Belmont Medicaid COVID-19 service payments totaled $20,372 in 2024

Belmont’s Medicaid program paid a minimum of $20,372 in 2024 for claims classified under COVID-19–specific HCPCS codes, according to information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database.

Medicaid offers public health insurance and is managed locally by the states with joint state and federal funding. It provides coverage for people with low incomes, children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities, forming a significant component of the U.S. health care framework.

Since Medicaid is publicly funded, fluctuations in how these payments are distributed in communities help illustrate how public health resources are spent.

HCPCS codes associated with COVID-19 or described as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus”-related in billing records and reference materials were used to identify relevant services for this analysis. This data only captures services explicitly labeled as COVID-19 related in the billing records, which may not include all pandemic-era care billed under less specific or different codes.

By comparison, San Jose reported $5,601,479 in Medicaid payments for COVID-19–related services in California during 2024, the largest amount in the state.

Records reveal Dignity Health Medical Foundation as Belmont’s only provider submitting COVID-19–related Medicaid claims in 2024.

COVID-19–classified services accounted for a defined portion of Belmont’s Medicaid spending growth during pandemic years.

Medicaid payments within other service categories rose by $385,682 from 2020 to 2024, reflecting a 13% boost.

Average annual Medicaid reimbursements in Belmont were $2,403,488 in the two years before the pandemic began.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, federal and state Medicaid spending reached approximately $871.7 billion for fiscal 2023, about 18% of all national health spending. That is up considerably from $613.5 billion in 2019, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This represents an estimated 40% rise over a few years, much of it driven by higher Medicaid enrollment and service use during and after the pandemic.

Recent federal budgets during the Trump administration introduced major proposals to curb Medicaid expenses and change how the program operates. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” passed into law in 2025, is expected to reduce federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over a decade. It brings in measures like work requirements and higher cost-sharing that could decrease benefits and support for some recipients, shifting greater expense responsibilities to the states even as Medicaid remains crucial for millions.

Note: Includes HCPCS codes specifically designated for COVID-19 services; figures do not capture total pandemic-related spending on health care.

Information for this story was sourced from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. Access the original data here.