Chowchilla Medicaid spending for Medicine Services and Procedures climbs to $61,548 in 2024

In 2024, Medicaid providers in Chowchilla billed a total of $61,548 for services within the Medicine Services and Procedures category, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. This amount represents a 14.9% rise from 2023, when providers billed $53,567 for the same type of care.

Medicaid is a state-administered public health insurance program, jointly funded by the federal and state governments. It provides coverage for low-income residents, families, older adults, children, and people living with disabilities, making it a major element of the U.S. health care system.

Since taxpayer resources fund Medicaid payments, shifts in local billing help illustrate how public health care spending is distributed in each area.

The “Medicine Services and Procedures” category includes services billed to Medicaid as defined by standardized HCPCS and CPT code groups. This analysis assigned each billing code to one service category using uniform code prefixes and ranges, ensuring related services could be tracked together, avoiding duplication and supporting accurate comparisons over time.

Though Medicaid spending rose in numerous service categories, Medicine Services and Procedures was the third-largest category in Chowchilla by total Medicaid payments during 2024.

Across California, Medicine Services and Procedures also ranked in third place for total Medicaid spending in 2024.

In the five years prior to 2024, Medicaid payments for Medicine Services and Procedures in Chowchilla grew by $29,319, a 91% increase. Spending growth quickened in certain years, with significant annual jumps in both 2021 and 2020.

Although Medicine Services and Procedures claims came from across Chowchilla, most Medicaid funding for this category was concentrated in a small number of ZIP codes. In 2024, ZIP code 93610 accounted for $61,547, making up 100% of all Medicaid payments tied to Medicine Services and Procedures for the city that year.

Payments within the Medicine Services and Procedures category were also heavily focused on a limited group of individual billing codes.

By comparison, Medicaid payments for Medicine Services and Procedures in Chowchilla increased 14.9% from 2023 to 2024, versus a 0.7% change for all Medicaid claim categories within the city during that period.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, combined federal and state Medicaid spending was about $871.7 billion in fiscal 2023, making up approximately 18% of total national health expenses—up significantly from $613.5 billion in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This increase marks nearly 40% growth over a few years, mainly due to expanded enrollment and greater service use during and after the pandemic.

Recent federal budget measures enacted under the Trump administration included broad proposals for federal Medicaid funding cuts and restructuring. For instance, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” passed into law in 2025, is estimated to reduce federal Medicaid spending by over $1 trillion over 10 years and establish rules like work requirements and higher cost-sharing, which could limit funding and coverage for specific groups. As a result, states may be required to shoulder additional costs and face tighter growth in federal support, even as Medicaid continues to serve millions nationwide.

Note: HCPCS codes are listed for context within this category. Category totals and rankings in this report are based on standardized groupings rather than specific billing codes.

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