Medicaid COVID-19 claims exceeded $1,300 in Calico Rock in 2024, with over 40% billed during pandemic peak

Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database shows that Medicaid payments in Calico Rock totaled at least $1,375 in 2024 for claims under HCPCS codes specifically identified with COVID-19 care. That marks a 58.2% rise over 2023, when those codes accounted for $869 in provider claims.

All previous-year references in this article compare to the most recent available year.

Medicaid is a state-administered public health insurance program financed jointly by the federal and state governments. It provides coverage for low-income people, seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities, making it a key part of the U.S. health care system.

Because Medicaid is funded by taxpayers, shifts in local billing reflect how health care resources are distributed in each community.

This analysis identifies COVID-19–related services by using HCPCS codes described or categorized as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus”-related in official billing references. Figures are limited to those services and do not include broader pandemic-related care billed under other codes.

For context, the highest Medicaid payment amount for COVID-19 services in Arkansas in 2024 was in Jonesboro, where claims totaled $328,664.

The data also shows Izard Regional Hospital LLC was the only entity submitting Medicaid claims for COVID-19–related services in Calico Rock in 2024.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, combined state and federal Medicaid expenditures were approximately $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023—about 18% of all U.S. health spending—up from $613.5 billion in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic’s onset.

This increase of roughly 40% over a few years has been mainly driven by higher enrollment and greater service use tied to the pandemic.

Recent federal budget bills under the Trump administration have proposed major reductions in federal Medicaid dollars and created new program structures. For instance, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed in 2025, is expected to cut more than $1 trillion in federal Medicaid funds over the next 10 years, with new requirements like work mandates and increased cost-sharing that could reduce coverage and funding for some groups. The reforms may transfer additional costs to states and place stricter limits on federal Medicaid funding, as the program continues to cover tens of millions nationally.

Note: Totals include only HCPCS codes directly labeled for COVID-19 services and do not account for all pandemic-related health care costs.

This report is based on information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. Original source data is available here.