0 Two high-priority disciplines

MI · Healthcare shortage profile

Luce County, MI

Home to 5,339 residents, with 9 active HRSA shortage designations.

Active HPSAs
9
Population
5,339
Peak shortage score
20.0
MUA Index
-

Heavy-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Luce County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 9 active HPSA designations, more than 75% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

9
Active HPSA designations
3
Dental shortages
20
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 25%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Luce County, MI 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. 33.3% of Luce County's 9 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 9).

  2. Closing Luce County's active designations would take about 1.4 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.7 primary care, 0.4 mental health, 0.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. Peak HPSA score 20.0 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.

Luce County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

9 Top 25% higher than 75% 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. Luce County falls in the upper half of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 30 of 83. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 26095. Population: 5,339.

3
Dental HPSAs
3
Primary Care HPSAs

Peak severity scores

Primary Care 18.0
Mental Health 14.0
Dental 20.0

Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Luce County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?

Highest-severity HPSA designations

All 9 active (designated) HPSAs in Luce County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Newberry Chn Health Location dental 20.0
Newberry Chn Health Location primary_care 18.0
Gibson Family Health Center primary_care 17.0
LI-Luce County primary_care 16.0
LI-Luce County dental 16.0
Gibson Family Health Center dental 15.0
Gibson Family Health Center mental_health 14.0
Newberry Chn Health Location mental_health 14.0
Luce County mental_health 13.0

Heavy-burden reading for Luce County

Dental care carries Luce County's deepest shortage reading, 20.0 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 18.0 of 25; Mental health reads 14.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Luce County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.

Volume places Luce County above 75% of real US counties (9 active designations: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 20.0. The table on this page lists the highest-severity records first so a reader can see which named facilities, geographies, or population groups drive that burden without treating the county total as a personal appointment forecast.

Luce County falls in the upper half of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 30 of 83. Heavy-burden counties are where NHSC placement, Community Health Center grant geography, and related federal instruments concentrate; eligibility still follows the designated area and provider type, not the county boundary alone.

Luce County designations by care type

Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).

designations
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs As of 2026

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Luce County, MI · 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 a heavy-burden county

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

  • Luce County's 9 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 MI before you draw conclusions from a single score. MI 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 With a Similar Dental Shortage Score

Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Luce County's 20.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Butte County, CA and Tompkins County, NY.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many healthcare shortage areas does Luce County have?

Luce County, MI has 9 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 3 in primary care, 3 in mental health, and 3 in dental care, according to HRSA data.

Is Luce County a Medically Underserved Area?

Luce County does not currently have a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) designation from HRSA. However, the county may still have individual HPSA designations for specific provider types.

What does Luce County's HPSA score of 20.0 mean?

20.0 in dental care clears 17, HRSA's high-priority line, which is what makes providers here eligible for NHSC placement and enhanced reimbursement.

What healthcare providers are needed in Luce County?

Based on HRSA shortage designations, Luce County needs additional providers in primary care (family physicians, internists, pediatricians), mental health (psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers), and dental care (dentists, dental hygienists). The National Health Service Corps offers loan repayment and scholarship programs for providers who serve in designated shortage areas.

Which federal programs do Luce County's designations unlock?

Luce County's 9 active designations open NHSC placement, Community Health Center grants, the Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, but eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not the county line.

How does Luce County compare to other counties in MI?

Luce County has 9 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 20.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in MI on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where Luce County stands relative to the rest of the country. Score-nearest counties on this release include Butte County, CA and Tompkins County, NY.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 26095. 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.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the HRSA Data Warehouse. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Every figure on PlainHealthAccess is rendered directly from HRSA source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page counts active HPSA rows for FIPS 26095 (Luce County, MI) from the current HRSA release and places that total among all real US counties. Designations describe federal shortage criteria, not appointment availability or care quality for any person. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, review the public data changelog, or report a data issue for this page. Data current as of 2026-08-15.