Florence saw minimum $960 in Medicaid COVID-19 payments in 2024

Florence recorded at least $960 in Medicaid payments in 2024 for services billed under HCPCS codes linked specifically to COVID-19, based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database.

Medicaid, a public health insurance program jointly funded by state and federal governments, covers low-income individuals and families, seniors, children and people with disabilities, and remains a key component of the U.S. health care system. More details about program financing can be found here.

Since Medicaid payments are funded by taxpayers, shifts in local billing patterns highlight how public health care resources are distributed in a given area.

To capture COVID-19–related services, only HCPCS codes explicitly listed as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in billing descriptions or supporting data were counted in this analysis. Therefore, the amounts reflect only those services directly marked as COVID-related and do not include associated care potentially billed using other medical codes.

Portland reported the highest total for Medicaid payments attributed to COVID-19 services in Oregon for 2024, reaching $760,710 in related claims.

According to the data, Peacehealth was the sole Medicaid provider submitting COVID-19–related claims in Florence for the year.

During the pandemic years, COVID-19–labeled services represented a significant portion of Florence’s Medicaid spending increase.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, total federal and state Medicaid spending rose to an estimated $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, making up about 18% of the nation’s health expenditures. This was a substantial increase from approximately $613.5 billion in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The roughly 40% increase over a few years stemmed mainly from increased enrollment and greater use of services during and after the pandemic era.

Recent federal budget measures signed during the Trump administration have introduced major proposals to cut federal Medicaid contributions and alter the program’s structure. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, will reduce federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years. The law also brings new policies like work requirements and expanded cost-sharing, potentially decreasing both coverage and financial support for certain groups. These adjustments are anticipated to shift more responsibility to states and may constrain increases in federal Medicaid funding, despite the program’s continued assistance to tens of millions of Americans.

Note: Totals include only HCPCS codes specifically marked as COVID-19 services; the figures do not reflect all pandemic-related health spending.

The information in this article is sourced from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. Source data is available here.