Search

Medically Underserved Areas/Populations

Medically Underserved Area/Population (MUA/P) designation is a prerequisite to apply for grant awards to plan, develop and operate a health center under Section 330 of the U.S. Public Health Service Act. The designation attests that the health center will serve a medically underserved area or a medically underserved population. Designation is based on a scoring system of criteria related to health care underservice - Index of Medical Underservice (IMU) score.

MUA/P scoring is based on:

  • primary care providers per 1,000 population
  • % of population below poverty
  • infant mortality rate
  • % of population over 65

Values are weighted to create a final IMU score. A score of 62.0 or less out of 100 points qualifies for designation as an MUA/P. It is important to note that MUA/P designation does not qualify a site for National Health Service Corps placement nor ensure that the site receives federal funding.

Click here for detailed guidelines and criteria for requesting an MUA/P designation.

Click here to view a list of current MUA/P sites or call the League to find out if a certain area or population is currently designated.