Your ICE card: what to carry so the hospital calls the right person
The short answer
Carry a small card behind your driver's license with your medical power of attorney's name and number, a backup, whether you have a health care directive or POLST and where it is, your doctor, serious conditions and allergies, and who has your key and looks after your pet. Add the same details to your phone's emergency screen.
An in case of emergency card is the smallest document in any plan, and often the first one anyone reads. If you arrive at a hospital unable to talk, the people helping you will look for a name to call. Your wallet and your phone are where that name can be waiting.
What they find decides who gets that call. This post explains what to put on the card, what to leave off, and how to set up your phone to match. It is part of our guide to what happens if you can't speak for yourself.
What should I carry in my wallet in case of a medical emergency?
A card about the size of a driver's license, kept right behind it. The National Institute on Aging notes that some people carry a wallet card saying they have an advance directive and where it is kept (NIA).
Here is what earns a place on it, in order of importance:
- Who decides for you. The name, relationship and mobile number of your medical power of attorney, the person you named to make health care decisions.
- A backup. A second name and number, in case the first doesn't answer.
- Your written wishes. "I have a health care directive" or "I have a POLST," and where a copy is kept.
- Your doctor. Name and phone number of your primary care doctor.
- Serious conditions and allergies. Diabetes, a heart condition, a blood thinner, a penicillin allergy.
- Home and pets. Who has your key, and a line like "Dog at home, neighbor Carol has a key."
That last line seems small. It's the one that lets you stop worrying about the dog while someone else handles the rest.
A sample card
| Line | Example |
|---|---|
| Medical power of attorney | Joan Ellis (friend), 206-555-0142 |
| Backup | David Ruiz (nephew), 503-555-0190 |
| Written wishes | Health care directive on file with Dr. Patel; copy in kitchen drawer |
| Doctor | Dr. Anita Patel, 206-555-0117 |
| Conditions and allergies | Atrial fibrillation; takes a blood thinner; allergic to penicillin |
| Home | Beagle at home. Neighbor Carol (No. 14) has a key, 206-555-0163 |
The names and numbers above are made up. Use real ones, and check they still work each year.
What should I leave off?
A wallet can be lost or stolen, so keep the card to what a stranger needs in the first hour. Leave off:
- Your Social Security number, bank or card numbers, and any passwords.
- Your full medical history. Conditions that change emergency care are enough.
- Long instructions. The card points to your documents; it doesn't replace them.
Does the card give anyone legal authority?
No, and this is the part worth understanding. A card tells the hospital who to call. Authority comes from signed documents.
When a patient can't consent, Washington law gives doctors a list of people to ask, in order. A court-appointed guardian comes first, then the person you named in a durable power of attorney that covers health care. Then come a spouse or registered domestic partner, adult children, parents and siblings (RCW 7.70.065).
A close friend sits at the end of that list, with a sworn declaration the provider may rely on but isn't required to. So if the person on your card is a friend, the card works best when that friend is also named as your medical power of attorney. Other states use different lists; our post on the next-of-kin order explains how they play out.
Can the hospital talk to the person on my card?
Usually, yes. Under the federal privacy rule, a hospital may notify a family member or another person responsible for your care about your location and general condition. If you can't agree because you're incapacitated, staff may use professional judgment about what is in your best interest (45 CFR 164.510).
The same rule lets providers share relevant information with a close personal friend or any other person you've identified. A card is one way of identifying them.
Does a wallet card count as a POLST or DNR?
Not in Washington. A POLST is a medical order signed with a clinician, for people who are seriously ill.
The Washington State Medical Association says medics in Washington aren't allowed to act on a pocket card, bracelet or necklace by itself. Those can only prompt them to look for the POLST form itself (WSMA).
At home, WSMA says to keep the bright green POLST form in a prominent place. It also says photocopies and faxed copies are valid, and that Washington has no state POLST registry (WSMA).
So if you have a POLST, your card can say "POLST on the refrigerator." Our post on POLST vs advance directive vs DNR explains who needs which.
Set up your phone to match
Your phone can carry the same details. Both major phone systems let you put emergency information on the lock screen, readable without your passcode.
| Phone | Where to set it up | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | Health app, then your profile picture, then Medical ID. Turn on Show When Locked | Apple says first responders can see allergies, conditions and emergency contacts from the Lock screen. Share During Emergency Call sends it to emergency services when you call or text them (Apple) |
| Android | Safety app, then Your info. Add medical information and emergency contacts, then turn on Show when locked | Google warns that anyone who picks up your phone can see this information (Google) |
Use the same names and order as your wallet card. Label each contact with the role, for example "Joan, medical power of attorney," so a nurse knows who decides.
Keeping the card current
A card with a disconnected number is worse than no card. Check it once a year; your birthday works well.
Update it sooner when someone moves, changes phones, or can no longer serve. Update it also when you sign a new document or get a new diagnosis. Give a matching copy of the details to the person named on it, so they aren't surprised by the call.
A Kinly membership card carries one more line: a number for a team on call 24/7/365 with the member's care plan in front of them. It doesn't replace naming people; it gives the hospital someone who can answer at 3 a.m. and knows what you wrote.
A quick checklist
| Done? | Item |
|---|---|
| Medical power of attorney signed, and a backup named | |
| Wallet card behind your driver's license, with both names and numbers | |
| Health care directive or POLST location written on the card | |
| Doctor, serious conditions and allergies listed | |
| Key holder and pet line added | |
| Phone emergency screen set up, with the same names | |
| Card checked every year |
For the person on the card, see our post on who to list as an emergency contact. If a pet is part of your picture, who takes care of your dog tomorrow covers the short-term plan. For everything else in one list, see the end-of-life planning checklist.
Common questions
What is an ICE card?
ICE stands for "in case of emergency." It's a small card, usually kept behind your driver's license. It tells first responders and hospital staff who to call and where your medical wishes are written down.
Who should I list on my emergency card?
List the person you named as your medical power of attorney first, then a backup. If you haven't named anyone yet, list the person you'd most want called. Then consider naming them as your medical power of attorney so they can also decide.
Does my phone's emergency screen replace a wallet card?
It helps, but carry both. A phone can be locked, broken or out of battery, and a card can be lost. Put the same names on each. In Washington, a POLST is followed only from the form itself, not from a card or phone.
Should I put my medical conditions on an ICE card?
Yes, but only the ones that change emergency care, such as heart conditions, diabetes, blood thinners and serious allergies. Keep the full list in your phone's emergency screen or with your doctor.
Is an emergency contact the same as a medical power of attorney?
No. An emergency contact is someone to call. A medical power of attorney is someone with legal authority to make health care decisions when you can't. The best card lists a person who is both.
Sources
- National Institute on Aging: Advance care planning, advance directives for health care
- RCW 7.70.065: Persons authorized to provide informed consent for patients without capacity
- 45 CFR 164.510: Uses and disclosures requiring an opportunity to agree or object (Legal Information Institute)
- Washington State Medical Association: POLST
- Apple Support: Set up your Medical ID in the Health app on your iPhone
- Google Android Help: Get help during an emergency with your Android phone
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Laws vary by state.