Can A Person have Two Health Care Powers of Attorney?
Full Question:
Answer:
A later patient advocate designation that revokes the prior patient advocate designation either expressly or by inconsistency will prevail. If a dispute arises as to whether a patient advocate is acting consistent with the patient's best interests or is not complying with the applicable laws, a petition may be filed with the court in the county in which the patient resides or is located requesting the court's determination as to the continuation of the designation or the removal of the patient advocate.
Please see the following MI statute:
700.5510 Revocation of patient advocate designation.
Sec. 5510.
(1) A patient advocate designation is revoked by 1 or more of the
following:
(a) The patient's death, except that part of the patient advocate
designation, if any, that authorizes the patient advocate to make an
anatomical gift of all or part of the deceased patient's body in
accordance with this act and part 101 of the public health code,
1978 PA 368, MCL 333.10101 to 333.10123.
(b) An order of removal by the probate court under section 5511(5).
(c) The patient advocate's resignation or removal by the court,
unless a successor patient advocate has been designated.
(d) The patient's revocation of the patient advocate designation.
Subject to section 5515, even if the patient is unable to participate in
medical treatment decisions, a patient may revoke a patient advocate
designation at any time and in any manner by which he or she is able to
communicate an intent to revoke the patient advocate designation. If
there is a dispute as to the intent of the patient to revoke the patient
advocate designation, the court may make a determination on the patient's
intent to revoke the patient advocate designation. If the revocation is
not in writing, an individual who witnesses a revocation of a patient
advocate designation shall describe in writing the circumstances of the
revocation, must sign the writing, and shall notify, if possible, the
patient advocate of the revocation. If the patient's physician, mental
health professional, or health facility has notice of the patient's
revocation of a patient advocate designation, the physician, mental
health professional, or health facility shall note the revocation in the
patient's records and bedside chart and shall notify the patient
advocate.
(e) A subsequent patient advocate designation that revokes the prior
patient advocate designation either expressly or by inconsistency.
(f) The occurrence of a provision for revocation contained in the
patient advocate designation.
(g) If a patient advocate designation is executed during a patient's
marriage naming the patient's spouse as the patient advocate, the patient
advocate designation is suspended during the pendency of an action for
separate maintenance, annulment, or divorce and is revoked upon the entry
of a judgment of separate maintenance, annulment, or divorce, unless the
patient has named a successor individual to serve as a patient advocate.
If a successor patient advocate is named, that individual acts as the
patient advocate.
(2) The revocation of a patient advocate designation under
subsection (1) does not revoke or terminate the agency as to the patient
advocate or other person who acts in good faith under the patient advocate
designation and without actual knowledge of the revocation. Unless the
action is otherwise invalid or unenforceable, an action taken without
knowledge of the revocation binds the patient and his or her heirs,
devisees, and personal representatives. A sworn statement executed by the
patient advocate stating that, at the time of doing an act in accordance
with the patient advocate designation, he or she did not have actual
knowledge of the revocation of the patient advocate designation is, in
the absence of fraud, conclusive proof that the patient advocate did not
have actual knowledge of the revocation at the time of the act.