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Health & Benefits

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Planning for loss of health or life

Resources that help you prepare for a time when you can't make decisions for yourself.

Planning for loss of health or life common questions
Learn about advanced planning options for your health care so you can ensure your wishes are known for future decisions.
FAQ
Power of Attorney (POA) for healthcare
(8 resources)
Power of attorney for health care
A program to help you complete the forms to give another person access to or control of your health care decisions.
Easy Form
How to set up a Power of Attorney for Health Care
Learn the steps to create a Power of Attorney for Health Care.
How-To
Power of Attorney for Health Care common questions
Learn about using a Power of Attorney for Health Care to choose someone to make medical decisions for you.
FAQ
Ending a power of attorney
Learn the steps to formally end a power of attorney for property or health care with links to the forms you need.
How-To
Power of attorney revocation
A program to help you cancel the power that you gave an agent under a Power of Attorney for Healthcare or Property.

Easy Form
Power of attorney resignation
A program to help you complete the forms to resign as an agent for power of attorney.
Easy Form
Power of Attorney for Health Care basics
Learn how to give someone the ability to make health care decisions for you.
Guide
What if you don't have a Power of Attorney for Health Care?
Learn about who can make health decisions for you if you cannot make your own and do not have an agent.
Text article
Living wills and other health directives
(7 resources)
Living will
A program to help you tell others what kind of medical treatment you want if you ever have a terminal illness or injury.
Easy Form
How to create a Living Will
Explains the steps to create a Living Will, who you should share your Living Will with, and how to cancel a Living Will.
How-To
Health care surrogate legal questions
Explains how someone can make medical decisions for another individual who is unable to make such decisions.
Text article
Living Will basics
Learn about using a Living Will to share your wishes about death-delaying medical care with your doctor if you are terminally ill.
Guide
Living Will common questions
Learn who can make a Living Will, when it can be used, and how it is different from other advance directives.
FAQ
Declaration for Mental Health Treatment
Explains the basics about Declaration for Mental Health Treatment forms, including how to complete a declaration.
Text article
Using the POLST form for end of life decision making
Explains the POLST form, which can be used to plan end-of-life medical care. POLST stands for Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment.
Text article
Funeral or burial planning
(3 resources)
Funeral planning and assistance common questions
Explains what happens when someone dies and the different types of help that may be available.
FAQ
Applying for funeral and burial costs from IDHS
Learn who may be eligible for reimbursement for funeral and burial costs from the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and the steps to apply.
How-To
Funeral planning basics
Learn about help that may be available when a loved one dies.
Guide