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Practice Sites Serving Medically Underserved Populations (Practice-MUPs)

The Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 13, Subchapter C, outlines the rules and criteria for the Designation of Sites Serving Medically Underserved Populations (Practice-MUPs also known as Site-MUPs).

The Texas Occupations Code, §157.051(11), outlines the definitions of a “practice serving a medically underserved population.” Practices that meet the criteria set forth under Texas Occupations Code, §157.051(11)(F) are elegible to receive the Practice-MUP designation. 

Practices that qualify under other definitions, (A) – (E) and (G), are not eligible for designation as Practice-MUPs.

Criteria for Designating Practice-MUPS:

  • Category A: A practice located in an area that has an insufficient number of primary care physicians providing services to patients eligible for federal, state or locally funded health care programs.
    • Criterion A-1: The ratio of population-to-primary care physicians for the practice's service area is above 3,000:1.
    • Criterion A-2: The ratio of population-to-primary care physicians is above 3,000:1 for the geographic area surrounding the practice. This applies to practices that draw patients from a broad geographic area, such as an entire city or county, where the practice's total service areas may not have a ratio above 3,000:1 as required under paragraph (1) of this subsection, but the practice may be located in an area with a shortage of primary care physicians.
  • Category B: A practice that serves a disproportionate number of patients eligible for federal, state or locally funded health care programs.
    • Criterion B-1: Over 50% of the practice's patients are from eligible client populations.
    • Criterion B-2: The proportion of the practice's patients representing eligible client populations is at least twice the proportion of persons in the practice's service area who are eligible client populations.

Applicants for Practice-MUP designation must select one eligibility criterion which best describes their practice.

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