Marion Medicaid spending on Ambulance, Other Transport Services reaches $32,604 in 2024

In 2024, Medicaid providers in Marion billed $32,604 for services in the Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies category, data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database show. This reflects a 118.8% increase over 2023, when $14,904 in claims were submitted for this type of service.

Medicaid is a public health insurance program financed by both federal and state governments and run at the state level. It provides coverage for people with low income, older adults, children, and those with disabilities, serving as a major part of the U.S. medical system.

Because Medicaid is taxpayer-funded, shifts in local billing indicate how public dollars for health care are distributed in a community.

The “Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies” category is made up of a set of Medicaid-billed services designated by type of care using standardized HCPCS and CPT group codes. To create this analysis, each billing code was assigned to one service category based on numerical ranges and code prefixes, ensuring similar services were grouped together, double counting was avoided, and rankings over time remained accurate.

Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies ranked second in Marion by total Medicaid payments in 2024, despite increases in several service areas.

On a statewide basis, the Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies category was the sixth highest for total Medicaid payments in Alabama in 2024.

During the five years leading up to 2024, Medicaid payments associated with the Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies category in Marion rose by $32,604, with no percentage change. Some periods saw faster growth, particularly year-over-year increases reported in 2023 and 2022.

Although Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies outlays were spread across Marion, 2024 payments were focused largely within a few ZIP codes. That year, ZIP code 36756 recorded $32,603 in Medicaid payments for this service category. Altogether, the top 1 ZIP code made up 100% of Marion’s Medicaid payments linked to Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies for 2024.

Within this service category, a small set of Medicaid billing codes accounted for most payments.

From 2023 to 2024, Medicaid payments for Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies in Marion climbed by 118.8%. This compares with a 29.8% rise in Medicaid claims across all categories in Marion during the same period.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reports that combined state and federal Medicaid costs reached about $871.7 billion in the 2023 fiscal year, or approximately 18% of total national health expenditures—a substantial increase from $613.5 billion in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This marks nearly 40% growth in just a few years, mainly due to higher enrollment and greater utilization during and after the pandemic.

Federal budget actions in the Trump administration have brought proposals to cut federal Medicaid funding and transform the program. For instance, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law in 2025, is expected to reduce federal Medicaid spending by over $1 trillion over 10 years. The law introduces work requirements and higher cost-sharing, which may lower coverage and funding for some beneficiaries. These changes are projected to shift more spending responsibility to the states and restrict the growth of federal Medicaid support even as the program covers many millions across the United States.

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.