Bernalillo Medicaid ambulance and transport services saw $562,106 in spending for 2024

In 2024, Medicaid providers in Bernalillo submitted $562,106 in bills classified under the Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies category, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. That total represents an increase of 26.1% over 2023, when claims for equivalent services amounted to $445,754.

Medicaid, which is managed by the states and financed collaboratively between federal and state governments, provides coverage for low-income adults, families, seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities. As such, it forms a significant portion of the nation’s health care infrastructure.

Since Medicaid funding is taxpayer-supported, fluctuations in local billing indicate how publicly funded health care resources are distributed within communities.

The Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies category encompasses a defined group of Medicaid-charged services, structured by type of care using standard HCPCS and CPT code groups. For this report, each billing code was mapped to a single service category, utilizing specific code prefixes and numeric ranges to analyze related services together, preventing overlap and maintaining accurate year-to-year rankings.

Although multiple Medicaid payment categories experienced growth, Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies ranked third in Bernalillo by cumulative Medicaid reimbursements in 2024.

Statewide, Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies held the fifth-highest ranking for total Medicaid reimbursements in New Mexico during 2024.

Looking over the five-year period up to 2024, Medicaid reimbursements attributed to this service type in Bernalillo grew by $354,845, or 171.2%. Within that span, years such as 2023 and 2021 saw standout annual increases.

Most Medicaid spending for Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies in Bernalillo was funneled through just a few ZIP codes, with ZIP code 87004 accounting for $562,106 in 2024. That single ZIP represented the entirety of Medicaid payments reported in this category for the city during the measured year.

Additionally, payments within the category clustered around a small number of billing codes.

Bernalillo experienced a 26.1% rise in Medicaid payments for Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies between 2024 and 2023, while the citywide increase across all Medicaid service categories was 12.2% for the same timeframe.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, combined Medicaid expenditures at the state and federal levels reached approximately $871.7 billion for fiscal 2023, comprising about 18% of overall U.S. health spending and showing a substantial rise from $613.5 billion in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The jump amounts to approximately 40% growth over just a few years, influenced by increased enrollment and expanded service use during and following the pandemic period.

Recent federal budget acts introduced under the Trump administration included major plans aimed at cutting federal Medicaid funding and restructuring its cost distribution. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” passed in 2025, is estimated to reduce federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over the coming 10 years, enacting policies like workforce participation requirements and increased cost-sharing. These measures are expected to lead to reductions in coverage and funding for certain recipients, increasing the fiscal responsibility of states and restraining growth in federal contributions, even as Medicaid continues to support tens of millions.

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.