Data Source

All data comes directly from the HRSA Data Warehouse, maintained by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This is the authoritative federal source for healthcare shortage area designations.

What We Map

• Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs): Geographic, population-group, and facility-based designations identifying areas with insufficient healthcare providers. HPSAs are designated for three provider types: primary care (physicians), mental health (psychiatrists and other mental health professionals), and dental care (dentists). Each HPSA receives a severity score on a 0 to 25 scale (0 to 26 for dental), where higher scores indicate greater shortage severity and higher priority for federal resources. See the HRSA HPSA designation guide.
• Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs): Designations identifying areas with a shortage of personal health services, calculated using the Index of Medical Underservice (IMU). The IMU is a composite score based on four variables: the ratio of primary care providers to population, the infant mortality rate, the percentage of the population with incomes below the federal poverty level, and the percentage of the population aged 65 and older. An IMU score below 62.0 qualifies an area as medically underserved.

Coverage

PlainHealthAccess maps shortage area designations across 3,291 counties in all 50 states and US territories, covering all three HPSA designation types (primary care, mental health, dental) and MUA designations.

Processing Pipeline

1. Download raw HPSA and MUA designation files from the HRSA Data Warehouse
2. Parse designation type, HPSA score, designation status (active/withdrawn), and geographic identifiers (county FIPS codes)
3. Map designations to counties and states using FIPS codes
4. Compute county-level summaries: active HPSA count, population-under-shortage estimates, MUA designation status
5. Aggregate to state-level: total HPSAs, total population in shortage areas, count of counties with at least one designation
6. Load into our geographically indexed database

HPSA Scores

HPSA scores measure shortage severity. Higher scores indicate greater need. For primary care, scores range from 0 to 25; for dental, 0 to 26; for mental health, 0 to 25. Scores are determined by HRSA using provider-to-population ratios, distance to nearest provider, and other access factors.

Data Vintage and Update Frequency

HRSA reviews and updates HPSA and MUA designations on a rolling basis. New designations are added as communities apply for and receive shortage area status, and existing designations are reviewed for continued eligibility. HRSA publishes updated designation files through the Data Warehouse quarterly, though individual designation changes may be processed more frequently. PlainHealthAccess refreshes its database when HRSA publishes updated designation files.

Accuracy Commitment

PlainHealthAccess reproduces HRSA designation data exactly as published. HPSA scores, designation types, population estimates, and geographic assignments are presented without modification. When a county has multiple overlapping HPSA designations (which is common, a county can have separate primary care, mental health, and dental HPSAs, each covering different geographic areas or populations), all active designations are reflected in the county profile. Withdrawn or expired designations are excluded.

Standards & References

Shortage-area designations sit within a wider federal health framework. HRSA administers the HPSA and MUA programs, but related standards come from several authoritative bodies. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sets the reimbursement and bonus-payment rules tied to HPSA status. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes the population-health measures that contextualize access gaps. The American Medical Association (AMA) defines the physician workforce and specialty classifications behind provider-to-population ratios. The Joint Commission (JCAHO) accredits the facilities that deliver care in these areas, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets the safety standards for the treatments those providers offer. We cite these bodies for context only, PlainHealthAccess reproduces HRSA designation data and does not issue clinical guidance.

Limitations

• HRSA reviews designations on an ongoing basis; actual provider availability and healthcare access conditions in a community may differ from the most recently published designation data.
• Geographic HPSA designations represent entire service areas and may not capture shortage conditions within smaller sub-county areas or individual neighborhoods.
• Population-group HPSAs (designated for specific demographic groups such as migrant farmworkers or low-income populations) may not be fully reflected in county-level summaries that focus on geographic designations.
• The number of HPSA designations in a county does not directly measure healthcare access quality, designations reflect provider-to-population ratios and other factors, not patient outcomes or satisfaction.
• This data is for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. PlainHealthAccess is not affiliated with HRSA, HHS, or any government agency.

Contact

Questions about our methodology? Contact us.