Wisconsin Primary Care Programs

Why are Shortage Designations Important?

Overview of Shortage Designations and Eligibility for Federal/State Benefits (PDF, 41 KB)

Rural Health Clinics (RHC):  Federal Shortage Designations & Linked Benefits (PDF, 118 KB)

There are a number of federal and state benefits that are linked with Health Professional Shortage Area designations (HPSAs) and/or Medically Underserved Area/Population designations (MUA/Ps). These benefits are designed to encourage health professionals to work in rural and inner-city shortage areas and increase access to primary care, dental care and mental health services. 

Provider Payment Incentives Linked with HPSAs or Governor's Designation for RHCs

• Medicare HPSA bonus (exit DHS):  10% bonus payment for covered physician or psychiatrist services in geographic HPSAs (primary care and mental health HPSAs respectively)
• Medicare HPSA surgical incentive payment (exit DHS):  10% bonus payment for general surgeons for major surgical procedures performed in geographic primary care HPSAs. 
• Wisconsin Medicaid HPSA bonus:  20% reimbursement bonus for covered services by primary care physicians, advanced practice nurses and physician assistants located in a HPSA or serving recipients living in a HPSA (includes a 50% bonus for certain Obstetric services).  
• Rural Health Clinic Certification:  Certified RHCs are eligible for Medicare (exit DHS) and Medicaid cost-based reimbursement for outpatient services in rural HPSAs or rural MUAs or Governor Designated Shortage Areas for RHCs.

Provider Recruitment Resources Linked with HPSAs or MUA/Ps

• National Health Service Corps recruitment assistance (exit DHS):  Student loan repayment for clinicians and placement of scholarship recipients at sites in high-scoring primary care, dental and mental health HPSAs. 
• Wisconsin Loan Repayment program (exit DHS):  Student loan repayment for clinicians at sites in high-need primary care, dental and mental health HPSAs. 
• J-1 Visa Waivers for Foreign Physician Recruitment:  State recommendations for J-1 visa waivers to recruit foreign physicians into HPSAs or MUA/Ps. 

Federal Community Health Center Funding Linked with MUA/Ps

• Non-profit community organizations located in MUA/Ps are eligible to apply for federal grants under the Community Health Centers Program (exit DHS) (community health center, migrant health center, health care for the homeless, public housing health center). 
• Federally funded community health centers are then eligible for cost-based reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid as federally qualified health centers (FQHCs).

Health Professions Training Resources Linked with HPSAs and MUA/Ps

• Health professions academic training programs who apply for many of the education and training grants from the federal Bureau of Health Professions (exit DHS) are given a funding preference if they can demonstrate that they recruit students from and if their graduates serve populations in designated HPSAs and MUA/Ps.

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Last Revised: February 22, 2013