[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1919-1921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-00398]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Determining Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas of Greatest
Need
AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Health and
Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: updating of the scoring criteria for determining mental health
professional shortage areas (HPSA) of greatest need.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of section 333A(b)(1) of
the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended by the Health Care
Safety Net Amendments of 2002, 42 U.S.C. 254f-1(b)(1), the Secretary of
HHS shall establish the criteria which she will use to make
determinations under section 333A(a)(1)(A) of the HPSAs with the
greatest shortages. This notice sets forth revised criteria for
determining mental health HPSAs with the greatest shortage. This
updates the previous criteria published on May 30, 2003.
DATES: Effective January 14, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kae Brickerd, Ph.D., Chief, Shortage
Designation Branch, Bureau of Health Workforce, Division of Policy and
Shortage Designation, Health Resources and Services Administration,
11W14 Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857,
301 945-0828, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 332 of the PHS Act, 42 U.S.C. 254e,
provides that the Secretary shall designate HPSAs based on criteria
established by regulation. HPSAs are defined in Section 332 to include
(1) urban and rural geographic areas with shortages of health
professionals, (2) population groups with such shortages, and (3)
facilities with such shortages. The required regulations setting forth
the criteria for designating HPSAs are codified at 42 CFR part 5.
Section 333A(a)(1)(A) of the PHS Act and requires that the Secretary
give priority in the assignment of National Health Service Corps
personnel to entities serving HPSAs with the greatest health
professional shortage. Section 333A(b) of the PHS Act requires that the
Secretary establish criteria specifying the manner in which she
determines HPSAs of greatest shortage and publish the criteria, and any
revisions to the criteria, in the Federal Register. The criteria
established by the Secretary create a method for scoring HPSAs based on
relative shortage.
In the Federal Register notice on May 30, 2003, 68 FR 32531, the
following criteria were identified for determining scores for mental
health HPSAs: population to provider ratio, percentage of the
population below 100 percent of poverty, travel time to the nearest
alternative source of care, the ratio of children under age 18 to
adults age 18-64, the ratio of adults over age 65 to adults age 18-64,
and alcohol and substance abuse prevalence rates. Each factor is given
points and the score is the sum of the points, up to 25. This notice
modifies and provides clarification to the point scale for the
population to provider ratio component of the formula, based on an
assessment that the current point scale for the population to provider
ratio does not adequately reflect the level of shortage. As a result of
the modifications, the point values assigned for some population to
provider ratios will see either a small increase or decrease, while
others may remain unchanged. All other scoring criteria and point
scales remain the same as published in the previous notice.
The point scale published in 2003 for the population to provider
ratio is presented in the following table:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psychiatrist ratio Core mental health ratio Score
------------------------------------------------------------------------
>45,000:0 AND.................... >4,500:0................ 8
>4500:1 and <6000:1\1\.. 7
<20,000:1 and >15,000:1 AND...... >6000:1 and <9,000:1.... 6
<30,000:1 and >15,000:1 OR....... >4,500:1 and <6,000:1... 5
<45,000:1 and > 20,000:1 AND..... >4,500:0 and <6,000:0... 4
>20,000:1 AND.................... >6,000:1................ 3
>30,000:1........................ ........................ 2
>9,000:1................ 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ > = Greater Than; < = Less Than
To reflect the mental health services available in a community,
entities applying for Mental Health HPSAs are encouraged to report on
the number of both psychiatrists and core mental health providers
rendering services. The revised point scale is as follows:
For Geographic High Need and Population HPSAs, as defined in the
designation criteria set forth in 42 CFR part 5, Appendix C, Part 1,
and A.4.
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P
[[Page 1920]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN14JA15.000
[[Page 1921]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN14JA15.001
Dated: January 6, 2015.
Mary K. Wakefield,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015-00398 Filed 1-13-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-C