Amery Medicaid providers receive $580 for COVID-19 services in 2024

In 2024, Medicaid payments in Amery reached at least $580 for services billed under HCPCS codes directly tied to COVID-19, according to information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database.

Medicaid serves as a state-administered public health insurance program funded jointly by federal and state governments. It provides coverage for low-income people, families, seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities, making it a significant component of the U.S. health care system.

Changes in Medicaid payments at the local level, which are taxpayer funded, show how health care resources are distributed within a community.

In this analysis, COVID-19–related care was determined using HCPCS codes that were labeled “COVID-19” or “coronavirus”-related in their billing descriptions or reference data. This means only services clearly identified as COVID-related in billing were included, while broader pandemic-associated care billed under other codes was excluded.

By comparison, Milwaukee saw the highest Medicaid payments for COVID-19 services in Wisconsin in 2024, with $561,957 in virus-related claims.

The data indicates that Amery Regional Medical Center, Inc was the sole provider filing Medicaid claims for COVID-19–related services in the city during 2024.

Amery experienced significant Medicaid spending growth during the pandemic, driven by COVID-19–specific services.

Total Medicaid payments for all other categories increased in Amery by $471,226 from 2020 through 2024, a rise of 35.7%.

Average annual Medicaid payments in Amery during the two years before the pandemic were $1,397,974.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, combined state and federal Medicaid expenditures totaled about $871.7 billion in fiscal 2023, comprising roughly 18% of total U.S. health spending. This represents a substantial increase from about $613.5 billion in 2019, before the pandemic.

This growth, approximately 40% over several years, was mainly due to expanded Medicaid enrollment and greater utilization tied to the pandemic period and beyond.

Recent Trump administration federal budget legislation included significant measures to reduce federal Medicaid funding and revise the program. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, is projected to cut federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years. The law introduces work requirements and higher cost-sharing, which could decrease coverage and limit funds for certain recipients. This is expected to shift more responsibility to states and restrict federal Medicaid growth, even as the program continues to serve millions.

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

The information in this report is from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. See the source data here.