---
kind: "section"
citation: "45 C.F.R. § 155.1055"
title: "45"
number: "155.1055"
heading: "Service area of a QHP."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/45/155.1055"
---

# §155.1055. Service area of a QHP.


The Exchange must have a process to establish or evaluate the service areas of QHPs to ensure such service areas meet the following minimum criteria:

- (a) The service area of a QHP covers a minimum geographical area that is at least the entire geographic area of a county, or a group of counties defined by the Exchange, unless the Exchange determines that serving a smaller geographic area is necessary, nondiscriminatory, and in the best interest of the qualified individuals and employers.
- (b) The service area of a QHP has been established without regard to racial, ethnic, language, health status-related factors specified under section 2705(a) of the PHS Act, or other factors that exclude specific high utilizing, high cost or medically-underserved populations.

## Notes

### Source

Source: 77 FR 18467, Mar. 27, 2012, unless otherwise noted.

### Authority

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 18021-18024, 18031-18033, 18041-18042, 18051, 18054, 18071, and 18081-18083.

### Source

Source: 77 FR 11718, Feb. 27, 2012, unless otherwise noted.