Charleston records $5,532 in Medicaid claims for COVID-19 services in 2024

Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database shows Charleston providers billed at least $5,532 in Medicaid payments for services designated under HCPCS codes specifically tied to COVID-19 in 2024.

Medicaid is a public health insurance program administered by states and funded in partnership by federal and state governments. It provides coverage for low-income families and individuals, seniors, children, and people with disabilities, making it a major component of the U.S. health care system.

Since Medicaid payments use taxpayer funding, fluctuations in local billing indicate how public health care resources are distributed in each community.

Researchers identified COVID-19–related services by selecting HCPCS codes with billing descriptions or reference data specifically marked as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus.” Therefore, these totals represent only services directly labeled as COVID-related and do not account for pandemic care billed under broader or alternate codes.

For comparison, South Charleston led West Virginia in Medicaid payments for COVID-19 services in 2024, reaching $519,058 in virus-related claims.

In Charleston, four providers submitted Medicaid claims for COVID-19–related services in 2024. The most frequently billed code, COVID Specific, comprised $5,532 of total claims.

On average, providers in Charleston received $1,383 each in Medicaid payments for COVID-19–related services, which is lower than the statewide average of $17,141 per provider.

During the two years prior to the pandemic, average yearly Medicaid payments in Charleston were $128,096,727.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, total federal and state Medicaid spending reached roughly $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, accounting for about 18% of national health expenditures, and reflecting a notable increase from around $613.5 billion in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

This rise, totaling about 40% within a few years, was primarily driven by increased enrollment and utilization during and immediately after the pandemic period.

Recent major federal budget laws enacted under the Trump administration included significant proposals to reduce federal Medicaid funding and alter the structure of the program. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law in 2025, aims to cut more than $1 trillion in federal Medicaid spending over the next decade and introduces new provisions like work requirements and higher cost-sharing, potentially reducing coverage and funding for certain recipients. These modifications are expected to shift greater costs to state governments and restrain growth in federal Medicaid contributions, even as the program continues to cover tens of millions of Americans.

Note: Totals reflect only HCPCS codes explicitly identified for COVID-19 services and do not include all health care spending related to the pandemic.

Information in this report comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The original source data can be viewed here.