What your family needs to know
Your family needs to know where your papers are, whom you chose to speak for you, and how to find your accounts. Write down the locations and permitted ways to request access. Keep passwords and account numbers out of the plan.
- 7 steps
- Official sources
- Checked October 15, 2026
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Choose who steps in
Write down the person you want contacted first and a backup. Ask whether they are willing to take the role. Talk with a lawyer in your state about documents that give someone authority.
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List where your papers are
Record the location of your original will and any signed power of attorney or health care directive. Tell someone you trust how to find them. Ask your lawyer which originals and copies to keep.
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Make an account list
List each institution and the kind of account you hold there. Record its official contact page. Leave out account numbers, passwords and PINs. Ask each institution what arrangements it accepts while you are well.
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Prepare your phone and email
Set up Apple Legacy Contact or Google Inactive Account Manager where relevant. These cover different situations. Tell the people you choose what you have set up and where to find the instructions.
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Check your benefit permissions
Use Medicare form CMS-10106 for permission to discuss Medicare information. Separately, record your Social Security choices if a payee is needed. These are different arrangements.
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Write your wishes in plain words
Leave a short note about what matters to you, your pets, and whom to call. Keep it separate from legal documents. Ask a lawyer when a wish needs a signed document to take effect.
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Show your family the plan
Ask one person to find the papers and contact list while you are beside them. Fix anything they cannot find. Use the free readiness check to decide what to work on next.
Good to know
Should I put passwords in the plan?
No. Record where your password manager is and which emergency access option you set up. Keep passwords, passcodes, PINs and account numbers out of the plan.
Do I need to finish everything today?
No. Start with the person to call and where the papers are. Choose one account or permission to check next, then return to the remaining items.
Can my adult child help?
Yes, if you want them to. You choose what to share and who takes each role. Keep control of your own accounts and decisions.
What we checked
| Fact | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare needs your permission in writing before 1-800-MEDICARE shares your personal health information with someone else. Form CMS-10106 gives that permission. | Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (03/2026) | Oct 14, 2026 |
| While you are able, you can name up to three people Social Security would consider first to manage your benefits if you ever can't. This is called advance designation of a representative payee. | Social Security Administration | Oct 14, 2026 |
| On an iPhone or iPad, Legacy Contact is under Sign-In & Security in your Apple Account settings. | Apple | Oct 15, 2026 |
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Plan Before You Die isn't connected with Medicare or the U.S. government. Something wrong here? Tell us.
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