A recent article in U.S. News lists six documents everyone should have:
- medical power of attorney
- living will
- HIPAA authorization
- financial power of attorney
- letter of instructions- bury vs. cremate, etc.
- will
In most cases, the first three documents can be combined. Many people forget about the HIPAA authorization, which can make it difficult to find out a person’s medical condition. The letter of instructions is a very good idea, but whoever is to receive and act on it should have it before the writer dies, to avoid steps being taken that are contrary to those instructions.
