Refusal of anatomical gift · Advance directive
Refusal of anatomical gift vs advance directive
They operate at different times and neither one does the other's job. An advance directive speaks for you while you are alive and cannot speak for yourself. A refusal of anatomical gift operates after death.
The difference that matters
Having one of these does not give you the other.
Side by side
What each one is, and when it operates
- Refusal of anatomical gift
- Refuses donation of your organs, eyes and tissue, and bars anyone else from authorizing it on your behalf. Operates after death. Rests on your state's anatomical gift act, which gives a signed refusal its own section.
- Advance directive
- Refuses specific treatments while you are alive. You choose which: vaccines, blood, or both, and exactly how far each refusal goes. Operates while you are alive, including when you cannot speak for yourself.
Your state
What your own state requires
A refusal only works if it is on the form your state recognizes. Check your state.