Description: The 2021 session of the Indiana Legislature saw major changes to Indiana’s laws governing health care decision making, especially concerning end-of-life care and naming a health care representative/proxy in the event of incapacity. Attorney Keith P. Huffman will discuss the practical impact of these laws both on health care organizations and individual patients.

This session will describe in detail the 2021 changes to the health care consent laws in Indiana, and will explore the various tools available to patients for designating health care proxy decision makers and setting out their wishes for end-of-life care. Important topics to be covered include:

1. How the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in an era of change in health care representative appointments and the mechanics for preparing and signing such documents (including remote witnessing)

2. Explanation of the changes to Indiana’s health care consent law

3. Discussion of various health care directives and other decision-making tools, and how they work together, including
   1. Health care advance directives
   2. POST forms
   3. Out of hospital DNRs
   4. Living wills

4. Explanation of new “opt-in” or “opt-out” provisions in the new law governing Indiana health care advance directives

Webinar Date: This was presented as part of IHIMA’s 2023 Annual Meeting – April 3, 2023

Duration: 1 hour

Speaker: Attorney Keith P. Huffman has been serving clients throughout Northeast Indiana for over thirty years in the fields of elder law and estate planning. He is the Senior Partner at Dale, Huffman and Babcock, where he has built a successful practice focused on treating every client with dignity, respect, and legal excellence. Keith received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Adrian College as a collegiate athlete and obtained his Juris Doctorate from Indiana University. Keith is an active member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) since 1998, where he has previously served as President of the Indiana Chapter.

Keith’s passion for serving clients with advanced care needs extends beyond the walls of the law firm as he serves as Chairperson the Board of Directors for Northeast Indiana’s Aging & In-Home services. In addition to his service on the Board he is a highly active contributing member and a driving force of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), which opened summer 2021 in Allen County. Keith also serves on the Visiting Nurse & Hospice Board in Fort Wayne.

Keith has served as a past chairperson elect for the Elder Law Section of the Indiana Bar Association, is a current member of the Ethics Committee at Bluffton Regional Medical Center, and was named the Citizen of the Year by the Wells County Chamber in 2003. He has been named Best Attorney by the Fort Wayne Newspaper and the Bluffton News-Banner. Keith was the 2016 recipient of the nationwide Powley Award, which annually recognizes one NAELA member that demonstrate a commitment to serving the elderly of the community.

Keith is a regular faculty member and speaker at the annual Elder Law Institute, Indiana Bankers Association Mega Conference, various Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum (ICLEF) events, and the Allen County and Indianapolis Bar Associations. Keith stays at the forefront of statewide Medicaid legislation and prides himself on being a resource and educator to colleagues inside the firm and throughout the state of Indiana.

Click HERE to register for this webinar!

Cost: $25 Members/ $35 Non-Members

1 AHIMA CEU*

Domain: Revenue Cycle Management

*AHIMA CEUs are also accepted by the AAPC. Check eligibility on the AAPC website.