Strausstown Medicaid payments for pathology and laboratory services climb 59.1% in 2024

In 2024, Medicaid providers in Strausstown submitted $681 in claims under the Pathology and Laboratory Procedures category, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. This total was up 59.1% from 2023, when billings for the same category reached $428.

Medicaid operates as a state-administered public health insurance program and is financed through a partnership between federal and state governments. It serves low-income families and individuals, seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities, making it a significant part of the national health care system.

As Medicaid funding is sourced from taxpayers, shifts in local billing levels indicate how public health resources are distributed within the community.

The “Pathology and Laboratory Procedures” category comprises Medicaid-billed services grouped by the care provided, based on standardized HCPCS and CPT code classifications. For this study, each billing code was assigned to one service category using consistent code prefixes and number ranges, which allowed similar services to be grouped without double counting and ensured accurate rankings over time.

While overall Medicaid spending increased in several categories, Pathology and Laboratory Procedures was the second largest by total Medicaid payments in Strausstown for 2024.

Statewide, this category was ranked ninth among all Medicaid service types by total payments across Pennsylvania in 2024.

Over the five years before 2024, Medicaid payments related to Pathology and Laboratory Procedures in Strausstown climbed by $681, or 0%. Some years saw accelerated growth, notable increases occurred in both 2023 and 2022.

Although care coded in this category was provided throughout the city, Medicaid payments in 2024 were concentrated in a small number of ZIP codes. The ZIP code 19559 accounted for $681—the entirety of Medicaid payments connected to Pathology and Laboratory Procedures in Strausstown in 2024. Altogether, the top ZIP code represented 100% of such payments in the area for the year.

Within the Pathology and Laboratory Procedures grouping, Medicaid spending was concentrated within a few individual billing codes.

Comparatively, the 59.1% increase for Pathology and Laboratory Procedures in Strausstown from 2023 to 2024 outpaced the 12.7% rise seen across all Medicaid claim categories citywide during the same period.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, combined federal and state Medicaid spending was approximately $871.7 billion for fiscal year 2023, making up about 18% of national health expenditures. This represents a significant jump from $613.5 billion in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This surge reflects around 40% growth over a few years, largely attributed to enrollment expansion and greater service use during and after the pandemic period.

In recent years, federal budget measures under the Trump administration included major proposals to curtail federal Medicaid funding and change the structure of the program. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, is expected to cut over $1 trillion in federal Medicaid spending over 10 years and introduces policies such as work requirements and heightened cost-sharing that may reduce coverage and funding for certain beneficiaries. These changes are anticipated to shift financial responsibility toward the states and limit the pace of federal Medicaid support growth, even as the program continues to serve tens of millions nationwide.

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.