Alameda sees at least $23,342 in Medicaid claims tied to COVID-19 services in 2024

At least $23,342 in Medicaid funds were paid out for services in Alameda in 2024 under HCPCS codes specifically linked to COVID-19, data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database shows.

Medicaid, administered by individual states but jointly funded by federal and state governments, insures low-income residents—including families, seniors, children, and persons with disabilities—making it a key element of the U.S. health care landscape.

Trends in Medicaid billing and payment reveal how taxpayer resources are spent on public health services at the local level.

COVID-19–related care was identified for the purposes of this reporting using HCPCS codes that were labeled as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus”–specific in billing references or descriptions. Therefore, only services directly designated as COVID-related in claims data appear in these totals; other care with a connection to the pandemic that lacked such designations was not included.

San Jose, for reference, registered the state’s highest Medicaid payments for COVID-19 services in 2024, with $5,601,479 in claims, according to available data.

Within Alameda, only Alameda Health System submitted Medicaid claims billed under COVID-19–related categories for that year.

In the pandemic era, claims for COVID-19–specific services made up a notable share of Medicaid spending growth in Alameda.

Overall, Medicaid payments spanning non-COVID claim types rose by $1,979,624 from 2020 to 2024, reflecting an 18% growth rate.

Annual averages for Medicaid payments in Alameda in the two years before the pandemic were $7,194,449.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reports total combined state and federal Medicaid spending climbed to about $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, making up roughly 18% of national health expenditures and surging from around $613.5 billion in 2019, prior to the pandemic’s onset.

This expansion amounts to a roughly 40% increase over several years, driven in large part by expanded eligibility and greater use of health services during and after the pandemic.

Federal budget measures introduced during President Trump’s administration included major efforts to scale back Medicaid funding and overhaul the program. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, is expected to reduce federal Medicaid outlays by more than $1 trillion over 10 years. Policies included in the law, such as work requirements and higher cost-sharing, may limit coverage and federal support for some recipients. These changes could leave states shouldering a larger share of Medicaid expenditures even as the program continues to serve millions of people.

Note: Includes HCPCS codes specifically marked for COVID-19 services; figures do not cover the full scope of pandemic-assigned health spending.

Information for this article comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The original source can be accessed here.