The Health Care Proxy and the Living Will

Abstract

The Massachusetts model health care proxy described by Annas (April 25 issue)^* offers a solution to a problem created by the new federal law that will require thousands of health care facilities to start asking patients whether they want health care planning documents. Many patients will want them, but few facilities will know what to offer. The law does not require facilities to provide documents, but many might do so if they knew of something that was short, simple, and apparently noncontroversial, like the Massachusetts form. It is important to recognize, though, that often simple forms do not work.