Probate: patient advocates; withholding life-sustaining treatment for a patient who is pregnant; allow. Amends secs. 5507 & 5509 of 1998 PA 386 (MCL 700.5507 & 700.5509).
What changed between versions
New mandatory statements must be included when a patient advocate accepts their designation, covering effectiveness, limitations, and compensation rules.
Patients may now waive their right to revoke the patient advocate designation specifically for mental health treatment decisions, with a 30-day delay on revocation for those powers if a waiver is made.
Patient advocates are granted the new authority to choose to place a patient under hospice care.
Patient advocates must obtain prior authorization from the patient before delegating their powers to another individual.
New rules require patient advocates to act in accordance with fiduciary standards and presume that the patient's known desires expressed while able to participate are in their best interests.
Patient advocate designations can now explicitly include instructions on anatomical gifts and how to resolve conflicts between advance directives and anatomical gift suitability.
Added a specific rule that patient advocates cannot use the designation to make decisions to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment from pregnant patients that would result in the patient's death.
