HB 2540 -- Surrogate Health Care Decisions

Sponsor:  Brandom

This bill requires health care providers to make a reasonable
effort to consult with a surrogate if an adult patient is unable
to make or communicate health care decisions.  A "surrogate" is
defined as a person authorized to make health care decisions for
a patient by a power of attorney or court order or is the
patient's spouse, adult child, parent, sibling, or close friend.
If the health care provider is unable to locate a patient's
surrogate, the patient's attending physician is allowed to make
health care treatment decisions after consulting with and
obtaining the recommendations of an institutional ethics
committee.

A surrogate, who is not the patient's power of attorney for
health care or guardian, is prohibited from making decisions to
withdraw the artificial administration of food or fluid, and a
person who is an authorized surrogate for health care decisions
will not be responsible for payment of the patient's health care
costs unless otherwise required to be responsible.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:12 pm