Health Care Decisions Act

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This is Article 8 of the Code of Virginia, titled “Health Care Decisions Act.” It is part of Chapter 29 “Medicine and Other Healing Arts”, which is part of Subtitle III “Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions”, which is part of Title 54.1 “Professions and Occupations”.

It’s comprised of the following 23 sections.

§ 54.1-2981 Short title
§ 54.1-2982 Definitions
§ 54.1-2983 Procedure for making advance directive; notice to physician
§ 54.1-2983.1 Participation in health care research
§ 54.1-2983.2 Capacity; required determinations
§ 54.1-2983.3 Exclusions and limitations of advance directives
§ 54.1-2984 Suggested form of written advance directives
§ 54.1-2985 Revocation of an advance directive
§ 54.1-2985.1 Injunction; court-ordered health care
§ 54.1-2986 Procedure in absence of an advance directive; procedure for advance directive without agent; no presumption; persons who may authorize health care for patients incapable of informed decisions
§ 54.1-2986.1 Duties and authority of agent or person identified in § 54.1-2986
§ 54.1-2986.2 Health care decisions in the event of patient protest
§ 54.1-2987 Transfer of patient by physician who refuses to comply with advance directive or health care decision
§ 54.1-2987.1 Durable Do Not Resuscitate Orders
§ 54.1-2988 Immunity from liability; burden of proof; presumption
§ 54.1-2988.1 Assistance with completing and executing advance directives
§ 54.1-2989 Willful destruction, concealment, etc., of declaration or revocation; penalties
§ 54.1-2989.1 Failure to deliver advance directive
§ 54.1-2990 Medically unnecessary health care not required; procedure when physician refuses to comply with an advance directive or a designated person's health care decision; mercy killing or euthanasia prohibited
§ 54.1-2991 Effect of declaration; suicide; insurance; declarations executed prior to effective date
§ 54.1-2992 Preservation of existing rights
§ 54.1-2993 Reciprocity
§ 54.1-2993.1 Qualified advance directive facilitators; requirements for training programs