Lubbock Medicaid radiology payments climb to $2.3 million in 2024

Providers in Lubbock billed $2,282,672 to Medicaid for services in the Radiology Procedures category in 2024, data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database show. This amount represents a 15.6% rise over 2023, when $1,974,926 in claims were filed for the same category.

Medicaid, the state-administered health insurance program funded by both federal and state governments, serves low-income families and individuals, children, seniors, and people with disabilities, making it a major component of the U.S. health care landscape.

Since Medicaid payments are sourced from taxpayers, shifts in local provider billing highlight how health care funds are distributed within a community.

The Radiology Procedures category encompasses a range of Medicaid claims defined by care type, assigned using set HCPCS and CPT code groups. As part of this analysis, each code was given a single service category based on code prefixes and numbers to keep related services collated and avoid double counting, preserving the service rankings over time.

Though overall Medicaid expenditures grew in several categories, Radiology Procedures accounted for the ninth highest amount in Lubbock by total Medicaid spending in 2024.

Statewide, Radiology Procedures ranked 10th in Texas for total Medicaid payments in 2024.

Between the five years preceding 2024, Medicaid payments for Radiology Procedures in Lubbock climbed by $1,918,152, a 526.2% jump. Certain years, such as 2021 and 2020, saw sharper year-over-year increases.

While funding for Radiology Procedures was spread across Lubbock, a few ZIP codes dominated. In 2024, ZIP codes 79401 posted $1,262,927, 79410 had $525,114, and 79415 saw $355,096 in Medicaid radiology payments. Altogether, these top 3 ZIP codes made up 93.9% of all Radiology Procedures payments in Lubbock for that year.

Within the broader Radiology Procedures group, spending was focused among just a handful of billing codes.

For perspective, Lubbock’s Medicaid payments for Radiology Procedures rose 15.6% between 2024 and 2023, while the overall Medicaid claim categories in the city went up 21.8% in the same period.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, state and federal Medicaid expenses totaled about $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, which represented roughly 18% of total national health expenditures, up significantly from $613.5 billion in 2019, pre-pandemic.

This increase marks approximately 40% growth in just a few years, attributed mainly to changes in enrollment and greater use of medical services during and after the pandemic period.

Recent federal budget actions taken under the Trump administration include notable initiatives to cut federal Medicaid funding and alter how the program operates. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, aims to trim more than $1 trillion from federal Medicaid outlays over the next 10 years and introduces work requirements and added cost-sharing, potentially reducing coverage and funding for some users. These policy changes are expected to shift additional costs to states and slow federal Medicaid spending growth as the program continues to serve tens of millions across the country.

Note: HCPCS codes are provided for illustration within the category. The totals and rankings referenced in this article use standardized service groups, not individual billing codes.

This article relies on information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The original data can be accessed here.