At least $3,710 in Medicaid payments for services linked to COVID-19 were issued in Big Rapids in 2024 using HCPCS codes clearly flagged for virus-related care, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database.
Medicaid is a public insurance program managed at the state level and financed through a partnership between federal and state governments. It serves people with low incomes, older adults, children, and individuals with disabilities, making up a substantial portion of the U.S. health care system.
Because taxpayer dollars fund Medicaid, fluctuations in local billing levels demonstrate how health care funds are distributed within a community.
This report used HCPCS codes identified as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus”-specific in billing notes or related datasets to determine COVID-19–related services. These totals solely capture services specifically classified as COVID-relevant in billing systems, excluding broader care that may have been recorded under more general code descriptions.
Detroit led all Michigan cities with $432,564 in Medicaid payouts for COVID-19 services in 2024 for comparison.
Two providers in Big Rapids billed Medicaid for COVID-19–related care in 2024. COVID-19 Vaccine Administration accounted for $2,724, making it the most billed service among this group.
On average, Medicaid payments tied to COVID-19 care per provider in Big Rapids reached $1,855, which is less than the state figure of $11,005 per provider.
COVID-19–specific services were a major driver of Medicaid spending growth in Big Rapids during the pandemic.
Between 2020 and 2024, Medicaid payments across all other service types rose $3,366,165—a 68.4% gain.
In the two years before the pandemic, Big Rapids saw an average annual Medicaid payment amount of $4,681,473.
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, joint state and federal Medicaid expenditures totaled about $871.7 billion for fiscal 2023, making up approximately 18% of all U.S. health spending. This is up from $613.5 billion in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
This marked about 40% growth in only a few years, prompted mainly by increased enrollment and utilization following the start of the pandemic.
Recent federal budget actions under the Trump administration introduced major initiatives to reduce federal Medicaid outlays and alter its structure. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, is expected to decrease federal Medicaid funding by more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years and includes steps like mandating work requirements and increasing cost-sharing—measures that could lower both coverage and available funds for some recipients. These changes will likely place more financial responsibility on states and slow federal Medicaid growth while the program continues to provide care for millions of Americans.
| Year | COVID-19–Related Payments | COVID-19 Payments % Change (YoY) | Total Medicaid Payments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $3,710 | -63.6% | $8,289,775 |
| 2023 | $10,205 | -94.3% | $9,365,885 |
| 2022 | $178,952 | -71.5% | $8,789,290 |
| 2021 | $627,430 | 177.8% | $8,134,059 |
| 2020 | $225,867 | N/A | $5,145,768 |
| 2019 | $0 | N/A | $4,593,562 |
| 2018 | $0 | N/A | $4,769,383 |
| HCPCS Code | Description | Medicaid Payments | Claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90480 | COVID-19 Vaccine Administration | $2,724 | 120 |
| 87811 | Immunoassay | $986 | 35 |
Note: Figures encompass only HCPCS codes clearly marked for COVID-19; amounts do not account for all health spending attributed to the pandemic.
Details in this report are sourced from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. Find the dataset here.
