1. A. Every 24 months, the Department shall prepare, according to this Section, a primary care index for designating primary care areas determined under R9-24-204 as Arizona medically underserved areas.

   1. 1. For each primary care area determined under R9-24-204, the Department shall calculate the value for each criterion in subsection (B).

      1. a. After calculating the value for each criterion in subsection (B), the Department shall assign points to each value according to Table 2.1.
      2. b. A primary care area’s score is the sum of the points received by the primary care area for each criterion in subsection (B).

   2. 2. The Department shall designate as Arizona medically underserved:

      1. a. The primary care areas that, according to subsection (B) and Table 2.1 score within the top 25 percent on the primary care index or that obtain more than 30 points, whichever results in the designation of more Arizona medically underserved areas; and
      2. b. The primary care areas with the designation described in R9-24-202(1).

2. B. For each primary care area determined by the Department under R9-24-204, the primary care index shall include a score for each of the following:

   1. 1. Population-to-primary-care-physician ratio, determined by dividing the population of the primary care area by the number of primary care physicians in the primary care area:

      1. a. Using primary care physician data from the Arizona Medical Board and the Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery,
      2. b. The Department shall determine an equivalency for a full-time physician where 40 hours equals 1 and 20 hours equal 0.5.

   2. 2. Travel distance to the nearest primary care physician, determined by:

      1. a. Estimating the distance in miles:

         1. i. From the center of the most densely populated area in the primary care area determined from the most recent American Community Survey prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau; and
         2. ii. To the nearest primary care physician determined from the data described in subsection (B)(1)(a); and
      2. b. Using the most direct street route;
   3. 3. Percentage of population with calendar year income less than 200% of the Federal poverty level, determined from data in the most recent American Community Survey prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau;
   4. 4. Percentage of population who do not have health insurance as determined by the most recent American Community Survey prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau;
   5. 5. Low birthweight rate percent of births;
   6. 6. Late or no prenatal care percent of births;
   7. 7. Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births;

   8. 8. Supplementary criteria score, based on a rate greater than the state wide average for:

      1. a. Percentage of population age 65 and older;
      2. b. Percentage of population age 14 and younger;
      3. c. Percentage of population with a disability;
      4. d. Percentage of communities of color; and
      5. e. Percentage of population who speaks a language other than English.

3. C. Every 24 months, according to subsections (A) and (B) and Table 2.1, the Department shall:

   1. 1. Withdraw an Arizona medically underserved area designation,
   2. 2. Continue an Arizona medically underserved area designation, or
   3. 3. Designate a new Arizona medically underserved area.
4. D. A list of current Arizona medically underserved areas is available in the Department’s biennial Arizona Medically Underserved Areas Report at http://www.azdhs.gov/hsd/.
5. 1. Percentage of population age 65 and older;
6. 2. Percentage of population age 14 and younger;
7. 3. Percentage of population with a disability;
8. 4. Percentage of population who are communities of color; and

Table 1. Renumbered

Historical Note

New Table adopted by final rulemaking at 7 A.A.R. 715, effective January 17, 2001 (Supp. 01-1). Amended by final rulemaking at 12 A.A.R. 3048, effective September 30, 2006 (Supp. 06-3). Table 1 renumbered to Table 2.1 by final expedited rulemaking at 26 A.A.R. 1991, with an immediate effective date of September 4, 2020 (Supp. 20-3).

Table 2.1. Primary Care Index Scoring

In addition to the criteria specified in R9-24-203(B) and listed above, if a primary care area satisfies one or more of the following supplementary criteria, add one additional point to the primary care area score for each supplementary criteria satisfied.

Supplementary criteria score, based on a rate greater than the state wide average for:

Historical Note

Table 2.1 renumbered from Table 1 and amended by final expedited rulemaking at 26 A.A.R. 1991, with an immediate effective date of September 4, 2020 (Supp. 20-3).

Historical Note

Adopted effective July 27, 1978 (Supp. 78-4). R9-24-203 recodified from R9-24-123 (Supp. 95-2). Section repealed; new Section adopted by final rulemaking at 7 A.A.R. 715, effective January 17, 2001 (Supp. 01-1). Amended by final rulemaking at 12 A.A.R. 3048, effective September 30, 2006 (Supp. 06-3). Amended by final expedited rulemaking at 26 A.A.R. 1991, with an immediate effective date of September 4, 2020 (Supp. 20-3).