Your early years of adulthood are a time of newfound freedoms and responsibilities. One of those freedoms/responsibilities is independence from your parents. With this newfound responsibility comes the need to create an estate plan to plan for the future. When someone turns 18 they are no longer offered some protections that come with being a minor, one of them being that your parents can no longer act on your behalf when something unexpected happens.
HIPPA Release Form
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) Privacy Rule becomes effective when someone turns 18. This means that medical records are kept confidential between individuals and their medical provider, and no one can access them without explicit permission from the patient. The HIPPA Privacy Rule also excludes parents from accessing their child’s records over the age of 18 and healthcare providers cannot disclose information on their child’s health without the proper documentation. Therefore, it is important to create a HIPPA Release Form to allow your parents to access your health information.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
While your parents may be able to access your information with a HIPPA Release Form, they cannot do anything about it without a healthcare power of attorney document. Something happening to a young adult’s health and wellness is an unfortunate situation, but you still must plan for the worse by consulting with a Milwaukee estate planning lawyer.. A medical power of attorney document allows a person to appoint someone that can make medical decisions in the event that they are unable to make the decision themselves.
Living Will/Declaration to Physicians
A Living Will, also known as a Declaration to Physicians, can help ensure that your wishes are followed in the case of a medical emergency. This document can help guide physicians and your loved ones about your wishes related to medical care and emergencies. Instructions can include your wishes related to life support, a feeding tube, or other possible decisions made about your health in case of an emergency.
Durable Power of Attorney
In the case of finances, it is also important to appoint a durable power of attorney to ensure that your parents can handle financial needs if necessary. If the young person becomes incapacitated and is unable to take care of financial responsibilities or they are in trouble somewhere and cannot access their accounts, then their parents can help with their financial needs if they have been appointed a durable power of attorney.
Contact an Experienced Wisconsin Estate Planning Lawyer
Having an estate plan is essential no matter how old you are. When you turn 18 you have many new responsibilities and freedoms, leading to the necessity of hiring a Milwaukee Estate Planning Lawyer and having an estate plan with a HIPPA release form, Healthcare power of attorney, living will, and durable power of attorney to plan for the future. All these documents are revocable, meaning you can make edits and change them in the future.
Young people with estate plans can protect their own well-being and protect their parents’ peace of mind by having a proper plan in case of an emergency. Contact Konstantakis Law Office to work with experienced Milwaukee estate planning lawyers who can help customize your estate plan to fit your needs.
