Shortage Designations

Designation as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) is often the first step in establishing eligibility for federal and state programs. The Primary Care Office (PCO) works with community and state partners to prepare designation requests for federal review. The office also helps educate providers, citizens and policymakers on the designations.

Contact

To find out if your location is designated, learn your HPSA score and identification number, or check the status of designations pending federal review, contact:

Mark Jordan, Primary Care Office Director
Telephone: (803) 898-0766
Email: jordanma@dhec.sc.gov

 

 

 

What is a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA)?

HPSAs can be established for:

There are three major types of HPSA designations:

 

How are HPSAs and Medically Underserved designations different?

Medically Underserved designations differ from HPSAs:

The same area can be designated as either an HPSA or a Medically Underserved Area/Population. But an area cannot be designated as both a Geographic and Low-Income Population HPSA.

Federal HPSA and MUA designation criteria are available from the Federal Bureau of Health Professions.

 

What are the benefits of HPSA and MUA designations?

More than 30 federal and state programs use the HPSA and/or MUA designation to establish eligibility or match applicants with resources. The following table indicates the role that designations play in some of the more popular benefit programs.

Program
Designation Type Required or Helpful
HPSA
MUA
New Federally Qualified Health Center Any are helpful Must have
New Rural Health Clinic Any Primary Care* Any*
J-1 Visa Waiver Program Any Primary Care or Mental Health Any
HPSA Medicare Bonus Payments Geographic Primary Care** Not Required
Physician Scarcity Area Payments Not Required Not Required
National Health Service Corps Any Primary Care, Dental or Mental Health Not Required
State Rural Provider Incentive Grant Any are helpful Not Required


*   Designation valid until December 31 of the third calendar year from date of federal approval

** Must be listed on Nordian Medicare Web site

 

Am I located in an Underserved Area?

South Carolina Shortage Designation Maps:

For the most accurate and up to date information on the designation status of your area, contact Mark Jordan at (803) 898-0766 or via email at: jordanma@dhec.sc.gov.

 

How do I get my area designated?

The PCO conducts comprehensive provider surveys by service area to assess designation eligibility on a three to four year cycle. The rules for designation are complicated, as are the rules for how designation status affects eligibility for federal and state programs. The PCO works with a local partner (typically the local hospital and/or a community health center) to:

  1. Administer a detailed survey and assessment of available provider capacity to determine eligibility;
  2. Notify and educate all those who might be affected by the designation and encourage consensus on designation strategy.

The PCO then:

  1. Conducts an assessment of designation options;
  2. Prepares designation requests and updates for federal review;
  3. Notifies those affected of changes in designation status.

For information of how to get your area or facility designated, contact Mark Jordan at (803) 898-0766, or email at: jordanma@dhec.sc.gov

Are HPSAs or MUAs an accurate measure of access to health care?

The PCO does not recommend using HPSA or MUA designations as a systematic measure of access to health care. Designation is conducted on a multi-year cycle across the state and may not reflect recent changes in a given health care system. For a more accurate measure, contact the PCO to schedule a Health Care Access Analysis.