Map & Data: Health Resources and Services Administration (@HRSAgov)
Website: HRSA Medically Underserved Areas/Populations
Beyond The Map: National Public Health Week 2022 - Accessibility: Closing the Health Equity Gap
MUA is the acronym for a Medically Underserved Area. MUP stands for Medically Underserved Population. These names are types of physician shortage designations. MUAs and MUPs are government-recognized designations that serve as proof that a given community or population has a shortage or under-service of medical professionals.
Hospitals and health clinics need MUAs in order to apply to become a Federally Qualified Health Center or to compete for a Visa-waiver physician placement. To communities that have a shortage of primary care practitioners, a MUA is the minimum government designation that will target Federal money to a community in the way of increased Medicare reimbursements to Federally Qualified Health Centers.