In 2024, Medicaid providers in Fort Smith billed $16,693 for services categorized under the Coronavirus Diagnostic Panel, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. This total reflected a 48.9% increase from 2023, when claims for the same service reached $11,209.
Medicaid is a public health insurance initiative managed by individual states and funded through a partnership of federal and state governments. The program serves low-income families, seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities, representing one of the most substantial components of the U.S. health care system.
Because Medicaid funding comes from taxpayers, shifts in local billing levels reflect how community public health resources are distributed.
The “Coronavirus Diagnostic Panel” designation refers to a set of Medicaid-billed services identified by care type, using grouped HCPCS and CPT codes. In this report, each billing code was allocated to a single service category using consistent code prefixes and numerical ranges, so similar services could be analyzed together with accuracy in rankings and without double counting.
Spending by Medicaid rose in various service groups, but Coronavirus Diagnostic Panel placed 19th among Fort Smith service categories by total 2024 Medicaid outlays.
Statewide, in Arkansas, the Coronavirus Diagnostic Panel was ranked 20th among Medicaid payment categories in 2024.
Across the five years preceding 2024, Medicaid spending on the Coronavirus Diagnostic Panel group in Fort Smith climbed by $114,418, or 87.3%. Notable spending jumps occurred in individual years, particularly in 2021 and 2022.
While services in the Coronavirus Diagnostic Panel category were provided throughout Fort Smith, payments were most highly concentrated in specific ZIP codes. For 2024, ZIP code 72916 was responsible for $13,807 and 72901 for $2,885, combining to account for all Medicaid payments in this service group within Fort Smith for the year.
Within the Coronavirus Diagnostic Panel, Medicaid spending was further concentrated among a select set of billing codes.
Comparatively, Medicaid payments tied to the Coronavirus Diagnostic Panel category in Fort Smith increased by 48.9% from 2023 to 2024. This contrasts with a 20.2% increase observed across all Medicaid claim categories in the city over the same period.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reports that federal and state Medicaid expenditures totaled approximately $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, making up roughly 18% of national health spending. This amount is up sharply from $613.5 billion in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This growth represents a roughly 40% increase within just a few years, largely spurred by expanded enrollment and greater usage during and after the pandemic period.
Federal budget legislation enacted under the Trump administration has included substantial proposals to cut Medicaid funding and modify the structure of the program. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed in 2025, is expected to reduce federal Medicaid expenditures by over $1 trillion over the next decade. It also implements measures such as work requirements and increased cost-sharing, potentially reducing coverage and funding for some recipients. These policy shifts are likely to increase state responsibilities and slow the expansion of federal Medicaid support, while the program continues to serve tens of millions nationwide.
| Year | Total Medicaid Payments | % Change From Previous Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $131,110 | – |
| 2021 | $216,514 | 65.1% |
| 2022 | $70,557 | -67.4% |
| 2023 | $11,208 | -84.1% |
| 2024 | $16,693 | 48.9% |
| Rank | Category | Medicaid Payments | Share of City Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment | $12,318,164 | 25.7% |
| 2 | National Codes Established for State Medicaid Agencies | $9,129,527 | 19% |
| 3 | Medicine Services and Procedures | $9,046,102 | 18.9% |
| 4 | Evaluation and Management | $7,323,001 | 15.3% |
| 5 | Radiology Procedures | $2,001,793 | 4.2% |
| 6 | Pathology and Laboratory Procedures | $1,988,798 | 4.1% |
| 7 | Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies | $1,595,399 | 3.3% |
| 8 | Dental Services | $1,316,303 | 2.7% |
| 9 | Temporary National Codes (Non-Medicare) | $1,015,808 | 2.1% |
| 10 | Surgery | $864,395 | 1.8% |
| 11 | Durable Medical Equipment | $506,218 | 1.1% |
| 12 | Anesthesia | $325,756 | 0.7% |
| 13 | Drugs Administered Other than Oral Method | $210,852 | 0.4% |
| 14 | Medical And Surgical Supplies | $115,150 | 0.2% |
| 15 | Administrative, Miscellaneous and Investigational | $78,846 | 0.2% |
| 16 | Orthotic Procedures and services | $26,269 | 0.1% |
| 17 | Procedures / Professional Services | $18,775 | <0.1% |
| 18 | Temporary Codes | $16,988 | <0.1% |
| 19 | Coronavirus Diagnostic Panel | $16,693 | <0.1% |
| 20 | Durable medical equipment (DME) Medicare administrative contractors (MACs) | $10,806 | <0.1% |
| 21 | Vision Services | $3,259 | <0.1% |
| 22 | Hearing Services | $649 | <0.1% |
| 23 | Other Services | $0 | <0.1% |
| 23 | Outpatient PPS | $0 | <0.1% |
| HCPCS Code | Description | Medicaid Payments | Claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| U0002 | Covid-19 lab test non-cdc | $16,693 | 15 |
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.
