How many providers do you need?
Enter your line of business, county count, and urban/suburban/rural mix. Get a specialty-by-specialty minimum and recommended provider table — built for network ops planning meetings.
Configure your network build
Select your LOB, total counties, and the county type breakdown.
Enter 1–200
Breakdown used: 5 urban / 5 suburban / 2 rural (rounded to whole counties)
Medicaid states using enrollment-based ratios: CMS Medicare Advantage and D-SNP standards are county-based, not enrollment-based. Some Medicaid states apply provider-to-enrollee ratios instead. For enrollment-based analysis, use Blueprint Analytics with your actual enrollment projections.
How we calculate
CMS adequacy requirements vary by LOB. Medicare Advantage and D-SNP require more specialist types than Exchange or Medicaid. We filter the specialty list to only the types applicable to your selected LOB.
Per-county minimums differ by geography. Urban counties carry higher specialty minimums; rural counties often get relaxed minimums under access-exception rules. We apply type-specific minimums per county.
Shortage specialties need a recruitment buffer above the bare minimum to ensure a compliant network at filing. Each specialty carries a recommended buffer (10%–40%) based on national supply constraints.
Understanding shortage specialties
Flagged specialties have documented national supply shortages. Plan for extended contracting timelines and higher buffer targets in your project plan.
Severe national shortage. HRSA designates most rural counties as Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). Expect 6–18 month contracting timelines and consider telehealth augmentation to meet adequacy.
Supply concentrated in academic medical centers. Suburban and rural counties frequently fail adequacy on these specialties. Shared-contract arrangements with hospital groups can help.
Rural OB deserts are expanding. Many counties have fewer than 2 OB/GYNs in total — meeting the minimum may require credentialing Certified Nurse-Midwives or telehealth-eligible providers where CMS allows.
Long wait times reduce effective access even when providers are contracted. CMS may assess appointment-availability compliance separately. Contracting more providers than the minimum is strongly recommended.
Ready to build a compliant network faster?
Blueprint tracks every contracted provider, runs automated adequacy scoring county by county, and flags gaps before your filing deadline — not after.