Not a loophole, not a grey area.

Here is how it works and I want it in this account in plain English because I did not know it and almost nobody does.

When a patient cannot make their own decisions, somebody has to.

If the patient has named a health care agent in an advance directive, it is that person.

If they have not, the law provides a default order.

In Wisconsin, as in most states, the order starts with the spouse.