Dear Magic,
I read Mr. Farr’s recent article about the importance of estate planning and incapacity planning during the Coronavirus pandemic. I’m convinced that it’s certainly wise to do my planning now. One thing I’m concerned about, however, is how the hospital and my loved ones would access my documents should the need arise. Do I need to carry a big binder containing them with me in my car at all times or is there an easier way?
Thanks for your help!
Carrie Demwithme
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Dear Carrie,
DocuBank is a company that helps keep health care documents on file electronically for people who want to have those documents available at a moment’s notice. At the Farr Law Firm, we have used DocuBank for over 10 years to ensure that that the Advance Medical Directives you’ve completed will be there when you need them most, such as when you are hospitalized.
DocuBank is an electronic storage and access service for healthcare directives. DocuBank stores our proprietary 4 Needs Advance Medical Directive®, which includes: your medical power of attorney naming a healthcare agent to make medical decisions for you if you’re not able to; our proprietary Long-term Care Directive® that allows you to receive the best possible long-term care if and when the need arises and you are no longer able to speak for yourself; a Near-Death Directive™ (formally called a living will), stating your wishes as to whether you would want to be kept alive with artificial life support measures if you have a terminal condition with no chance of recovery, or whether you would like to be allowed to die naturally with just pain relief medication; and an After-Death Directive™, which includes whether you would like to be an organ donor, whether you want to be buried or cremated, what type of memorial service you would like, and many other after-death details. we are so register your HIPAA Release form so that your loved ones are able to access your documents whenever they need to, which is very easy for them if they have a copy of your Docubank card, or the login information to your Docubank online account.
DocuBank provides you with an emergency card with your name and an emergency contact’s name and phone number. The card has a toll-free number that doctors, hospitals and health-care providers can call to obtain your health-care documents, and a website where medical professionals, you, and your selected family members and/or friends can go to instantly download all of your documents. Through the web portal, you can also upload lots of additional medical information, including a list of all of your allergies, a list of all of your doctors, a list of all of your illnesses and medications, and a list of all of your emergency contacts. This information can of course be changed at any time by simply logging into the web portal and making whatever changes you need to make.
Once the DocuBank number is dialed and your username and pin number listed on your card are entered, all of your health care documents will be emailed or faxed to the caller within a very short time — 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, worldwide. DocuBank essentially serves as your electronic health care record, allowing all of your medical information to be accessed quickly in an emergency.
Many of our clients find that the almost-instant availability of their documents, via DocuBank brings a lot of peace-of-mind and they don’t leave home without their DocuBank emergency card.
How Your DocuBank Card Protects you During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Your DocuBank Card Protects you if you are hospitalized with COVID-19. Doctors will need instant access to your emergency medical information and advance directives. This is exactly what your DocuBank Card does.
Click here for a video with more details about this from DocuBank.
How to Share Your DocuBank Card Info with Loved Ones
You can prepare your family if you are hospitalized, even if they don’t have your DocuBank card. You can easily do this through DocuBank’s sharing feature – Family Alerts, which lets you:
- Email loved ones access to your for 4 Needs Advance Medical Directive® and HIPAA waiver, so that the person you’ve chosen can speak for you if you can’t speak for yourself.
- Choose whether to alert your loved ones when your DocuBank Card is used.
Here’s more info on using the family alerts feature.
We hope to be able to help you set up your estate planning and incapacity planning documents soon. Please call our office for more details and to set up either a virtual or in-person appointment.
Stay healthy and safe,
Magic
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