Headache Vault Research Program
The data behind the access gap in headache disorder care.
Three releases through 2026. Each adds a layer to the picture — where the patients are, what stands between them and treatment, and how wide the prescribing gap has grown. All data CC BY 4.0.
The Vault was built by a chronic migraine patient with a background in policy and systems design. The data on this page exists because measuring the access crisis precisely is the first step toward changing it. For the full story, see the About page.
Research Releases
Headache Disorder Population Estimates
Census-calibrated estimates of headache disorder prevalence across 33,772 ZIP code tabulation areas — the first publicly available ZCTA-level file using migraine-specific prevalence rates calibrated to Burch et al. (2021). Includes a proposed patient complexity framework for workforce planning, offered as a basis for clinical and policy discussion.
Prior population estimates apply a single national rate to total population counts. This dataset applies sex- and age-specific prevalence rates — separately for men and women across age bands — to the demographic composition of each ZCTA. A community with a high proportion of women ages 25–55 will have a substantially higher estimated prevalence than a flat rate would suggest; a retirement community will have less. The result is a more accurate denominator for workforce planning in any given geography.
40.2M Americans estimated to live with migraine — 10.9M meet criteria for preventive therapy. Available by ZCTA, congressional district, and state.
Census ACS 2023 · Burch et al. (2021) · 33,772 ZCTAs · CC BY 4.0
Explore the data →Provider Landscape & Proposed Clinic Levels
Medicare prescribing data for PCPs, general neurologists, NPs, and PAs who treat migraine patients — plus a proposed clinic level framework for headache medicine workforce planning, offered as a basis for clinical and policy discussion.
CMS Medicare Part D · All 50 states · CC BY 4.0
The Primary Care Prescribing Gap
How many primary care physicians who treat migraine patients have never prescribed a CGRP-targeting therapy — by state, by congressional district, and by metro area. The analysis that connects population data, provider supply, and prescribing behavior into a single access picture. Payer policy database releases alongside as open infrastructure.
CMS Medicare Part D · All 50 states · CC BY 4.0
Policy Partnership
Built in partnership with the headache advocacy community.
The Headache Vault research program was developed in consultation with Headache on the Hill and the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy. The prescribing gap data and payer policy database are designed to support congressional briefings, state policy conversations, and advocacy for prior authorization reform.
For research collaboration, data use, or policy partnership inquiries: alex@headachevault.com
Methodology
How the data is built.
Population estimates use sex- and age-specific migraine prevalence rates calibrated to Burch et al. (2021), applied to U.S. Census ACS 2023 data across all 33,772 ZIP code tabulation areas. Rates are applied separately to men and women across age bands — not as a single national average — so communities with atypical demographic compositions (younger urban populations, older rural communities, military bases) receive estimates that reflect their actual population structure. Provider counts separate UCNS-certified headache specialists from advanced headache prescribers — the two populations are never combined.
Payer policy data is sourced from primary documents — formulary PDFs, medical policy bulletins, and state legislative records. Each record carries a confidence classification. Full methodology and open research questions are documented separately.
Full methodology and research questions →License & Citation
✓ CC BY 4.0Last updated: Q1 2026All Index data is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). You may use, share, and adapt this data for any purpose — including commercial and research uses — with attribution.
Doty A. Headache Vault Access Index. The Headache Vault; 2026.
headachevault.com/research