Centre Medicaid claims for COVID-19 services surpass $531,000 in 2024

Centre’s Medicaid expenditures totaled at least $531,591 in 2024 for services billed under HCPCS codes specifically linked to COVID-19, based on figures from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database.

Medicaid is a state-administered public insurance program funded in partnership by the federal and state governments. The program offers health coverage for low-income populations, seniors, children, and those with disabilities, comprising a major element of the U.S. health system.

Because Medicaid is taxpayer funded, fluctuations in billing at the local level reveal how health care resources are distributed within each community.

This analysis defined COVID-19–related services as those billed under HCPCS codes classified or described as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in billing details or supporting references. Accordingly, only services explicitly marked as COVID-related in billings are counted, which means that care connected to the pandemic but categorized under broader codes is not included.

Birmingham had the highest total of Medicaid payments for COVID-19 services among Alabama cities in 2024, with $1,029,178 reported in virus-related claims.

The data further indicates that Rural Urgent Care LLC was Centre’s only provider submitting Medicaid claims for COVID-19–related services during 2024.

In the pandemic years, services specific to COVID-19 represented a significant portion of increasing Medicaid spending in Centre.

Medicaid payments for claims excluding those related to COVID-19 rose by $1,312,457 from 2020 to 2024, a 36.4% growth.

During the two years leading up to the pandemic, annual Medicaid payments in Centre averaged $3,042,697.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reports that total federal and state Medicaid expenditures stood at about $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, making up around 18% of all national health spending. That figure rose considerably from approximately $613.5 billion in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This jump signifies an increase of nearly 40% over several years, due largely to broader enrollment and higher service usage during and after the pandemic period.

Recent federal budget moves under the Trump administration have featured plans to significantly reduce the federal contribution to Medicaid and change its funding structure. Notably, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law in 2025, is expected to trim more than $1 trillion from federal Medicaid support in the next decade, while introducing requirements like work obligations and higher out-of-pocket costs that may reduce access and funds for some beneficiaries. These policy shifts are projected to pass greater Medicaid costs onto states and constrain federal support, although the program will remain vital for millions of Americans.

Note: Only HCPCS codes specifically marked for COVID-19 services are included; the totals do not reflect all spending related to the pandemic.

The data cited in this report was obtained from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database, accessible here.