In 2024, Medicaid providers in Choteau billed $35,052 for procedures categorized as Dental Services, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. This figure represents a 453.8% rise from 2023, when claims for similar services totaled $6,329.
Medicaid, which is overseen by states and funded by both federal and state governments, provides health coverage for low-income residents, seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities. The program is one of the country’s largest health care initiatives.
Since Medicaid funding comes from taxpayers, fluctuations in local billing reveal how these health care resources are distributed within a community.
The Dental Services group consists of Medicaid-billed treatments categorized by care type, using standardized HCPCS and CPT code groupings. In this analysis, each billing code was assigned to one service category based on consistent code prefixes and number ranges, enabling comparisons within related services without duplication and with accurate tracking over time.
The increase in Medicaid spending was observed in several service categories, with Dental Services placing third in aggregate Medicaid payments in Choteau in 2024.
Statewide in Montana, Dental Services ranked sixth among Medicaid payment categories for the year.
Between 2019 and 2024, Medicaid spending on Dental Services in Choteau increased by $35,052, or 0%. Some years, including 2023 and 2022, saw especially pronounced jumps in spending year-over-year.
Spending on Dental Services was found across Choteau, but funds were mainly concentrated in specific ZIP codes. In 2024, ZIP code 59422 had the largest total in this category, with $35,051, composing 100% of all Medicaid Dental Services spending in Choteau for the year.
Payments from Medicaid were also primarily focused on a small group of Dental Services billing codes.
Looking at the year-over-year change, Choteau’s Medicaid payments for Dental Services rose 453.8% from 2023 to 2024, while total Medicaid claims across all categories in the area saw an 11.2% increase over the same span.
Data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services show combined federal and state Medicaid spending reached about $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, about 18% of national health spending, increasing from roughly $613.5 billion in 2019, immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic.
This nearly 40% increase over a few years has been primarily driven by greater enrollment and service usage during and following the pandemic.
Recent federal budget measures signed into law under the Trump administration included notable proposals to scale back federal Medicaid funds and shift aspects of the program. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which became law in 2025, is anticipated to reduce federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over 10 years. The legislation contains provisions for work requirements and higher cost-sharing, changes that could decrease coverage and funding for certain recipients. These reductions are expected to add financial pressure to states, constraining federal support even as millions continue to depend on Medicaid for health care coverage.
| Year | Total Medicaid Payments | % Change From Previous Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $2,677 | – |
| 2022 | $3,813 | 42.4% |
| 2023 | $6,328 | 66% |
| 2024 | $35,051 | 453.8% |
| Rank | Category | Medicaid Payments | Share of City Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Codes Established for State Medicaid Agencies | $1,285,736 | 90.2% |
| 2 | Medicine Services and Procedures | $87,233 | 6.1% |
| 3 | Dental Services | $35,051 | 2.5% |
| 4 | Evaluation and Management | $15,183 | 1.1% |
| 5 | Pathology and Laboratory Procedures | $1,030 | 0.1% |
| 6 | Surgery | $383 | <0.1% |
| 7 | Drugs Administered Other than Oral Method | $63 | <0.1% |
| 8 | Procedures / Professional Services | $0 | <0.1% |
| HCPCS Code | Description | Medicaid Payments | Claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| D0367 | Cone beam ct interp both jaw | $33,118 | 6 |
| D0140 | Limit oral eval problm focus | $1,674 | 3 |
| D0220 | Intraoral periapical first | $258 | 1 |
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.
