Medicaid paid $1,375 for COVID-19 services in Calico Rock in 2024, up 58% over previous year

Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database show Medicaid payments in Calico Rock reached at least $1,375 in 2024 for services billed using HCPCS codes specifically linked to COVID-19. That figure represents a 58.2% rise from 2023, when $869 in claims tied to those codes were submitted by providers.

Comparisons to previous years in this report reference the most recent prior year with complete data.

Medicaid, administered by the states and financed through both federal and state funding, covers eligible low-income individuals, including seniors, children, people with disabilities, and families. It is one of the largest components of the U.S. health care system.

As Medicaid spending relies on taxpayer contributions, any fluctuations in local billing reflect how public health dollars are distributed within a community.

COVID-19–specific HCPCS codes, labeled or classified as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus”-related in billing or reference data, were used for this analysis. The totals only include services directly identified as COVID-related and do not encompass pandemic-related health care billed under broader or different codes.

Jonesboro reported the highest COVID-19–related Medicaid payments in Arkansas for 2024, reaching $328,664 in virus-related claims for that year.

Only Izard Regional Hospital LLC submitted Medicaid claims for COVID-19–related services in Calico Rock during 2024, according to the data.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, federal and state Medicaid expenditures totaled about $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, comprising roughly 18% of nationwide health spending. This is a significant increase from $613.5 billion in 2019, the year before the COVID-19 crisis began.

This represents a growth of about 40% in just a few years, primarily attributed to greater enrollment and increased health service use during and after the pandemic.

Recent federal budget legislation during the Trump administration introduced notable measures to trim federal contributions to Medicaid and revise program structure. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” passed in 2025, is forecast to reduce federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over 10 years. It includes measures such as work requirements and greater cost-sharing, potentially narrowing coverage and funding for certain recipients. These policies are expected to shift more costs to states and could limit federal Medicaid assistance even as the program remains vital for tens of millions of Americans.

Note: Includes HCPCS codes explicitly labeled for COVID-19 services; totals do not represent all pandemic-related health care spending.

Source data for this story was obtained from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The dataset can be accessed here.