Urbana Medicaid spending on transport services reaches $52,564 in 2024

In 2024, Urbana Medicaid providers collected $52,564 in payments for Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. This total was 11.2% higher than in 2023, when providers billed $47,264 for these services.

Medicaid, the joint state and federal health insurance program, covers low-income residents, seniors, children, and people with disabilities and represents a major part of the nation’s health care system. Funding comes from both federal and state sources, as detailed by the Commonwealth Fund.

Since Medicaid spending is supported by taxpayers, variations in local billing reflect how health care funding is distributed within communities.

The “Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies” category includes a set of Medicaid services grouped by type of care, based on specific HCPCS and CPT code ranges. For this article, each billing code is assigned only once to a category to prevent double counting, enabling an accurate comparison of related services across time.

While Medicaid outlays grew in a variety of service groups, Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies placed seventh in Urbana by total Medicaid payments in 2024.

Across Ohio, this category was ranked 11th statewide for total Medicaid spending in 2024.

Over the five-year span preceding 2024, Urbana’s Medicaid payments for Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies climbed $10,057, or 23.7%. Spending gains were especially pronounced in select years, with sizable growth recorded in 2021 and 2022.

Payments for these services in Urbana were spread throughout the city but concentrated in specific ZIP codes. For 2024, the 43078 ZIP code made up the entire $52,564 reported—accounting for 100% of local spending in this category.

Within the category, Medicaid payments were focused on a small number of individual billing codes.

By comparison, Urbana Medicaid payments for Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies rose 11.2% between 2024 and 2023, while payments across all claim categories citywide shifted by 16% during the same period.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, joint federal and state Medicaid spending totaled approximately $871.7 billion in fiscal 2023, representing about 18% of total national health expenses. This figure is a sharp increase from roughly $613.5 billion in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 emergency.

The rise equates to an estimated 40% increase in just several years, with expanded program enrollment and higher utilization notably driving the trend during and after the pandemic.

Recent budget measures enacted during the Trump administration included major provisions to decrease federal Medicaid funding and restructure the program. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, is designed to cut federal Medicaid funding by more than $1 trillion over the next decade. This legislation also introduces new work requirements and greater cost-sharing, potentially lowering coverage and funding for particular groups while moving more costs to states and curbing federal Medicaid growth, even as the program continues serving millions nationwide.

Note: HCPCS codes are shown for context within the category. Category totals and rankings in this article are based on standardized service groupings rather than individual billing codes.

Information in this article was obtained from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The source data can be found here.