Health Care Decisions
Begin the conversation and start taking steps today.
Advance Care Planning
Advance care planning is the ongoing process of discussing and planning for future health care needs.
Decision-Making Tools
A collection of helpful tools for advance care planning and serious illness conversations. Includes worksheets, conversation guides, games and more!
Taking Steps Program
A stepwise approach to using the available tools (advance directives and DNR/COLST orders) for documenting your advance care plan.
Advance Directives
Learn how to complete your Vermont Advance Directive; the legal tool to name your health care agent and document medical treatment preferences.
Appointing A Health Care Agent
A review of how to choose your medical decision-maker in your advance directive, their authorities, and their obligations if you cannot speak for yourself.
Documenting Treatment Preferences
More information on how you can use your advance directive to document your treatment preferences and commonly offered interventions in serious illness situations.
Remote Witnessing
Remote witnessing allows Vermonters to complete their advance directives without in-person witnessing. Learn how to complete your advance directive with remote witnesses.
Digital Signatures
Digital signatures are an option for Vermonters completing their advance directives. Learn how to complete your advance directive with digital signing and witnessing.
Registering Your Advance Directive
The Vermont Advance Directive Registry is a free service for all Vermonters to keep their directives in a secure online repository for access by hospitals nationwide.
Considerations for Alzheimer’s/Dementia
Find addendums to add to your advance directive and tools for speaking with your clinicians about diagnoses of dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Psychiatric Considerations
Learn more about how to complete an advance directive that considers psychiatric care needs, the option to waive your right to request/refuse treatment, and more support for psychiatric care planning.
Adult Guardianship
Whether appointed voluntarily or involuntarily, guardians may have the responsibility of medical decision-making. Learn more about adult guardianship and the obligations of appointed guardians.
Medical Orders (VT DNR/COLST)
Portable medical orders are used to document a limitation of treatment that is actionable in the out-patient setting. If you are facing a terminal diagnosis, or serious illness, learn more about how the Vermont DNR/COLST could fit in your advance care plan.
Clinician Resources For DNR/COLST Orders
Information for health care professionals on the Vermont DNR/COLST form, up-to-date guidance on how to use these orders, and more FAQs on portable medical orders.
Regional Support for Advance Care Planning
Learn how you can start advance care planning conversations in your community. Find regional support for completing advance directives as well as in-person and virtual training for community groups, residential facilities, businesses, health care professionals and more!
FAQs
Frequently asked questions about medical decision-making, advance directives, and medical orders throughout the stages of advance care planning.
Provider Billing for Advance Care Planning
Health care providers can bill insurance for advance care planning conversations. Get the billing codes you need here.
More Medical Decision-Making Topics
Find more information about serving as a health care agent, organ donation, and pediatric considerations around medical decision-making.
