MH · Healthcare shortage profile
Lae County, MH
HRSA health professional shortage designations and medically underserved status.
- Active HPSAs
- 0
- Population
- -
- Peak shortage score
- 26.0
- MUA Index
- -
The verdict
Lae County, MH currently has no active HRSA shortage designations in the public dataset.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 68160.
Lae County, MH has 0 primary care, 0 mental health, and 0 dental Health Professional Shortage Area designations active according to HRSA. Shortage severity scores and individual HPSA designations are detailed below.
HPSA Scores
Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need.
Medically Underserved Area
This county does not have an active MUA designation.
What the HRSA Data Shows for Lae County
Lae County, MH carries 0 active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the HRSA Data Warehouse: 0 in primary care, 0 in mental health, and 0 in dental. It does not currently hold a Medically Underserved Area designation, though individual HPSAs can still be present at the service-area level.
The county's highest shortage-severity score across the three categories is 26.0, which crosses the 17-point threshold HRSA uses to flag high-priority shortage areas eligible for National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary-care scoring reached 25.0 (0–25 scale). Mental-health scoring reached 20.0 (0–25 scale). Dental scoring reached 26.0 (0–26 scale).
No active HPSA designations are currently published for Lae County in the HRSA Data Warehouse, though it may still appear in adjacent service-area designations.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Lae County, MH · 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.
What to do with Lae County's data
No active designation here today, here is how to confirm the current status and look wider.
- Lae County holds no active HRSA designation today, but designations change every quarter, verify the current status directly with HRSA's official finder. How designations work
- Compare Lae County against the rest of MH, where other counties may carry active shortages. MH overview
HPSA scores describe structural access to care, not the availability of any individual provider. For a specific appointment, contact a provider or your insurer; designations are reviewed by HRSA each quarter.
Counties With a Similar Primary Care Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose HRSA primary-care HPSA score is closest to Lae County's 25.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many healthcare shortage areas does Lae County have?
Lae County, MH has 0 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 0 in primary care, 0 in mental health, and 0 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
Is Lae County a Medically Underserved Area?
Lae 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 an HPSA score mean?
HPSA scores range from 0 to 25 for primary care and mental health (0 to 26 for dental). Higher scores indicate greater shortage severity. Areas with scores of 17 or above are considered high-priority shortage areas eligible for National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement.
What healthcare providers are needed in Lae County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Lae County needs additional providers in . The National Health Service Corps offers loan repayment and scholarship programs for providers who serve in designated shortage areas.
How are HPSA designations used by federal programs?
HPSA designations determine eligibility for over 30 federal programs, including National Health Service Corps placements, Community Health Center grants, Medicare bonus payments (10% for physicians in HPSAs), J-1 visa waiver programs for international medical graduates, and Rural Health Clinic certification. These programs channel billions of dollars annually to underserved communities.
How does Lae County compare to other counties in MH?
Lae County has 0 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 26.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in MH on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where Lae County stands relative to the rest of the country.
Learn More About Healthcare Shortages
Explore more MH shortage data
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 68160. 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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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 lists every HPSA and MUA designation on record for the county. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.