Here is how the Registry works:

People register their advance directive and/or organ donor information by registering through a member Health Care Provider, Community Partner, or directly through the Registry. Some member Providers and Partners offer the service free of charge to their patients, clients, members, employees and the public. They complete a Registration Agreement that gives the Registry permission to send a copy of their document to any authorized provider. Once registered, they are registered for life. The Registry agrees not to release personal information to any party other than health care providers, so information is kept private and confidential, just like a medical record.
The document is electronically stored in the Registry's computer along with the registrant's emergency contact information.
The registrant is sent confirmation of their registration and labels to affix to their insurance card & driver's license, and a wallet card stating that their advance directive is registered.
The registrant is contacted annually by mail to confirm that the advance directive has not been changed or revoked, and to update personal and emergency contact information. This annual update is free; there is never a charge to the registrant for annual updates and continued registration.
Member Health Care Providers can also register documents WITHOUT a Registration Agreement. These documents are stored in that Provider's Living Vault^®. The Living Vault^® can be thought of as an extension of the medical records department. Access to documents stored in a Provider's Living Vault^® is restricted to that Provider. In this way a Provider can register ALL advance directives, including documents already filed in the record room and documents for patients who choose not to sign the Registration Agreement on admission. Different facilities belonging to the same Health System are considered to be the same "Provider", and can, therefore, access each others Living Vault^®. This is a great way for different facilities within the same Health System to share documents, and is a very economical way to instantly create a comprehensive system to manage advance directives throughout an entire Health System.
The Registry is funded by Health Care Providers who pay an annual fee for unlimited 24 hour a day access to the Registry's automated system for document retrieval via telephone or Internet. Membership also allows the Provider's patients to register their documents.
Health Care Providers can contact the Registry 24 hours a day to gain access to advance directives, organ donor information and emergency contact information, or simply to inquire as to whether any patient has an advance directive. Member health care providers can use the automated service to request documents from the Registry by telephone (1-800-LIV-WILL) or via the secure Internet web site. Member health care providers are assigned Identification Numbers and Access Codes to use when contacting the Registry. Providers have the option of receiving documents from the Registry by fax or via encrypted Internet transmission. By gaining secure access to the Registry's automated system and entering the patient's registration # or social security number, health care providers can retrieve a copy of an advance directive, along with emergency contact and organ donor information in a matter of seconds. Providers can also search for a document by name and date of birth. Health care providers that are not members of the Registry can still access documents, but they cannot use the automated system. Non-member providers can obtain documents via Internet using the wallet card, and if the card is not available, they can contact the Registry by phone and provide information about their facility and about the person whose document they are trying to retrieve. Registry personnel will perform a manual transmission of the document.