Affordable Care Act Sparks Debate About Hospital Staffing and Admission Policy

The Affordable Care Act's anticipated effect on increasing hospital admissions had rekindled a debate as to how many nurses should be on staff to provide patient care. Womens Enews reports:

The Affordable Care Act

, which is expected to boost hospital admissions, has intensified a decades-old battle over the number of nurses who should be available to patients at all times.

National Nurses United

a 185,000-member national nurses union

Silver Spring, Md.

, based in

Florida

Iowa

Michigan

Minnesota

New Jersey

New York

Texas

District of Columbia

, , , , , and --the

U.S. Senate

Championed by , bills vehemently opposed by hospital administrators are working their way through seven state legislatures-- city council and the .

Sen.

Barbara Boxer

the California Democrat

,

Medicare

Medicaid

and

At the federal level, a bill authored by , requires minimum staffing levels in hospitals that receive funds (the insurance programs for the elderly and low-income Americans) and fines up to $250,000 per violation of those staffing minimums.

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