suburban or rural area in the United States, an area that has a population that is underserved by general surgeons. (b) Study and report (1) Study The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall conduct a study on the following matters relating to access by underserved populations to general surgeons: (A) Whether current shortage designations, such as the designation of health professional shortage areas under section 332, results in accurate assessments of the adequacy of local general surgeons to address the needs of underserved populations in urban, suburban, or rural areas. (B) Whether another measure of access to general surgeons by underserved populations, such as one based on general surgeons practicing within hospital service areas, would provide more accurate assessments of shortages in the availability of local general surgeons to meets the needs of those populations. (C) Potential methodologies for the designation of general surgery shortage areas, including the methodology described in paragraph (2). (2) Methodology for the designation of areas Among the methodologies considered under paragraph (1)(C) for the designation of general surgery shortage areas, the Secretary shall analyze the effectiveness and accuracy of the following methodology: (A) Development of surgery service areas Development of surgery service areas through the identification of hospitals with surgery services and the identification of populations by zip code areas using Medicare patient origin data. (B) Identification of surgeons Identification of all actively practicing general surgeons. (C) Surgeon to population ratios Development of general surgeon-to-population ratios for each surgery service area. (D) Thresholds Determination of threshold general surgeon-to-population ratios for the number of general surgeons necessary to treat a population for each of the following levels: (i) Optimal supply of general surgeons. (ii) Adequate supply of general surgeons. (iii)