FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: March 25, 2008, 9:30 A.M.
CONTACT: Bob Walsh
[email protected]
(702) 486-2436
(702) 460-7223 (cellular)
Living Wills, DNR’s and Other Advance Directives Will be Immediately Available to Authorized Health Care Providers for Emergency and End-of-Life Care
Carson City , NV –Nevadans can now use free electronic storage for living wills, do not resuscitate orders (DNR’s), and other advance directives for end-of-life or emergency care in order to make those documents immediately available to health care providers. The new service, called the Nevada Living Will Lockbox (www.livingwilllockbox.com), was announced today by Secretary of State Ross Miller, whose office designed and will maintain the electronic filing system. The Living Will Lockbox is a secure, web-based registry to which individuals can submit a living will or other advance directive documents to be electronically stored with password restricted access. Advance directive documents typically contain such information as limitations on treatment, type or level of care, and organ or tissue donor instructions.
“I encourage everyone to have an advance directive to ensure that their wishes for treatment and care are known and can be honored,” said Secretary of State Ross Miller. “Such documents are useless if they are not available when it is time for that treatment or care to be provided. The Nevada Living Will Lockbox provides accessible on-demand filing system for advance directives. Whenever necessary, Nevadans and authorized health care providers will be able to easily access the documents quickly. That means better care for patients, and clear direction for health care providers.
“The Secretary of State’s office manages the state’s corporate filing and the statewide voter registration database, so we have the experience to maintain this type of secure Lockbox,” said Miller. “The Living Will Lockbox is about providing Nevadans with the assurance that their wishes regarding the course of their medical treatment will be made available.”
The Nevada Living Will Lockbox was established by the 2007 Nevada State Legislature as the Registry of Advance Directives for Health Care under AB 158, sponsored by Assemblyman David Bobzien. The legislature provided funding to initiate the program, which will be operated at no charge to the taxpayers of Nevada through grants and sponsorships.
Filing an advance directive at livingwilllockbox.com is a simple procedure. Start by creating an advance directive document with the assistance of an attorney, health care professional, or trusted advisor. Obtain a registration agreement from the Secretary of State’s offices in Carson City, Las Vegas or Reno or online at livingwilllockbox.com. The registration agreement gives the Lockbox permission to electronically file. Then mail or fax a copy of the living will or advance directive and the signed completed registration agreement to:
Living Will Lockbox
c/o Nevada Secretary of State
101 N. Carson Street, Suite 3
Carson City, NV 89701-3714
Fax: 775-684-7177
A letter confirming that the documents have been filed with the Lockbox will be sent to the registrant along with a registration ID number on a wallet-size card; Living Will Lockbox contact information; and instructions for accessing the Lockbox, viewing the documents, and making changes to the documents on file. Nevadans who do not want to file an actual advance directive document in the Living Will Lockbox may also use the Locator service. The Advance Directive Locator is stored in lieu of the actual living will or advance directive, and provides the physical location of these documents, without providing the actual content.
Authorized Providers, defined under Nevada law as healthcare providers and facilities, may access the Lockbox through their own registration or using the patient’s registration password if the patient has provided it to them. Authorized providers have secure access to the registry and can therefore immediately determine if a particular patient has a living will or other such document registered with the Living Will Lockbox, and access that patient’s advance directive.
In order to be an Authorized Provider, organizations or individuals must complete and submit the Provider Access Application and Agreement Form to the Secretary of State office. Once approved by the Secretary of State, the Lockbox will contact the provider with instructions and a registration number.
For further information on how to file advance directives in the Lockbox, visit www.livingwilllockbox.com., or contact the Secretary of State’s office at (775) 684-5708.
LIVING WILL LOCKBOX
FACT SHEET
Website Address: www.livingwilllockbox.com
Types of Documents That May Be Filed with THE LOCKBOX:
Commonly referred to as a living will, the term includes:
(1) A declaration governing the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment as set forth in NRS 449.535 to 449.690, inclusive;
(2) A durable power of attorney for health care decisions as set forth in NRS 449.800 to 449.860, inclusive; and
(3) A do-not-resuscitate order as defined in NRS 450B.420.
Who May Use THE LOCKBOX:
Any Nevadan or an Agent defined by NRS 132.045 may establish, store and access Lockbox files. Per NRS 132.045 an “agent” is, “a person authorized to represent or act for another person, including an attorney-in-fact under a durable or nondurable power of attorney and a person authorized to make decisions concerning the health care of another person.”
Cost for Filing with THE LOCKBOX:
There is no cost to create a file or to access
How to Register/File with THE LOCKBOX:
1.Using the assistance of a trusted professional, create the necessary legal documents (living will, etc) that you want to keep on file.
2. Obtain a Registration Agreement form at www.livingwilllockbox.com
3. Complete and sign the form and mail it with the documents to:
Living Will Lockbox
Nevada Secretary of State
101 N. Carson Street, Suite 3
Carson City, NV 89701-3714
4. You will receive confirmation of the registration as well as a password and information on how to access your THE LOCKBOX filings.
Who Can Access the password-protected database?
Only those who have filed and have a password, their authorized representative, or an authorized healthcare provider.
Nevada Secretary of State, Ross Miller. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. Terms of Use
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