Medically Underserved Areas/Populations are areas or populations designated by HRSA as having too few primary care providers, high infant mortality, high poverty or a high elderly population.

What does underserved patient mean?

“Underserved,” by its literal definition, implies a decreased level of service or access to health care. People who are underserved face systemic and institutional barriers which prevent them from accessing health care and/or receiving the same quality of health care as people not facing those barriers.

Which most accurately defines a medically underserved area?

A medically underserved area (MUA) is an area with a lack of medical care services as determined by the number of primary medical care physicians per 1,000 population, infant mortality rate, percentage of the population with incomes below the poverty level, and percentage of the population 65 years or older.