MA H1591

Amends Chapter 201D, Section 2 of Massachusetts General Laws to allow an attending physician to designate another willing physician as a proxy decision-maker when a patient's designated healthcare agent, proxy, or alternate is unavailable, unwilling, or incompetent to make decisions

Requires the attending physician to make reasonable efforts to contact the patient's existing proxy decision-maker before designating a replacement

Mandates independent confirmation of the patient's lack of decisional capacity by another physician, an advanced practice nurse collaborating with a licensed physician, or a court

Requires consultation with and consensus from the medical ethics committee of the healthcare facility before the physician proxy designation can proceed, with the designated physician's identity documented in the medical record

Explicitly states the provision shall not be construed as authorizing physician assisted suicide