Medically Underserved Area Two high-priority disciplines

KY · Healthcare shortage profile

Casey County, KY

Peak severity leads this reading: Casey County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 15,941.

Active HPSAs
3
Population
15,941
Peak shortage score
19.0
MUA Index
49.0

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Casey County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 3 active HPSA designations, more than 20% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

3
Active HPSA designations
1
Dental shortages
19
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 80%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Casey County, KY on its own pages , computed from the retained designation mirror as of 2026-08-15. Each line carries its own denominator so it can be quoted as it stands.

  1. Peak HPSA score 19.0 clears HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.

    Scores at or above 17 on the 0–25/26 scales open NHSC placement priority for the matching provider type; eligibility still follows the designated area, not the county boundary alone.

  2. Closing Casey County's active designations would take about 15 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.7 primary care, 9.9 mental health, 2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of Casey County's 3 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 3).

Casey County's mid-pack ZIP footprint

15 Census ZCTAs intersect Casey County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.

Largest land-share ZCTAs

7 additional ZCTAs intersect this county in the crosswalk (ordered by land share).

Source: Census ZCTA–county relationship file joined to this portal's county FIPS set. As of 2026-08-15.

Casey County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

3 Top 80% higher than 20% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more real US counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs · 2026

State peer position. Casey County falls in the lower half of KY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 68 of 120. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 21045. Population: 15,941.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 49.0

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 15.0
Mental Health 18.0
Dental 19.0

Current designated records only. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?

Highest-severity HPSA designations

All 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Casey County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI - Casey County dental 19.0
Lake Cumberland Mhca mental_health 18.0
Casey County primary_care 15.0

Light-burden reading for Casey County

Peak severity leads this reading: Casey County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Casey County's deepest shortage reading, 19.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 15.0 of 25; Mental health reads 18.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 49.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Casey County carries 3 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 20% of counties). A light footprint still matters: a single high-score dental or mental-health record can open program geography even when the county total looks small next to heavy peers.

Casey County falls in the lower half of KY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 68 of 120. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.

Light-volume FTE gap for Casey County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Casey County's active designations: about 15 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Casey County, KY · 2026 HRSA designation data updated quarterly; HPSA scores 0-25 (primary/mental) and 0-26 (dental); higher = greater shortage severity. Coverage tiers from U.S. Census ACS PUMS + KFF state tracker.

Acting on Casey County's designations

Casey County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Casey County's 3 active designations make providers here eligible for National Health Service Corps loan repayment, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
  • See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of KY before you draw conclusions from a single score. KY overview
  • Check whether an area clears HRSA's 3,500:1 population-to-provider threshold with the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score. HPSA score lookup

HPSA scores describe shortage severity within HRSA's designation criteria, not the availability of any individual provider. For a specific appointment, contact a provider or your insurer; use HRSA's current tools to verify a designation.

Counties near Casey County's dental score of 19.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 19.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI - Casey County”).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Casey County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Casey County carries an MUA designation (index 49.0; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
Which record sets Casey County's peak score of 19.0?
"LI - Casey County" leads the active set (score 19.0; dental; 8,036 people in the service area; ~2 FTE still needed on the record; designated 08/06/2021). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Casey County's severity reading?
After "LI - Casey County", the next active names on this release are "LI - Casey County", "Lake Cumberland MHCA" and "Casey County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~15 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 21045. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) , BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_MH.csv (mental health) and BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_DH.csv (dental) — download the normalized export on our open data page. PlainHealthAccess is not affiliated with HRSA or any government agency.

HRSA Data Warehouse HPSA + MUA/P records for FIPS 21045 (Casey County, KY), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 19.0; signature peak score 19.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.