Federal Register #2026-09056

Updated Criteria for Maternity Care Health Professional Target Areas (MCTA)

This notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces updated criteria for determining Maternity Care Health Professional Target Areas (MCTA). - Government Buyer: - Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services - No vendors or OEMs are involved; this is not a procurement opportunity - Key Updates: - Removal of the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) from the MCTA scoring system - Reallocation of SVI points to: - Population-to-full-time equivalent maternity care health professional ratio - Travel time/distance to nearest accessible maternity care outside the MCTA - Aim to improve measurement of access to maternity care providers and support recruitment/retention in rural communities - Public Comments: - HRSA summarizes feedback, including concerns about SVI removal and suggestions for alternative metrics - No products or services are being requested or procured

Description

HRSA published a 30-day public notice soliciting feedback on updated criteria for determining maternity care target areas (MCTA). The update involves removing the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) criterion and reallocating its points to the population-to-full-time equivalent maternity care health professional ratio and travel time/distance to the nearest accessible care outside the MCTA. The notice responds to comments received and sets forth updated MCTA scoring criteria. The updated criteria aim to better measure access to maternity care providers and support recruitment and retention in rural communities.

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