Quickly create your Idaho health care directive

You can complete FindLaw’s attorney-created health care directive forms in less than an hour at home. Our guided process takes you through a few easy steps and includes a free HIPAA release form. You’ll be able to download, print and sign your documents in no time.

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Fast, easy, reliable Idaho health care directive forms

No one wants to plan for their own serious injury or incapacitation – but having a health care directive in place during those unfortunate times ensures that your health care treatment preferences are respected. Without a health care directive, your loved ones and doctors might make decisions you would not have preferred. A health care directive – one that adequately documents your health care treatment preferences – avoids this outcome, conveying your crucial choices when they matter most.

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Last updated: March 05, 2022

Written by:

Tim Kelly, J.D.

Contributing Author

Reviewed by:

J.P. Finet, J.D.

Contributing Author

Idaho health care directive options to suit your needs

Health Care Directive
For One Person

A do-it-yourself health care directive that’s easy to personalize.

$39

What’s included:

Step-by-step guided process

A health care directive tailored to your needs

Attorney-approved document compliant with your state’s laws

Free HIPAA release form

Free changes and revisions to your document for up to a full year after purchase

* Select your state:

BEST VALUE

Estate Planning Package
For One person

All the forms you need to create a personal estate plan

$135

What’s included:

Last will and testament

Health care directive

Power of attorney

Free HIPAA release form

A comprehensive plan — for less

Free changes and revisions for up to one year after purchase

* Select your state:

How it works

Create your health care directive in under an hour

Create an account

Create a secure account which is accessible through an easy dashboard you can access any time

Gather information

Decide who will be your health care agent/proxy, which treatments you would request or refuse and release your records

Complete your document

Answer all questions, then we’ll generate your digital documents for downloading, printing, and signing

Make it legal

Print and sign your document according to instructions. Give copies to your doctors and agent/proxy

What’s next to make my Idaho health care directive valid?

Follow these steps to create your health care directive:

Make decisions on future health care treatments

This first step is surveying your health care treatment and anticipate future issues. If you are severely injured or otherwise incapacitated, what medical treatments do you consent to receive? Which treatments do you not agree to? These are the types of considerations that need to be made before you draft your Idaho health care directive.

Anticipate the types of life-sustaining care you would want to receive in instances including but not limited to the following:

Artificial hydration and nutrition
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
Artificial respiration
Other life-prolonging procedures that extend or prevent the natural dying process

Once you survey these treatments and feel secure in your long-term health care decisions, you can move forward with drafting your health care directive.

Choose your agent

It is not required to name an agent in your Idaho health care directive, but it’s always a good idea. An agent is your advocate if you become so seriously injured or incapacitated that you cannot convey your own medical wishes.

Choose someone you trust and whom you are comfortable with advocating for your medical decisions. Additionally, it would be best to choose a few backup agents should your original agent be unable or unwilling to serve. This sometimes occurs in an emergency where your original agent cannot be reached. If you decide to name agents in your health care directive, your document must include a form called “Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care.” That form will need to have the following information:

The names of each agent
Their addresses
Their phone numbers

Sign your health care directive according to Idaho law

Idaho requires that you be at least 18 years of age to draft a valid health care directive. In order to maintain your health care directive in accordance with Idaho law, this document must be:

Created at a time when you possess the mental capacity to understand and communicate your health care wishes
In writing
Signed and dated by you

In Idaho, health care directives do not need to be witnessed or notarized in order to be found legally valid in a court of law. Note that these laws vary from state to state. In the event that you move to a different state, consult that new state’s laws and regulations to ensure your health care directive stays in compliance.

Store your health care directive in a secure place and provide copies to all necessary parties

Once you have your completed, signed health care directive, make multiple copies for safekeeping and provide them to interested parties. Keep the original document secure in a safe or lockbox, and consider providing copies to the following people:

Your health care provider
Your agent
Your backup agents
Your loved ones

You may want to speak with a lawyer if:

Your family disagrees with your medical choices
You don’t know who to appoint as your agent
You have questions about life prolonging measures
You want legal review of your completed document

Find a local estate planning lawyer

Ready to start your Idaho health care directive?

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Commonly asked questions about Idaho health care directives

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What is a health care directive?

Sometimes referred to as advance directives or living wills, health care directives are helpful documents that convey your health care treatment wishes to your health care provider if you become seriously injured or suffer from a debilitating illness. These documents can avoid uncertainty for both your doctors and your family at a critical time.

These vital documents convey your wishes regarding the administration or refusal of life-sustaining treatment to your doctors. They go into effect when you are unable to communicate or incapable of making your own decisions.

Am I required to have a health care directive in Idaho?

You are not required to have a health care directive. But having one can save you and your loved ones from significant burden later on.

Suppose you suffer a traumatic injury that leaves you in a prolonged vegetative state. Without a health care directive, your doctors and family members may make decisions about your life that you would not have wanted. This can lead to infighting, indecision, and additional worry piled onto a tragic situation.

A health care directive bundled with a durable power of attorney can avoid this uncertainty. Drafting your form with a service like FindLaw can provide the peace of mind you and your loved ones deserve.

Is a living will different from a last will and testament?

Yes. While the terms sound similar, these documents accomplish different goals. A last will and testament (or simply a “will”) determines who gets your possessions and assets when you die.

Living wills, also known health care directives, do not deal with possessions or assets at all, and they serve no purpose after you die. Living wills are for conveying your life-sustaining treatment preferences if you are unable to make decisions on your own behalf.

What if I need to revoke or make changes to my health care directive?

In Idaho, you can make changes to your health care directive at any time. It is always best to have your revocation documented in writing. With FindLaw, you can make changes to your health care directive for free through the service for up to one year.

Upon making changes to your health care directive, be sure to provide updated copies to your agents, health care provider, and any other parties you deem necessary.

Where should I store my health care directive?

You should make copies of all estate planning documents, both for yourself and any necessary parties. These parties should include agents, health care practitioners, and loved ones—store personal copies in a secure shelter such as a safe or lockbox. Ensure that any stored copies can be easily accessed by the appropriate parties in the event of your incapacitation.

Is my Idaho health care directive valid in other states?

The laws governing advance directives for health care and living wills vary from state to state. For this reason, it’s important to consult with local laws if you spend a lot of time outside Idaho.

Complex family situation? Need additional guidance?

Contact a local estate planning attorney.