Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-803 – Advance health care directives
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1. Individual instruction. An adult or emancipated minor with capacity may give an individual instruction. The instruction may be oral or written. The instruction may be limited to take effect only if a specified condition arises. An oral instruction is valid only if made to a health care provider or to an individual who may serve as a surrogate under section 5?806, subsection 2.
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-803
- Adult: means an individual at least 18 years of age or an emancipated individual under 18 years of age. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-102
- Advance health care directive: means an individual instruction from, or a power of attorney for health care by, an individual with capacity. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-802
- Agent: means an individual with capacity designated in a power of attorney for health care to make a health care decision for the individual granting the power. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-802
- Capacity: means the ability to have a basic understanding of the diagnosed condition and to understand the significant benefits, risks and alternatives to the proposed health care and the consequences of forgoing the proposed treatment, the ability to make and communicate a health care decision and the ability to understand the consequences of designating an agent or surrogate to make health care decisions. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-802
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Guardian: means a judicially appointed guardian or conservator having authority to make a health care decision for an individual. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-802
- Health care: means any care, treatment, service or procedure to maintain, diagnose or otherwise affect an individual's physical or mental condition. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-802
- Health care decision: means a decision made by an individual with capacity or by the individual's agent, guardian or surrogate regarding the individual's health care, including:
A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-802Health care institution: means an institution, facility or agency licensed, certified or otherwise authorized or permitted by law to provide health care in the ordinary course of business. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-802 in writing: include printing and other modes of making legible words. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72 Individual instruction: means a direction from an individual with capacity concerning a health care decision for the individual. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-802 Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases. Minor: means an unemancipated individual who is under 18 years of age. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-102 Person: means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, agency or instrumentality or any other legal or commercial entity. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-802 Physician: means an individual authorized to practice medicine under Title 32. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-802 Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC Power of attorney for health care: means the designation of an agent with capacity to make health care decisions for the individual granting the power. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-802 State: includes an Indian tribe or band recognized by federal law or formally acknowledged by a state. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-102 Surrogate: means an individual with capacity, other than a patient's agent or guardian, authorized under this Part to make health care decisions as provided in section 5?806. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 18-C Sec. 5-802 United States: includes territories and the District of Columbia. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
2. Power of attorney for health care. An adult or emancipated minor with capacity may execute a power of attorney for health care, which may authorize the agent to make any health care decision the principal could have made while having capacity. The power must be in writing and signed by the principal and 2 witnesses. Notwithstanding any law validating electronic or digital signatures, signatures of the principal and witnesses must be made in person and not by electronic means. The power remains in effect notwithstanding the principal’s later incapacity and may include individual instructions. Unless related to the principal by blood, marriage or adoption, an agent may not be an owner, operator or employee of a residential long-term health care institution at which the principal is receiving care.
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
3. Effective upon determination that principal lacks capacity. Unless otherwise specified in a power of attorney for health care, the authority of an agent becomes effective only upon a determination that the principal lacks capacity and ceases to be effective upon a determination that the principal has recovered capacity.
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
4. Determination. Unless otherwise specified in a written advance health care directive, a determination that an individual lacks or has recovered capacity or that another condition exists that affects an individual instruction, the authority of an agent or the validity of an advance health care directive must be made by the primary physician, by a court of competent jurisdiction or, for an individual who has included a directive authorizing mental health treatment in an advance health care directive, by a person qualified to conduct an examination pursuant to Title 34?B, section 3863.
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
5. Decision in accordance with instructions, wishes, best interest. An agent shall make a health care decision in accordance with the principal’s individual instructions, if any, and other wishes to the extent known to the agent. Otherwise, the agent shall make the decision in accordance with the agent’s determination of the principal’s best interest. In determining the principal’s best interest, the agent shall consider the principal’s personal values to the extent known to the agent.
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
6. Effective without judicial approval. A health care decision made by an agent for a principal is effective without judicial approval.
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
7. Nomination of guardian. A written advance health care directive may include the individual’s nomination of a guardian of the person.
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
8. Validity of advance health care directive. An advance health care directive is valid for purposes of this Part if it complies with this Part, regardless of when or where executed or communicated, or if it is valid under the laws of the state in which it was executed. An advance health care directive that is valid where executed or communicated is valid for the purposes of this Part.
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
9. Directing mental health treatment. An advance health care directive is valid for purposes of directing mental health treatment. The terms of the directive must be construed in accordance with this Part and Title 34?B, sections 3831 and 3862.
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
10. Personal representative for purposes of federal law. A surrogate or an agent named in an advance health care directive has the power and authority to serve as the personal representative of the patient who executed the health care directive for all purposes of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, 42 United States Code § 1320d et seq. and its regulations, 45 Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 160-164. The surrogate or agent has all the rights of the patient with respect to the use and disclosure of the individually identifiable health information and other medical records of the patient.
[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW). PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. F, §1 (AFF). PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).