NY estates planning & probate attorney Russel Morgan, Esq. talks about health care proxies in the state of New York. He explains that in New York, a health care proxy serves two primary purposes. First, it allows an individual to appoint an agent to make medical decisions on their behalf if they become unable to do so themselves. Second, it authorizes that agent to access otherwise HIPAA-protected medical records. He emphasizes that it is an extremely important document, and when properly executed, it can also reduce or eliminate the need for a court-appointed guardianship.