Legal Definitions - Uniform Health-Care Decision Act

The Uniform Health-Care Decision Act (UHCDA) is a model statute created in 1993 to help people make advance directives. An advance directive is a legal document that allows you to make decisions about your medical care in advance, in case you become unable to make those decisions later on.

For example, let's say you have a serious illness and you're worried that you might not be able to make decisions about your medical care in the future. You can use an advance directive to specify what kind of medical treatment you want or don't want, who you want to make decisions for you, and other important information.

The UHCDA is designed to make it easier for people to create advance directives and to ensure that those directives are followed. It provides a framework for creating and enforcing advance directives, and it encourages healthcare providers to respect the wishes of patients who have made these documents.