The ballot question 1 debated in Massachusetts in 2018 is the proposed law, which would limit...

The ballot question 1 ( Massachusetts 2018)

In 2018 Massachusetts witnessed a voting for a proposed law, which would limit the number of patients assigned to nurses. The nurse patient ratio would have been determined by the type of care and medical unit or patient with whom a nurse is working. This limitation for number of patients ranged from ' one patient per One nurse' ( ICU, post anaesthesia patients, obsteterical complications) to 'six patients per nurse'( uncomplicated postpartum cause).

Associated cost with the implementation of the law

This campaign is led by the ' Committee to Ensure safe patient care' supported by Massachusetts Nurses Association) and it is opposed by Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association. The proponents of the law estimates the cost of $47 million a year but the opponents calculated the cost for implementing the law is $1.3 billion in first year and 900 million per year afterthat. This amount is for recruiting the new RN s and maintaining them.

The Massachusetts Health policy Commission(HPC), independently studied the scenario and estimated the cost as $ 676 million to $ 949 million per year.

The expected number of nurses , that to be recruited are 2286 to 3,101. The supporters are protested that the cost calculated by HPC is just inflated one.