Document Type

Report

Publication Date

4-14-2008

Publisher

George Washington University, School of Public Health and Health Services, Department of Health Policy

Series

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative Policy Research Brief No. 2

Keywords

Underserved Populations; Community Health Centers; Health Homes

Abstract

Numerous safety net programs and health care providers depend on Medically Underserved Area and Population (MUA/P) and Health Professional Shortage (HPSA) designations to qualify for federal funding, physician subsidies and placement, and health-related investments to improve access to care for communities and populations at high risk of poor health. These resources are particularly critical for federally-qualified health centers at a time when the number of uninsured is growing and the capacity of the safety net shrinking. On February 29, 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a proposed regulation to alter the way these designations are made. This report provides the first up-to-date analysis of the effects of the new regulations; the impact analysis contained in the Federal Register notice was based on 1999 data, while this one uses data from 2005.

Comments

Released: April 14, 2008; revised: May 1, 2008.

Open Access

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