If I have not checked either “Yes" or “No" immediately above, my health care agent may admit me only for short-term stays for recuperative care or respite care.
PROVISION OF A FEEDING TUBE
If I have checked “Yes" to the following, my health care agent may have a feeding tube withheld or withdrawn from me, unless my physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner has advised that, in his or her professional judgment, this will cause me pain or will reduce my comfort. If I have checked “No" to the following, my health care agent may not have a feeding tube withheld or withdrawn from me.
My health care agent may not have orally ingested nutrition or hydration withheld or withdrawn from me unless provision of the nutrition or hydration is medically contraindicated.
Withhold or withdraw a feeding tube — Yes.... No....
If I have not checked either “Yes" or “No" immediately above, my health care agent may not have a feeding tube withdrawn from me.
HEALTH CARE DECISIONS FOR
PREGNANT WOMEN
If I have checked “Yes" to the following, my health care agent may make health care decisions for me even if my agent knows I am pregnant. If I have checked “No" to the following, my health care agent may not make health care decisions for me if my health care agent knows I am pregnant.
Health care decision if I am pregnant — Yes.... No....
If I have not checked either “Yes" or “No" immediately above, my health care agent may not make health care decisions for me if my health care agent knows I am pregnant.
STATEMENT OF DESIRES,
SPECIAL PROVISIONS OR LIMITATIONS
In exercising authority under this document, my health care agent shall act consistently with my following stated desires, if any, and is subject to any special provisions or limitations that I specify. The following are specific desires, provisions or limitations that I wish to state (add more items if needed):
1) -
2) -
3) -
INSPECTION AND DISCLOSURE OF
INFORMATION RELATING TO MY PHYSICAL
OR MENTAL HEALTH
Subject to any limitations in this document, my health care agent has the authority to do all of the following:
(a) Request, review and receive any information, oral or written, regarding my physical or mental health, including medical and hospital records.
(b) Execute on my behalf any documents that may be required in order to obtain this information.
(c) Consent to the disclosure of this information.
(The principal and the witnesses all must sign the document at the same time.)
SIGNATURE OF PRINCIPAL
(person creating the power of attorney for health care)
Signature....  Date....
(The signing of this document by the principal revokes all previous powers of attorney for health care documents.)
STATEMENT OF WITNESSES
I know the principal personally and I believe him or her to be of sound mind and at least 18 years of age. I believe that his or her execution of this power of attorney for health care is voluntary. I am at least 18 years of age, am not related to the principal by blood, marriage, or adoption, am not the domestic partner under ch. 770 of the principal, and am not directly financially responsible for the principal's health care. I am not a health care provider who is serving the principal at this time, an employee of the health care provider, other than a chaplain or a social worker, or an employee, other than a chaplain or a social worker, of an inpatient health care facility in which the declarant is a patient. I am not the principal's health care agent. To the best of my knowledge, I am not entitled to and do not have a claim on the principal's estate.
Witness No. 1:
(print) Name.... Date....
Address....
Signature....
Witness No. 2:
(print) Name.... Date....
Address....
Signature....
STATEMENT OF HEALTH CARE AGENT AND
ALTERNATE HEALTH CARE AGENT
I understand that.... (name of principal) has designated me to be his or her health care agent or alternate health care agent if he or she is ever found to have incapacity and unable to make health care decisions himself or herself. .... (name of principal) has discussed his or her desires regarding health care decisions with me.
Agent's signature....
Address....
Alternate's signature....
Address....
Failure to execute a power of attorney for health care document under chapter 155 of the Wisconsin Statutes creates no presumption about the intent of any individual with regard to his or her health care decisions.
This power of attorney for health care is executed as provided in chapter 155 of the Wisconsin Statutes.
ANATOMICAL GIFTS (optional)
Upon my death:
.... I wish to donate only the following organs or parts: .... (specify the organs or parts).
.... I wish to donate any needed organ or part.
.... I wish to donate my body for anatomical study if needed.
.... I refuse to make an anatomical gift. (If this revokes a prior commitment that I have made to make an anatomical gift to a designated donee, I will attempt to notify the donee to which or to whom I agreed to donate.)
Failing to check any of the lines immediately above creates no presumption about my desire to make or refuse to make an anatomical gift.
Signature....     Date....
155.30 Annotation Sub. (1) merely sets out standard language that must be included on health care power of attorney (HCPOA) forms that are distributed or sold in Wisconsin for use by persons who lack legal counsel. That language serves informative and instructive functions. It does not define “health care decisions" in terms of the right to demand any health care that the patient desires. Nothing in the plain language of sub. (1) or the definition of a health care decision under s. 155.01 (5) requires a health care provider to act on a HCPOA's requests or demands for specific treatment that is below the standard of care. Gahl ex rel. Zingsheim v. Aurora Health Care, Inc., 2022 WI App 29, 403 Wis. 2d 539, 977 N.W.2d 756, 21-1787.
155.40 155.40 Revocation of power of attorney for health care.
155.40(1)(1)A principal may revoke his or her power of attorney for health care and invalidate the power of attorney for health care instrument at any time by doing any of the following:
155.40(1)(a) (a) Canceling, defacing, obliterating, burning, tearing or otherwise destroying the power of attorney for health care instrument or directing another in the presence of the principal to so destroy the power of attorney for health care instrument.
155.40(1)(b) (b) Executing a statement, in writing, that is signed and dated by the principal, expressing the principal's intent to revoke the power of attorney for health care.
155.40(1)(c) (c) Verbally expressing the principal's intent to revoke the power of attorney for health care, in the presence of 2 witnesses.
155.40(1)(d) (d) Executing a subsequent power of attorney for health care instrument.
155.40(2) (2)If the health care agent is the principal's spouse or domestic partner under ch. 770 and, subsequent to the execution of a power of attorney for health care instrument, the marriage is annulled or divorce from the spouse is obtained or the domestic partnership under ch. 770 is terminated, the power of attorney for health care is revoked and the power of attorney for health care instrument is invalid.
155.40(2m) (2m)If a principal, after executing a power of attorney for health care, is adjudicated incompetent in this state, the power of attorney for health care remains in effect, except that a court may under s. 54.46 (2) (b), for good cause shown, revoke the power of attorney for health care and invalidate the power of attorney for health care instrument, or limit the authority of the agent under the terms of the power of attorney for health care instrument.
155.40(3) (3)If an individual knows that the power of attorney for health care that named him or her as health care agent has been revoked, he or she shall communicate this fact to any health care provider for the principal that he or she knows has a copy of the power of attorney for health care instrument.
155.40(4) (4)The principal's health care provider shall, upon notification of revocation of the principal's power of attorney for health care instrument, record in the principal's medical record the time, date and place of the revocation and the time, date and place, if different, of the notification to the health care provider of the revocation.
155.40 History History: 1989 a. 200; 2005 a. 387; 2009 a. 28.
155.50 155.50 Duties and immunities.
155.50(1)(1)No health care facility or health care provider may be charged with a crime, held civilly liable or charged with unprofessional conduct for any of the following:
155.50(1)(a) (a) Certifying incapacity under s. 155.05 (2), if the certification is made in good faith based on a thorough examination of the principal.
155.50(1)(b) (b) Failing to comply with a power of attorney for health care instrument or the decision of a health care agent, except that failure of a health care professional, as defined in s. 154.01 (3), to comply constitutes unprofessional conduct if the health care professional refuses or fails to make a good faith attempt to transfer the principal to another health care professional who will comply.
155.50(1)(c) (c) Complying, in the absence of actual knowledge of a revocation, with the terms of a power of attorney for health care instrument that is in compliance with this chapter or the decision of a health care agent that is made under a power of attorney for health care that is in compliance with this chapter.
155.50(1)(d) (d) Acting contrary to or failing to act on a revocation of a power of attorney for health care, unless the health care facility or health care provider has actual knowledge of the revocation.
155.50(1)(e) (e) Failing to obtain the health care decision for a principal from the principal's health care agent, if the health care facility or health care provider has made a reasonable attempt to contact the health care agent and obtain the decision but has been unable to do so.
155.50(2) (2)In the absence of actual notice to the contrary, a health care facility or health care provider may presume that a principal was authorized to execute the principal's power of attorney for health care under the requirements of this chapter and that the power of attorney for health care instrument is valid.
155.50(3) (3)No health care agent may be charged with a crime or held civilly liable for making a decision in good faith under a power of attorney for health care instrument that is in compliance with this chapter. No health care agent who is not the spouse of the principal may be held personally liable for any goods or services purchased or contracted for under a power of attorney for health care instrument.
155.50(4) (4)Subsections (1), (2), and (3) apply to acts or omissions in connection with a provision of a power of attorney for health care that is executed in another jurisdiction if the provision is valid and enforceable under s. 155.70 (10).
155.50 History History: 1989 a. 200; 2003 a. 290; 2019 a. 90.
155.60 155.60 Safeguards.
155.60(1)(1)Nothing in this chapter prohibits an individual from petitioning a court in this state for a determination of incompetency and for appointment of a guardian for an individual who is a principal under this chapter.
155.60(2) (2)If an individual who is a principal is adjudicated incompetent in this state and a guardian is appointed for him or her, the power of attorney for health care executed under this chapter by the principal remains in effect, except that the court may under s. 54.46 (2) (b), for good cause shown, revoke the power of attorney for health care and invalidate the power of attorney for health care instrument, or limit the authority of the agent under the terms of the power of the power of attorney for health care instrument. Unless the court makes this revocation or limitation, the guardian for the individual may not make health care decisions for the ward that may be made by the health care agent, unless the guardian is the health care agent.
155.60(3) (3)Upon receipt of a power of attorney for health care instrument or a statement of incapacity under s. 155.05 (2), a health care facility or health care provider shall acknowledge this receipt in writing and, if the principal is a patient of the health care provider, the health care provider shall include the instrument or the statement in the medical record of the principal.
155.60(4) (4)
155.60(4)(a)(a) Any interested party may petition the court assigned to exercise probate jurisdiction for the county where a principal is present or the county of the principal's legal residence to review whether the health care agent is performing his or her duties in accordance with the terms of the power of attorney for health care instrument executed by the principal. If the court finds after a hearing that the health care agent has not been performing in accordance with the terms of the instrument, the court may do any of the following:
155.60(4)(a)1. 1. Direct the health care agent to act in accordance with the terms of the principal's power of attorney for health care instrument.
155.60(4)(a)2. 2. Require the health care agent to report to the court concerning performance of the health care agent's duties at periods of time established by the court.
155.60(4)(a)3. 3. Rescind all powers of the health care agent to act under the power of attorney for health care and the power of attorney for health care instrument.
155.60(4)(b) (b) If the principal has designated an alternate health care agent and if the powers of the first-designated health care agent are rescinded under par. (a) 3., the alternate health care agent is the health care agent and par. (a), except par. (a) 3., applies.
155.60 History History: 1989 a. 200; 2005 a. 387.
155.65 155.65 Filing power of attorney instrument.
155.65(1)(1)A principal or a principal's health care agent may, for a fee, file the principal's power of attorney for health care instrument, for safekeeping, with the register in probate of the county in which the principal resides.
155.65(2) (2)If a principal or health care agent has filed the principal's power of attorney for health care instrument as specified in sub. (1), the following persons may have access to the instrument without first obtaining consent from the principal:
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2021-22 Wisconsin Statutes updated through 2023 Wis. Act 93 and through all Supreme Court and Controlled Substances Board Orders filed before and in effect on March 22, 2024. Published and certified under s. 35.18. Changes effective after March 22, 2024, are designated by NOTES. (Published 3-22-24)