20 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Chapter 54 - Health Care
Subchapter A. General Provisions
- Section 5421 - Applicability
(a) General rule.--This chapter applies to advance health care directives and out-of-hospital nonresuscitation orders. (b) Preservation of existing rights.--The provisions of this chapter shall...
- Section 5422 - Definitions
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly...
- Section 5423 - Legislative Findings And Intent
(a) Intent.--This chapter provides a statutory means for competent adults to control their health care through instructions written in advance or by health care...
- Section 5424 - Compliance
(a) Notification by attending physician or health care provider.--If an attending physician or other health care provider cannot in good conscience comply with a...
- Section 5425 - Conflicting Advance Health Care Directives
If a provision of an advance health care directive conflicts with a provision of another advance health care directive, the provision of the instrument...
- Section 5426 - Death Not Suicide Or Homicide
The withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from a principal or patient resulting in death, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, shall...
- Section 5427 - Life Insurance
The making of or failure to make an advance health care directive, to request an order or to designate or disqualify a health care...
- Section 5428 - Health Care Instruments Optional
A health care provider, a health care service plan, a health maintenance organization, an insurer issuing disability insurance, a self-insured employee welfare benefit plan,...
- Section 5429 - Pregnancy
(a) Living wills and health care decisions.--Notwithstanding the existence of a living will, a health care decision by a health care representative or health...
- Section 5430 - Effect Of Divorce
(a) General rule.--If the spouse of a principal is designated as the principal's health care agent and thereafter either spouse files an action in...
- Section 5431 - Liability
(a) General rule.--A health care provider or another person may not be subject to criminal or civil liability, discipline for unprofessional conduct or administrative...
- Section 5432 - Criminal Penalties
(a) Criminal homicide.--A person shall be subject to prosecution for criminal homicide as provided in 18 Pa.C.S. Ch. 25 (relating to criminal homicide) if...
- Section 5433 - Forms
(a) Substance of forms.-- (1) An advance health care directive may be in the form provided under Subchapter D (relating to combined form) or...
- Section 5434 - Construction
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as requiring a health care provider to maintain copies of medical records beyond the requirements otherwise imposed...
Subchapter B. Living Wills
- Section 5441 - Short Title Of Subchapter
This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the Living Will Act.
- Section 5442 - Execution
(a) Who may make.--An individual of sound mind may make a living will governing the initiation, continuation, withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment if...
- Section 5443 - When Living Will Operative
(a) When operative.--A living will becomes operative when: (1) a copy is provided to the attending physician; and (2) the principal is determined by...
- Section 5444 - Revocation
(a) When living will may be revoked.--A living will may be revoked at any time and in any manner by the principal regardless of...
- Section 5445 - Emergency Medical Services
(a) General rule.--An emergency medical services provider shall, in the course of providing care to a principal, at all times comply with the instructions...
- Section 5446 - Validity
(a) Living will executed prior to effective date of subchapter.--This subchapter does not limit the validity of a living will executed prior to the...
- Section 5447 - Form
A living will may be in any written form expressing the wishes of a principal regarding the initiation, continuation, withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining...
Subchapter C. Health Care Agents and Representatives
Subchapter D. Combined Form
- Section 5471 - Example
The following is an example of a document that combines a living will and health care power of attorney: DURABLE HEALTH CARE POWER OF...
Subchapter E. Out-of-Hospital Nonresuscitation
- Section 5481 - Short Title Of Subchapter
This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the Out-of-Hospital Nonresuscitation Act.
- Section 5482 - Legislative Findings And Intent
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows: (1) Although cardiopulmonary resuscitation has saved the lives of individuals about to experience sudden, unexpected death,...
- Section 5483 - Definitions
The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly...
- Section 5484 - Orders, Bracelets And Necklaces
(a) Issuance.--An attending physician, upon the request of a patient who is at least 18 years of age, has graduated from high school, has...
- Section 5485 - Revocation
(a) Patient.--If a patient has obtained an order, only the patient may revoke the patient's DNR status. (b) Surrogate.--If a surrogate has obtained an...
- Section 5486 - Absence Of Order, Bracelet Or Necklace
If an order has not been issued by an attending physician, a presumption does not arise as to the intent of the individual to...
- Section 5487 - Emergency Medical Services
(a) Medical command instructions.--Notwithstanding the absence of an order, bracelet or necklace pursuant to this section, emergency medical services providers shall at all times...
- Section 5488 - Advisory Committee
(a) Establishment.--Within 60 days of the effective date of this section, the department shall establish a committee to assist it in determining the advisability...
Last modified: October 8, 2016