36-2352

36-2352. Designation of medically-underserved
areas

A. The department shall designate areas of medical need in this state as
medically-underserved if either:

1. The area is designated as a health professional shortage area as defined in 42
Code of Federal Regulations part 5.

2. The area is designated as medically underserved by the department of health
services by using an index that measures the following indicators:

(a) The availability of services based on a population to primary care provider
ratio.

(b) The area's geographic accessibility to health care services.

(c) The percentage of the area's population that is at or below a designated
federal poverty level.

(d) The health needs of the area as determined by factors which may include the
incidence of infant mortality, low weight births and inadequate prenatal care.

(e) Other factors indicative of medically underserved areas which may include
unemployment and the presence of farm workers, minorities and the elderly.

B. The department of health services shall submit a report to the president of the
senate and the speaker of the house of representatives beginning October 1, 1996 and
every two years thereafter that reevaluates the criteria, effectiveness and
recommendations for changes, if necessary, to the index. The report shall also include a
summary of the communities designated as medically underserved and a listing of the
programs they were able to utilize based on the medically underserved designation.