fundamentals
Default Surrogate Decision Making
Introduction
If a person is unable to make decisions about personal health care, some other person or people must provide direction in decision making. The general term for such person is surrogate decision maker. If there is no Health Care Power of Attorney document in place and no court-appointed guardian or conservator with authority to make health care decisions, then health care professionals usually rely on the next of kin or even a close friend as the default surrogate decision maker. Most states authorize default surrogate decision makers; however, the exact scope of authority and the priority of permissible surrogates vary by state. (See also 