---
title: "Beds, Users & Plan Limits"
description: "How NICE HMS links beds to users (1 user = 2.5 beds), enforces the user limit below 20 users / 50 beds, and keeps the bed rule on every plan."
date: 2026-09-13
lastModified: 2026-09-13
category: "pricing"
author: "Dr. Umesh Bilagi"
beta: false
---

## Overview

Your subscription is described by a single number: **users** (`maxUser`). Beds are
never stored separately — they are always derived from users at a fixed ratio of
**1 user = 2.5 beds**. This means:

- **20 users = 50 beds**
- **40 users = 100 beds**

There are two limits that grow out of this number, and they behave differently
depending on your plan size.

## The two limits

| Limit | What it controls | When it applies |
|-------|------------------|-----------------|
| **User limit** | How many users (and visitors) you can create | Only **below** 20 users / 50 beds |
| **Bed rule** | How many in-progress inpatient beds you can occupy at once | **Always**, on every plan |

## Below 20 users / 50 beds

For organizations below the 20-user / 50-bed boundary, **both** limits apply:

- Non-visitor roles are capped at your purchased user count (`maxUser`). Nurses are
  added under the **Visitor** role, which has a larger allowance of `users × 2.5` —
  so your **total** active users (regular + nurses) can reach `maxUser × 2.5`, with
  only `maxUser` of them being non-nurse roles. Inactive users don't count.
- You can occupy up to your purchased beds (`users × 2.5`), plus a safety buffer of
  50% for in-progress lag (a patient being discharged or a summary being finalized).

If you need more users or beds, upgrade your plan or add extra users.

## At 20 users / 50 beds and above

At the 20-user / 50-bed boundary the **user limit is lifted**:

- You can create **unlimited users**, including visitors — there is no user cap.
- The **bed rule still applies**. Your bed allowance continues to be
  `users × 2.5` plus the 50% buffer, and in-progress inpatient encounters are
  capped against that allowance.

In practice this means a large organization pays per bed (by setting its user
count), but is no longer blocked from adding staff.

## The bed rule in detail

When you admit a patient to an inpatient bed (`Encounter` with class `IMP` and
status `in-progress`), NICE HMS checks the total in-progress inpatient count against
your allowance:

```
allowance = ceil( maxUser × 2.5 × 1.5 )
```

The `1.5` is a configurable buffer that gives you 50% headroom for discharge
summaries and in-progress lag. If the in-progress count would exceed this
allowance, the admission is blocked with a message asking you to discharge finished
encounters or purchase additional beds.

The bed rule applies on **all** plans. The only exception is a manual exemption
(`bedCountRule = false`) which is honored **only below** 20 users; at 20+ users it
is ignored.

## Downsizing your plan

When you renew and reduce your user count, NICE HMS checks that the smaller plan is
still valid:

1. **Tier boundary** — an organization already at or above 20 users / 50 beds cannot
   downsize below that boundary. The move from unlimited users back to a capped plan
   is not allowed.
2. **Active users** — a smaller organization (≤ 20 active users) cannot shrink its
   plan below its current active-user count. Inactivate unwanted users first, or
   increase the user count to match.
3. **In-progress beds** — the new plan must still fit your current in-progress
   inpatient beds (`ceil(users × 2.5 × 1.5)`). If it doesn't, finish/discharge
   in-progress encounters first.

## Where to see your limits

- **Public pricing page** (`/pricing`) — shows the users↔beds relationship and the
  two-limit policy.
- **Reseller buy form** — shows a live "Total: N users / X beds" line that flips to
  "no user limit" at 20+ users.
- **Reseller → My Organizations** — a "Limit" column shows either
  "Unlimited users (50+ beds)" or "`N` users / `N × 2.5` beds".

## FAQ

**Q: How are beds calculated from users?**
A: `beds = users × 2.5`. There is no separate bed field — beds are always derived
from your user count.

**Q: What happens at exactly 20 users / 50 beds?**
A: Your user limit is lifted (unlimited users and visitors), but the bed rule still
applies at `ceil(20 × 2.5 × 1.5) = 75` in-progress beds.

**Q: Can a large organization downsize below 50 beds?**
A: No. An organization at or above 20 users / 50 beds cannot cross back below that
boundary.

**Q: Does the bed rule apply to outpatients?**
A: The bed rule keys off in-progress **inpatient** (`IMP`) encounters. Outpatient
(OPD) visits are not bed-limited.