questions & answers

Question: I have a Health Care Advance Directive from another state. Some of my friends say it is valid, others no. I suspect it is really up to the local hospital/doctor whether to honor it. Can you tell me if there is an AZ law that REQUIRES hospital/doctor to follow it? If so, can you tell me the law (statue??) that applies so I can refer to it if necessary? Thank you

Answer: The following is provided for general information only. To find out how the law applies to a specific situation, contact an attorney directly. Title 36, Chapter 32, of the Arizona Revised Statutes deals with health care directives. The validity of health care directives executed in states other than Arizona is addressed in ARS 36-3208. Those wishing to draft a new or updated advance healthcare directive can access forms which are compliant with Arizona law on the Arizona Attorney General’s website. Additionally, the Arizona Secretary of State, at the direction of the Arizona Legislature, created the Arizona Advanced Directive Registry. Using this service, residents can register their healthcare directives and allow them to be accessed by persons the registrant authorizes, including doctors and family members. Information about this registry, including instructions on how to register an advanced healthcare document, can be found here.