What is the purpose of a health care proxy?

• A. To pay medical bills
• B. To designate who handles your finances
• C. To appoint a person and grant authority to make medical decisions for you when you cannot express preferences
• D. To request a second medical opinion on all treatments

Answer: (C)

A health care proxy is about who will make medical decisions for you when you can’t express your preferences yourself. It designates a trusted person to act as your surrogate and to decide on treatments, care settings, and other medical choices in line with your values or known wishes if you’re incapacitated due to illness, injury, or anesthesia. This is a key part of advance care planning and is separate from financial matters (which would be covered by a financial power of attorney) and from seeking a second medical opinion (which is a medical process, not about who makes decisions on your behalf). Often the document also allows you to name backups, set any limits, and specify instructions, and you can revoke or change it while you’re competent.