My girlfriend and I are traveling throughout France in May '20. In the unlikely event that one of us ended up in the French medical system with COVID-19, would the other need something akin to a temporary power of attorney to receive medical information and/or make treatment decisions with local healthcare professionals? If so, where does one get such a document, duly recognized by local authorities?
Thanks
Sean
OK, this isn't France. When I went into hospital some years ago for emergency surgery here in Switzerland I was asked who my next of kin was. That person then got regular info when I was "under" for many days.
If the patient is conscious, I guess the other wiould have no problem being "kept in the loop".
I also doubt you will be able to obtain any authorisations valid in France when you are not yet in France.
Best to check the law in France regarding healthcare decision making. It’s a very good question since you are not a spouse nor next of kin.
This is a short in the dark -- What about having a couple of cross documents in which you each designate the other person to receive and make decisions. Somewhat equal to a medical power of attorney but more informal. Then it is up to the medical facility to decide if they accept but at least your have a clear indication of intent. I don't know how further you can go. Great question.
"Why would it be unlikely that you get covid in France, since they are a few days away from declaring a phase 3... "
Thanks, but the question isn't about the likelihood of getting COVID-19 in France. Rather, its about privacy/POA requirements were one to end up hospitalized in the French medical system. My MS wasn't virology, but I don't believe there's a 1:1 ratio of cases-to-hospitalization for non-'at risk' populations, hence, "unlikely".
As Chris points out, Frank and JVB support, this could be germane for anyone hospitalized when traveling with someone other than family. I'll reach out to the US Embassy/France, and see if they have any guidance, sharing whatever they have to offer. Thanks for the quick feedback.
Sean
Well, Frau Merkel said yesterday that 60% of Germans could get infected with coronavirus. This is probably an extreme point of view; were it so, we will be talking about one million dead in Germany only. But let me tell you, in a couple of weeks your opinion will be different. When an epidemic goes exponential, people change their mind in two days.
I received the following from the US Embassy Paris 12/3/20 0800 EST regarding Power of Attorney in France. Kudos to the Consular Section for their quick turnaround on this question. Sean
Dear Mr. ,
Thank you for your message.
You may get a Power of Attorney form notarized by a notary public in the United States. If you are in France, this may be done at the U.S. Consular Sections in Paris, Marseille or Strasbourg: https://fr.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/notarial-services-all-nationalities-3/.
Sincerely,
Consular Section
United States Embassy
American Citizen Services Unit/pt
4, avenue Gabriel
75382 Paris Cedex 08
France
Telephone in France: 01 43 12 22 22
Telephone from U.S.: (011 33) 1 43 12 22 22
We would have all that paperwork for our grandchild when traveling. I would just get a medical POA done and notorized and carry it with you. If you try to do it at the AMerican EMbassy they will charge you a hefty fee for the service.
You can download a fill-in the blank P of A form at this site:
http://templatelab.com/power-of-attorney/#Medical_Power_of_Attorney
Awesome! Thanks to you both.
Sean
Impossible to get an appointment at any Consulate right now except for emergency situations. In normal times, the Marine at the gatehouse will stop you from entering, especially for anything non-essential.
Sean, thank you for this thread. PoA is not something I had thought about, especially since my husband will not travel
Legal documents which are not written in French or are not translated into French by a court approved interpreter are unlikely to have legal standing. You can always try.
All - glad to add some value. :)
Tocard - thanks for your suggestion regarding translation of the document. I've reached out to the French Embassy in DC for guidance and will share any pertinent feedback I receive. Sean
Here is a list of government approved translators for Paris and surrounding areas.
https://www.courdecassation.fr/IMG///202001029_liste_ca_Paris_experts.pdf
English translators start on page 273.
Official translations currently cost around 50€ per page.
