Step 1: How do you check whether your area is a shortage area?

Before navigating the system, understand what type of shortage your area faces. Healthcare shortages are designated in three categories — primary care, mental health, and dental — and your area may be designated in one, two, or all three. The type of shortage determines which resources and programs are available to you.

Use PlainHealthAccess state data or the county search to check your area's designation. For official HRSA data, visit HRSA's HPSA Finder.

Step 2: Find Your Nearest FQHC

Federally Qualified Health Centers are the single most important resource for healthcare in shortage areas. These community-based organizations are specifically funded and located to serve underserved populations. Key facts about FQHCs:

• They accept everyone — no one is turned away regardless of insurance status, immigration status, or ability to pay
• Sliding-scale fees — charges are based on your income. If your income is below the federal poverty level, care may be free or very low cost
• Comprehensive services — most FQHCs offer primary care, dental care, mental health and substance abuse services, pharmacy, and care coordination under one roof
• Over 15,000 sites nationwide — including mobile clinics and school-based health centers in some areas
• Staffed by NHSC providers — many FQHC clinicians are National Health Service Corps members specifically recruited to serve in shortage areas

Find your nearest FQHC using HRSA's Health Center Finder at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov. Enter your address or zip code to see nearby health centers with their services, hours, and contact information.

Step 3: Explore Telehealth Options

Telehealth has transformed access for people in shortage areas, particularly for mental health care. If your nearest provider is hours away, a telehealth visit may be accessible from home.

• Mental health — Therapy and psychiatric medication management are well-suited to video visits. Many telehealth platforms specialize in mental health and accept insurance including Medicaid
• Primary care — Follow-up visits, chronic disease management, medication refills, and many acute symptoms can be assessed via telehealth. Your FQHC may offer telehealth appointments
• Specialty consultations — Some systems offer telehealth specialist consultations where a local primary care provider connects with a distant specialist during your visit

Check whether your insurance covers telehealth (most do since 2020). If you are uninsured, some telehealth providers offer reduced rates, and FQHCs may include telehealth in their sliding-scale fee structures.

Step 4: Look for Community Health Resources

Beyond FQHCs, several community-level resources serve shortage areas:

Rural Health Clinics

Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) are a separate designation from FQHCs, specifically for rural shortage areas. They receive enhanced Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement to support financial viability in low-volume settings. RHCs must be staffed by a physician or mid-level provider and are often the only medical provider in remote communities.

Free and Charitable Clinics

Roughly 1,400 free clinics operate nationwide, staffed largely by volunteer providers. They serve uninsured and underinsured patients with no charge. Quality varies, and services are typically limited to primary care and some dental care, but they fill a genuine gap in communities where FQHCs are not present. The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics maintains a finder at nafcclinics.org.

Community Health Workers

Community Health Workers (CHWs) serve as bridges between healthcare systems and underserved communities. They help with navigation — connecting people to available services, assisting with insurance enrollment, arranging transportation, and following up on care plans. Many states fund CHW programs specifically in shortage areas. Ask your local health department or FQHC if CHW services are available in your area.

Hospital Charity Care

Nonprofit hospitals are required to provide charity care as a condition of their tax-exempt status. If you need hospital-level services and cannot afford them, ask about the hospital's financial assistance program. Eligibility criteria vary, but many hospitals write off or reduce bills for patients below 200-400% of the federal poverty level.

Step 5: Understand Your Insurance Options

Insurance coverage is often the difference between accessible and inaccessible care, even in shortage areas:

• Medicaid — If your income qualifies, Medicaid provides comprehensive coverage with minimal out-of-pocket costs. In states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA, adults earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level qualify. Check your state's eligibility at healthcare.gov
• Marketplace plans — ACA marketplace plans with premium subsidies may be available if your income is too high for Medicaid. Open enrollment runs November through January, but qualifying life events (job loss, moving, marriage) allow special enrollment periods year-round
• CHIP — Children's Health Insurance Program covers children in families that earn too much for Medicaid but cannot afford private coverage. Most states cover children up to 200-300% of the federal poverty level

Step 6: Mental Health and Crisis Resources

If you or someone you know is in a mental health crisis and provider access is limited:

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988 for immediate crisis support, available 24/7. Trained counselors provide support and can connect you with local resources
• Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741 for text-based crisis counseling
• SAMHSA Helpline — Call 1-800-662-4357 (HELP) for substance abuse and mental health treatment referrals, available 24/7, free, and confidential
• Your FQHC's behavioral health team — Many FQHCs offer same-day behavioral health appointments for urgent needs

For more on the mental health shortage specifically, see our guide on the mental health provider shortage.

Step 7: Dental Care in Shortage Areas

Dental care access is often the most difficult to solve in shortage areas, because dental providers are scarcer than medical providers in many communities:

• FQHCs with dental clinics — Not all FQHCs offer dental services, but many do. The HRSA Health Center Finder shows which locations include dental care
• Dental schools — University dental programs provide reduced-cost care performed by supervised dental students. Quality is generally high and costs are 50-70% below private practice rates
• Remote Area Medical (RAM) clinics — These periodic free clinics, held in rural and underserved areas, provide dental care alongside medical and vision services. Demand typically far exceeds supply — arrive early
• State dental programs — Many states have dental programs for low-income adults beyond Medicaid dental benefits (which are often limited for adults)

See our guide on the dental care shortage in America for more on the scope of the problem.

Advocacy: Making Your Voice Heard

Shortage designations are not permanent — they can be improved through targeted recruitment, policy changes, and community advocacy. Actions you can take:

• Contact your state legislators to support NHSC funding and state-level provider recruitment programs
• Advocate for Medicaid reimbursement rate increases in your state — higher rates attract more providers
• Support FQHC expansion in your community
• Encourage local hospitals to partner with telehealth services and expand charity care programs
• Use PlainHealthAccess rankings data to support advocacy with concrete evidence about your area's shortage severity