How Does it Work?
Document Your Wishes
The best way to let people know what you want in case of an emergency is to put a plan in writing. We'll help you do it.
Who Can Speak for You
When things go wrong, you might not be able to speak for yourself. You need a proxy so someone can speak for you.
Legally Binding
Avoid confusion, family conflict, or doubt. Everything must be legally signed and documented by two witnesses.
Easy to Find
Your proxy, family, and doctor need to understand your plan and know where to find the documents in an emergency.
1. Plan
Use the form wizard to complete your plan online. Identify your proxy and record your personal wishes.
2. Sign
Gather legal e-signatures:
- Your e-Signature
- Witness 1
- Witness 2
3. Share
Receive and share the completed, legal plan document with your proxy, family, and doctor.
Plan My Proxy simplifies the experience.
A health care proxy, or health care agent, is an individual to whom you give authority to make medical decisions on your behalf, in the event that you are not able to communicate your own preferences.
In an emergency, if you are unable to communicate your wishes, you will need someone who can speak for you and they need to know what your preferences are. The best way to do that is a health care proxy.
Plan My Proxy simplifies the health care proxy experience with an easy-to-use and easy-to-understand online form wizard.
We simplify your state’s form so it’s easier to use and then transfer your answers onto the official form for you to sign.
Identify your health care proxy and any back-ups.
It’s important to talk with the individuals about serving as your proxy.
Express your wishes so they’re documented and provide any additional instructions for your proxy.
2. Gather Signatures
After you identify your proxy and record your preferences, you will need to digitally sign the document.
For your security, most states require signatures from two witnesses to acknowledge and verify the creation of your plan. Some states also require your proxy to sign. E-signatures keep it paperless and easy.
3. Share Your Plan
After you complete your signatures and have the signatures of your witnesses, you'll receive your plan document in a PDF by email, as well as a permanent link to your executed plan.
You should share the digital PDF of the completed form with people who might need it:
- Your Proxy and Back-Ups
- Your Family, Friends, and Loved Ones
- Your Doctor and Medical Care Team
Keep a copy of this completed form online and at home in a place where it can easily be found if it is needed.
Pro-Tip
Save your completed form and share it via Google Drive or another cloud sharing service so that it's easily accessible by multiple people.
Best practice recommends that you review this form periodically to make sure it still reflects your preferences. If your preferences change, complete a new form.
You may revoke this completed form at any time.
This completed form will replace any advance directive for health care, durable power of attorney for health care, health care proxy, or living will that you have completed before completing this form.
Frequently asked questions
A health care proxy is an individual to whom you give legal authority to make medical decisions on your behalf, in the event that you are not able to communicate your own preferences. A proxy possesses all the same rights as you would so that they can carry out your wishes comprehensively.
It is important that you and your proxy understand the responsibility of this position. They need to understand your wishes, your values, and what you have laid out on your form (if applicable), and agree to serve in that capacity in the event of an emergency.
In an emergency, if you are unable to communicate your wishes, you will need someone who can speak for you. It’s important that they need to know what your preferences are.
The best way to do that is a health care proxy!
The information you share with us is private and deeply personal and the protection of your data and your privacy is of the utmost importance to us. For the most sensitive parts of the advance directive process, Plan My Proxy relies on secure third-party servers with heightened security infrastructure to store your documents. The rest of our online experience is also protected by Site Lock in addition to other security measures.
You can read the full details of our Privacy Policy here as well as our HIPAA Notice.
As soon as your child turns 18 years old, you no longer have any legal right to review their medical records or have any authority over their medical decisions in the event they are incapacitated.
If your child is under 18, there has been no change to your parental rights under normal circumstances (i.e. if you maintain custody).
It is critical to execute a medical proxy in advance of your children’s 18th birthday to ensure there is no gap in the event there is a medical emergency.
When choosing someone to be your voice, here are a few questions The Conversation Project recommends considering:
- Will they be able to make decisions for you, even if their own wishes are different from yours?
- Will their emotional connection to you get in the way of making decisions on your behalf?
- Will they stand up for you?
- Will they be comfortable asking questions of busy doctors and other providers?
- Will they ask for clarification if the answer or situation isn’t understood?
- Will they be able to make decisions in changing situations?
We can help with that! The form wizard helps make the forms easy to understand by organizing information and asking you questions in a way that is easier to understand. Then we transfer that information onto the legal forms and help you collect the legal signatures that you need.
Click the “Start My Plan Now” button to select your state and get state specific information and links to the form wizard.
If you are over 18 years of age, the best time is now. Health care proxies are for everyone of all ages, whether you’re healthy or sick. Planning your proxy is about planning for the unexpected in an unpredictable world. Unfortunately someone might need a proxy at any time in their life. It is far worse to need one and not have a plan than to create a plan and perhaps never need it.