At least $2,709 in Medicaid payments attributed to COVID-19 services in New Richmond for 2024

According to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database, Medicaid payments in New Richmond reached a minimum of $2,709 in 2024 for services classified under HCPCS codes specifically linked to COVID-19.

Medicaid, a state-administered public health insurance program supported through federal and state funding, provides coverage for low-income residents, seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities, positioning it as a significant element of the U.S. health care system.

Because Medicaid’s funding derives from taxpayers, shifts in local billing levels help illustrate how public health care spending is distributed in individual communities.

For this report, HCPCS codes designated as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in billing documentation or reference data were used to pinpoint COVID-related services. As a result, the data only includes payments for services directly marked as COVID-19 in billing and will not reflect broader pandemic care coded under different labels.

To provide context, Milwaukee recorded the highest Medicaid payment amount associated with COVID-19 services in Wisconsin during 2024, at $561,957 in qualifying claims.

Records show Westfields Hospital, Inc was the sole provider in New Richmond submitting Medicaid claims for COVID-19–specific services in 2024.

COVID-19–specific Medicaid services made up a substantial portion of the increase in Medicaid spending for New Richmond throughout the pandemic period.

Total Medicaid payments across all remaining claim types rose by $1,438,089 from 2020 through 2024—a growth of 31% during that period.

The average annual total for Medicaid payments in New Richmond in the two years before the pandemic was $4,749,474.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reports that combined federal and state Medicaid expenditures totaled approximately $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023. This represented about 18% of national health spending, up significantly from $613.5 billion in 2019, before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This jump indicates a near 40% rise over only a few years, largely influenced by expanded eligibility and heightened use both during and following the pandemic period.

Recent federal budget initiatives during the Trump administration have suggested notable cuts to federal Medicaid funding and structural changes to the program. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, is expected to reduce federal Medicaid support by over $1 trillion over 10 years, introducing measures like work requirements and higher cost-sharing that could affect coverage for some recipients. These policy changes are forecast to increase the share of costs shouldered by states and limit future federal Medicaid growth, even as millions continue to depend on the program.

Note: Totals include only HCPCS codes specifically labeled for COVID-19 services and do not capture all pandemic health care costs.

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