rd
Little Rock, AR
Walters Bill Atty
(479) 996-2122
1405 W Center St
Greenwood, AR
Reynolds Law Firm
(501) 847-8334
101 NW 3rd St
Bryant, AR
Vaughn Jessica Atty
(870) 367-1161
348 S Edwards St
Monticello, AR
Mathis Law Firm
(870) 246-5886
625 Clay St
Arkadelphia, AR
Collins Carol E Attorney
(479) 968-4853
500 W Main St
Russellville, AR
Association of Disability Advocates Inc.
(479) 442-8558
Fayetteville, AR

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After you've gone to the trouble of writing down your wishes for medical treatment in a living will or advance directive, you may be concerned about what would happen if a doctor or hospital didn't want to follow your instructions.

To put your mind at ease, know that health care providers are generally required to comply with the wishes you set out in your health care documents -- and to honor your health care agent's authority as long as the agent's directions are a reasonable interpretation of your wishes.

In some situations, however, a health care provider is permitted to reject a medical decision made by you or your agent. This may be true if:

  • the decision goes against the conscience of the individual health care provider
  • the decision goes against a policy of a health care institution that is based on reasons of conscience, or
  • the decision would lead to medically ineffective health care or health care that violates generally accepted health care standards applied by the health care provider or institution.

But this doesn't mean that your health care instructions can be ignored. A health care provider who refuses to comply with your wishes or the directions of your health care agent must promptly inform you or your agent. And if you or your agent wishes, the provider must immediately take steps to transfer you to another provider or institution that will honor your directive. In some states, a health care provider who intentionally violates these rules may be legally liable for damages.

How Pregnancy May Affect Your Health Care Directives

There is one situation in which your specific health care directions might be challenged or ignored completely: when you are pregnant. If you may become pregnant, it's a good idea to explicitly state what you want if your health care documents go into effect while you are carrying a child.

But whether or not doctors will honor your wishes depends on several factors, including how far along you are in your pregnancy, the risks to you and the unborn child, and the policies of individual doctors and health care facilities. If you are in your second or third trimester, doctors are likely to administer all medical care they deem necessary to keep you and the fetus alive.


Author: Shae Irving

Copyright 2008 Nolo
For more information visit Nolo Press
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