Whittier Medicaid COVID-19 claims reached $75,063 in 2024, with 34% billed during pandemic peak

Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database shows that Medicaid providers in Whittier received at least $75,063 in 2024 for services billed under COVID-19–specific HCPCS codes.

Medicaid, funded jointly by federal and state governments and administered by states, covers low-income individuals, families, seniors, children and people with disabilities. It is one of the largest sectors of the U.S. health system.

Because taxpayer dollars fund Medicaid, changes in where and how much is billed reflect shifts in how local communities spend public health funding.

COVID-19–related claims in this analysis were identified by HCPCS codes described as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in billing information or reference data, so only those direct COVID-labeled services are included. Other forms of pandemic care billed under general codes are not captured by these figures.

For perspective, San Jose had the highest Medicaid total for COVID-19 services in California in 2024, with $5,601,479 in claims related to the virus.

Six Medicaid providers in Whittier billed for COVID-19–related services in 2024. The most frequently used code, COVID Specific, accounted for $56,124 of total payments.

On average, Medicaid providers in Whittier received $12,511 each for these services, which was lower than the statewide average of $52,976.

COVID-19–specific claims drove a notable portion of Medicaid spending growth during the years of the pandemic in Whittier.

Medicaid payments across all other service categories increased by $6,115,597 from 2020 to 2024, a rise of 25.6%.

Across the two years before the pandemic, Whittier’s average annual Medicaid payments were $23,866,399.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, combined federal and state Medicaid spending totaled approximately $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, or about 18% of total U.S. health expenditures, increasing from roughly $613.5 billion in 2019 prior to COVID-19.

This increase marks about 40% overall growth in recent years, mainly fueled by expanded program enrollment and greater use of services during and after the pandemic period.

Recent federal budget changes introduced under the Trump administration include major proposals to reduce federal Medicaid funding and restructure the program. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, aims to cut more than $1 trillion in federal Medicaid spending over the next decade, and adds policies like work requirements and higher cost-sharing, which could reduce benefits for some participants. These updates are expected to push more costs to states and slow federal Medicaid growth, though the program will still serve tens of millions nationwide.

Note: Includes HCPCS codes explicitly labeled for COVID-19 services; totals do not represent all pandemic-related health care spending.

All information in this article was sourced from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The raw data can be accessed here.