9+ Sample Medical Power of Attorney Forms
A Power of Attorney (POA) form has the legal power to let you choose someone to be your attorney-in-fact. This person will be authorized to act on your behalf when you are unable to make decisions in important legal, financial, medical, business, and personal matters.
As you can expect, this is a crucial bit of long-term planning for the worst-case, what-if scenarios.
Don’t wait until something happens to you or a loved one. Use these samples as guidelines and references to drafting your own power of attorney form and appoint your legal agents. These forms focus on the medical branch of the POA.
Medical Power of Attorney Form Texas
Durable Medical Power of Attorney Form
Medical Power of Attorney Form Sample
Military Power of Attorney Form
Blank Medical Durable Power of Attorney
Understanding Powers of Attorney
When choosing your trusted few, know that there are different kinds of legal power you could be granting them.
The different powers of attorney can be generally classified based on their duration and scope of power.
Based on duration, POA can be either of the following:
- Durable. The most common kind, also called the “enduring” power of attorney. This kind of power is effective immediately and lasts until the grantor’s (your) death—after which, your last will and testament will come into effect. If not stated otherwise, a POA is by default durable.
- Springing. Unlike the durable POA, the springing power of attorney comes into effect only under certain circumstances (e.g., when you are drafted abroad for military duty or you are incapacitated and otherwise unable to act competently).
Based on scope of power, POA can be either of the following:
- General. This is when the agent is granted power to make decisions in all important areas of your life—legal, financial, medical, personal.
- Specific. Also called the “special power of attorney,” it is under this category that the medical POA belongs. The agent’s power is limited only to a certain set of responsibilities in the assigned field, such as only your financial matters or only your medical decisions.
Thanks to the complexity of drafting such forms, even if you find good, comprehensive, and easily editable MS Word Power of Attorney Templates online, it is recommended to get legal counsel before proceeding.
Basic Medical Power of Attorney Form
Child Medical Power of Attorney Form
Emergency Medical Power of Attorney Form
Enduring Medical Power of Attorney Form
Generic Medical Power of Attorney Form
How to Choose an Agent
To make a lasting POA, you yourself need to be above 18 years old and capable of making your own decisions.
Your chosen agent . . .
. . . also has to be 18 years old and older. And capable of making their own decisions. On this note, pay careful consideration to how they themselves manage their affairs.
. . . need not be a lawyer. They can be anyone you know and trust, such as a longtime friend, a close family member, and even a trusted professional such as the family doctor, personal lawyer, etc.
. . . need not act alone. You can appoint more than one agent and decide whether they should make decisions alone (i.e., “separately”) or together as a team of co-agents (i.e., “jointly or severally,” in legal-speak).
. . . has to be trustworthy. You will be trusting them with your welfare, after all.
. . . has to be willing. And happy to take on this responsibility. If not, appoint someone else. If they are unsure they will be able to carry this role out to their fullest, it would be wise to appoint co-agents or successors.