{"data":{"id":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-201d-16","jurisdiction":"us-ma","citation":"Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 201D, § 16","heading":"Lack of proxy; effect","body":"Section 16. In those instances that a health care proxy has not been executed, nothing herein shall preclude a health care provider from relying upon the informed consent of responsible parties on behalf of incompetent or incapacitated patients to the extent permitted by law.\nNothing in this chapter shall invalidate a power of attorney delegating the authority to make health care decisions executed prior to the enactment of this chapter.\nA competent adult's failure to appoint a health care agent or to provide the agent with specific health care instructions pursuant to this article shall create no presumptions regarding the adult's wishes about health care.","path":["Part II","Title II","Chapter 201D"],"source_url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartII/TitleII/Chapter201D/Section16","current_through":"amendments passed before May 31, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-17T05:24:33Z","sha256":"cafe82c6713da169729b5177a282a85ddbcc0935016c695e2cd27b3230433b5d","source_id":"us-ma","stale":false,"prev":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-201d-15","next":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-201d-17"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}