In 2024, Medicaid providers in National City billed $2,867,846 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 shows. This figure represents a 53% rise from 2023, when claims for this category totaled $1,874,351.
Medicaid is a state-administered public health insurance program that receives funding from both federal and state governments. It provides health coverage to low-income individuals and families, seniors, children, and people with disabilities, making it a significant component of the U.S. health system.
Since Medicaid is funded by taxpayers, fluctuations in local claims show how community public health dollars are distributed.
The “Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies” classification covers a grouping of Medicaid services identified by the kind of care given, using standardized HCPCS and CPT code aggregates. For this report, each billing code was assigned to a single service category, utilizing consistent code prefixes and numerical sequences to group like services, avoid duplication, and maintain ranking accuracy over time.
While spending across several categories grew, Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies was the fifth-largest Medicaid service category by payments in National City in 2024.
For the state as a whole, Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies ranked ninth in total Medicaid payments across California for 2024.
Between 2019 and 2024, Medicaid-related payments for the Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies category in National City increased $2,390,399, a growth of 500.7%. Growth rates accelerated at various points, particularly in 2023 and 2022.
Payments for this category were distributed throughout National City, but mostly concentrated in a small number of ZIP codes. In 2024, ZIP code 91950 accounted for $2,867,845 tied to this category. This single ZIP code represented 100% of all related Medicaid payments in National City that year.
Within the category itself, a small set of billing codes contributed to most Medicaid payments.
Comparatively, the 53% year-over-year growth in Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies Medicaid payments from 2023 to 2024 far outpaced the 24.5% overall increase seen across all Medicaid claim categories in the city for the same timeframe.
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, combined federal and state Medicaid expenditures reached approximately $871.7 billion in fiscal 2023, making up about 18% of total U.S. health spending—up sharply from $613.5 billion in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The increase equates to roughly 40% growth in just a few years, primarily due to expanded enrollment and increased use during and after the pandemic.
Recent federal budget actions under the Trump administration include significant proposals to cut federal Medicaid funding and alter program structure. For example, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed in 2025, is projected to cut over $1 trillion from federal Medicaid spending over the next decade while adding policies such as employment requirements and higher cost-sharing, which may reduce coverage and funding for some individuals. These changes are expected to push increased costs onto states and constrain federal Medicaid growth, though the program continues to cover tens of millions across the U.S.
| Year | Total Medicaid Payments | % Change From Previous Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $477,447 | 7.9% |
| 2021 | $527,135 | 10.4% |
| 2022 | $780,608 | 48.1% |
| 2023 | $1,874,351 | 140.1% |
| 2024 | $2,867,845 | 53% |
| Rank | Category | Medicaid Payments | Share of City Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Codes Established for State Medicaid Agencies | $24,029,647 | 54.6% |
| 2 | Evaluation and Management | $4,943,130 | 11.2% |
| 3 | Medicine Services and Procedures | $4,929,885 | 11.2% |
| 4 | Temporary National Codes (Non-Medicare) | $3,144,612 | 7.1% |
| 5 | Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies | $2,867,845 | 6.5% |
| 6 | Dental Services | $1,679,968 | 3.8% |
| 7 | Radiology Procedures | $608,534 | 1.4% |
| 8 | Surgery | $377,394 | 0.9% |
| 9 | Procedures / Professional Services | $274,502 | 0.6% |
| 10 | Temporary Codes | $234,392 | 0.5% |
| 11 | Pathology and Laboratory Procedures | $230,900 | 0.5% |
| 12 | Administrative, Miscellaneous and Investigational | $202,022 | 0.5% |
| 13 | Anesthesia | $174,812 | 0.4% |
| 14 | Drugs Administered Other than Oral Method | $154,701 | 0.4% |
| 15 | Vision Services | $72,615 | 0.2% |
| 16 | Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment | $58,650 | 0.1% |
| 17 | Medical And Surgical Supplies | $15,374 | <0.1% |
| HCPCS Code | Description | Medicaid Payments | Claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| A0434 | Specialty care transport | $767,004 | 12 |
| A0425 | Ground mileage | $731,081 | 12 |
| A0428 | Bls | $715,979 | 12 |
| A0429 | Bls-emergency | $608,641 | 11 |
| A0999 | Unlisted ambulance service | $22,550 | 5 |
| A0420 | Ambulance waiting 1/2 hr | $16,540 | 10 |
| A0422 | Ambulance 02 life sustaining | $3,577 | 9 |
| A0424 | Extra ambulance attendant | $2,469 | 9 |
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.
