Connecticut Designation of Health Care Representative

This advance directive, the Connecticut Designation of Health Care Representative came into effect as of October 1, 2006. It merges the old Health Care Agent with the Health Care Decision Maker under the pre-October, 2006 Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney. It used to be that a Health Care Agent was different from a Power of Attorney for Health Care. Therefore, in Connecticut, if you used the term "health care proxy" or "medical decision maker", instead of "CT Designated Health Care Agent" you could have been referring to one of two different surrogate decision makers-- with specifically different legal authority--defined by the statutes.

Connecticut statutes as of October 1, 2006 provide that you can appoint a "health care representative." In addition the CT Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney has deleted the power to make health care decisions from the authority provided by this document. The position of health care representative now merges the position of health care decision maker, allowing decisions to be made if you are unable to render your decision, as well as if you are found to be in a persistent vegetative state, or showing no behavior responses to your environment, (as under the former living will/health care agent designation).