Question 1

What is a Asthma healthcare access score?

Accepted Answer

A Asthma healthcare access score measures how easy it is for residents of a US ZIP code to reach asthma specialists who treat asthma. CartoChrome computes the score from CMS NPPES provider data, CMS facility data, and Census demographics using the E2SFCA spatial-access method, then adjusts for social-determinant barriers. Every ZIP is scored 0–100.

Question 2

Which states have the best asthma care access?

Accepted Answer

Nebraska (73/100), Kansas (72), and Iowa (70) rank highest for asthma care on CartoChrome. The national average is 47/100. Rankings reflect specialist density, facility access, and travel time — not treatment outcomes.

Question 3

What is a asthma healthcare desert?

Accepted Answer

A asthma healthcare desert is a ZIP code scoring below 25/100 on CartoChrome's Asthma access score, meaning residents face severe shortages of asthma specialists, long drive times, and compounding socioeconomic barriers. Alaska, Puerto Rico, and Oregon contain the highest share of asthma deserts nationally.

Question 4

How is the Asthma score calculated?

Accepted Answer

The score combines provider density within a RUCA-tier catchment radius, facility proximity weighted by a Gaussian distance decay, and a Social Determinants of Health penalty (insurance, income, transportation, disability, age). Data comes from CMS NPPES, CMS Care Compare, HRSA HPSA designations, and the Census ACS 5-year estimates. Full methodology is published at /methodology/.

Question 5

How often is asthma access data updated?

Accepted Answer

CartoChrome refreshes provider data weekly (NPPES delta), facility ratings monthly (CMS Care Compare), and demographics annually (Census ACS). Asthma scores recompute after every data load — typically within 24 hours of a CMS release.

Asthma

Other Conditions

Asthma

Access to pulmonologists, allergists, and respiratory care

Top 10 ZIP Codes for Asthma

Bottom 10 ZIP Codes for Asthma (Healthcare Deserts)

Explore Asthma Scores

Other Conditions

Access to pulmonologists, allergists, and respiratory care

Top 10 ZIP Codes for Asthma

Bottom 10 ZIP Codes for Asthma (Healthcare Deserts)

Explore Asthma Scores