Pathology and laboratory Medicaid payments in Quitman reach $202,836, up 137% from prior year

In 2024, Medicaid providers in Quitman billed a total of $202,836 for Pathology and Laboratory Procedures, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. This represents an increase of 136.8% from 2023, when such claims totaled $85,672.

Medicaid is a state-run public health insurance program funded through a partnership between the federal and state governments. The program covers a range of groups including low-income individuals and families, seniors, children and those with disabilities, making it a cornerstone of the country’s health care landscape.

Since Medicaid payments are distributed from tax revenue, fluctuations in local billing for medical services provide insight into how community health care funds are used.

The “Pathology and Laboratory Procedures” service group is defined by specific types of medical care, based on standardized HCPCS and CPT codes. This analysis groups each billing code into one service category using set code prefixes and numeric ranges, allowing for detailed tracking and comparison of related services over time without double-counting.

Although Medicaid expenditures rose in several service lines, Pathology and Laboratory Procedures was the third-largest category in Quitman by Medicaid spending in 2024.

Statewide in Mississippi, this category ranked sixth for total Medicaid payments in 2024.

From 2019 to 2024, Medicaid payments in Quitman for Pathology and Laboratory Procedures grew by $166,385, or 456.5%. Certain years, including 2021 and 2022, saw continued year-over-year spending growth in this category.

Payments for Pathology and Laboratory Procedures were spread citywide, but in 2024, a single ZIP code—39355—accounted for $202,835, representing 100% of payments in the category for Quitman.

Only a select group of billing codes accounted for the majority of Medicaid payments in the pathology and laboratory sector.

Medicaid payments for Pathology and Laboratory Procedures in Quitman increased 136.8% from 2023 to 2024, far outpacing the 9.8% overall rise in Medicaid claims across all service categories in the city for that period.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, total Medicaid spending from both federal and state sources was approximately $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, making up nearly 18% of all U.S. health expenditures. This is up from $613.5 billion in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

This increase marks a roughly 40% rise in just several years, fueled primarily by a higher number of enrollees and greater service use during and after the COVID-19 emergency.

Federal budget changes under the Trump administration have included substantial proposals to trim Medicaid funding at the national level. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law in 2025, is expected to reduce federal Medicaid support by over $1 trillion over a decade and enforce new policies like work requirements and higher out-of-pocket costs, which could lower coverage and funding for some enrollees. These adjustments will likely shift more financial obligations to the states and restrict the expansion of federal Medicaid funds, although the program continues to provide for tens of millions of Americans.

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.