ID · Healthcare shortage profile
Bear Lake County, ID
Designation volume is the standout signal for Bear Lake County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Population 6,372.
- Active HPSAs
- 9
- Population
- 6,372
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- -
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Bear Lake 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
- Mental-health shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 25%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Bear Lake County, ID 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.
-
Peak HPSA score 17.0 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.
-
Closing Bear Lake County's active designations would take about 9.1 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.5 primary care, 8.5 mental health, 0.1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
33.3% of Bear Lake 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).
Bear Lake County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
10 Census ZCTAs intersect Bear Lake County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.
Largest land-share ZCTAs
2 additional ZCTAs intersect this county in the crosswalk (ordered by land share).
Source: Census ZCTA–county relationship file joined to this portal's county FIPS set. As of 2026-08-15.
Bear Lake 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
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. Bear Lake County falls in the upper quarter of ID counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 44. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 16007. Population: 6,372.
Single high-priority discipline
Bear Lake County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 3 active mental health designations to Bear Lake County , with a peak score of 17.0. Other care categories may still be designated here, but none of them clear HRSA's high-priority score line of 17 on the current release, NHSC and related instruments concentrate on the mental health records.
Peak severity scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Bear Lake 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 Bear Lake County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| District 6 - Southeastern Mental Health Catchment Area | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Bear Lake Internal Medicine | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Bear Lake Family Care & Ob/gyn | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Bear Lake Family Care & Ob/gyn | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Bear Lake Internal Medicine | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - Bear Lake County | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Bear Lake Family Care & Ob/gyn | dental | 13.0 |
| Bear Lake Internal Medicine | dental | 13.0 |
| LI - Bear Lake County | dental | 10.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Bear Lake County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Bear Lake County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Bear Lake County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 17.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 16.0 of 25; Dental care reads 13.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Bear Lake County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Volume places Bear Lake 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 17.0. 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.
Bear Lake County falls in the upper quarter of ID counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 44. 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.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Bear Lake County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Bear Lake County's active designations: about 9.1 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Bear Lake County's high-priority mental health
Bear Lake County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Bear Lake County's high-priority mental health designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's mental health burden compares with the rest of ID before drawing conclusions from a single score. ID overview
- Check the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score against HRSA's designation thresholds. 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 Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Bear Lake County's 17.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Lafourche County, LA and Dane County, WI.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Bear Lake County (9 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 9 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes up Bear Lake County's 9 active HPSA designations?
- 9 Designated rows (3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "District 6 - Southeastern Mental Health Catchment Area" (score 17.0; mental health; 6,000 people in the service area; ~8.5 FTE still needed on the record; designated 05/24/2021). Also active: "BEAR LAKE INTERNAL MEDICINE", "BEAR LAKE FAMILY CARE & OB/GYN", "BEAR LAKE FAMILY CARE & OB/GYN". Above 75% of real US counties by volume.
- Why is Bear Lake County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Bear Lake County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Bear Lake County?
- Peak active score 17.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 9 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Bear Lake County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 9.1 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "District 6 - Southeastern Mental Health Catchment Area" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Bear Lake County's designation volume?
- 9 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Bear Lake County's volume compare inside ID?
- 9 active HPSA rows · peak 17.0. Bear Lake County falls in the upper quarter of ID counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 44. Score-nearest counties on this release include Lafourche County, LA and Dane County, WI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 16007. 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 16007 (Bear Lake County, ID), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 9; peak score 17.0; signature 9 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.