HRSA develops shortage designation criteria and uses them to decide whether or not a geographic area, population group or facility is a Health Professional Shortage Area or a Medically Underserved Area or Population.
Find HPSAs, MUAs and MUPs by County, State, Zip code, etc.
HPSAs may be designated as having a shortage of primary medical care, dental or mental health providers. They may be urban or rural areas, population groups or medical or other public facilities.
As of December 27, 2012, there are:
Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) may be a whole county or a group of contiguous counties, a group of county or civil divisions or a group of urban census tracts in which residents have a shortage of personal health services.
Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs) may include groups of persons who face economic, cultural or linguistic barriers to health care.
Contact: sdb@hrsa.gov or 1-888-275-4772. Press option 1, then option 2
These programs benefit Shortage Areas:
Health Center Program grants to providers in underserved areas
Rural Health Clinic Program cost-based reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid
Medicare HPSA Bonus Payment for physicians
National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment and Scholarship Programs for primary care health professionals and students
Indian Health Service Scholarship Program for health professions students
Exchange Visitor Program for foreign physicians with J-1 visas working in shortage areas
Conrad State 30 Program allows States 30 J-1 visa waivers each year in exchange for service in a shortage area