MT · Healthcare shortage profile
Meagher County, MT
MUA standing opens this profile: Meagher County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 45.2 (lower index = greater measured need). Population 1,927.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 1,927
- Peak shortage score
- 11.0
- MUA Index
- 45.2
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Meagher 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
- Mental-health shortages
- 11
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Meagher County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 4 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Meagher County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
Source: Census ZCTA–county relationship file joined to this portal's county FIPS set. As of 2026-08-15.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Meagher County, MT 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.
-
Closing Meagher County's active designations would take about 0.7 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.2 primary care, 0.1 mental health, 0.4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
33.3% of Meagher 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).
-
Peak HPSA score 11.0 sits below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Below-17 designations still count as shortages for program geography, but they do not clear the high-priority NHSC placement threshold on this release.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Meagher County carries 3 active designations, above 20% of real US counties. None of those scores clear HRSA's high-priority line of 17 on this release, so the page leads with severity reading rather than a national distribution chart.
State peer position. Meagher County falls in the lower half of MT counties by active-designation volume, at rank 31 of 56. Ties share a rank.
Computed from current designated HPSA rows for every five-digit county FIPS. See the placement methodology.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 30059. Population: 1,927.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA scores
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 Meagher County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Meagher County | mental_health | 11.0 |
| LI - Meagher County | primary_care | 10.0 |
| Meagher County | dental | 8.0 |
Light-burden reading for Meagher County
MUA standing opens this profile: Meagher County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 45.2 (lower index = greater measured need). Meagher County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 11.0 of 25, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 10.0 of 25; Dental care reads 8.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 45.2, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Meagher 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.
Meagher County falls in the lower half of MT counties by active-designation volume, at rank 31 of 56. 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 Meagher County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Meagher County's active designations: about 0.7 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Score neighbours for Meagher County's MUA-led profile
One peer set beside the MUA standing: nearest primary-care HPSA score (10.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Meagher County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Meagher County carries an MUA designation (index 45.2; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- How do Meagher County's HPSA rows sit beside the MUA?
- 3 active HPSA designations (1 primary care / 1 mental health / 1 dental); highest-scored active name is "Meagher County" (score 11.0; mental health; 1,920 people in the service area; ~0.1 FTE still needed on the record; designated 05/18/1994). MUA and HPSA are separate tracks, one does not substitute for the other.
- What does the 11.0 HPSA score mean next to the MUA?
- 11.0 sits below the 17-point high-priority HPSA line. MUA index 45.2 remains a separate need measure.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 30059. 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 30059 (Meagher County, MT), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 11.0; signature MUA index 45.2. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.