Brainerd Medicaid COVID-19 bills reached at least $749 in 2024

Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database shows Brainerd Medicaid payments totaled a minimum of $749 in 2024 for services billed using HCPCS codes specifically tied to COVID-19.

Medicaid is a government health insurance program operated by individual states and funded jointly at the federal and state levels. It serves low-income people, families, children, the elderly, and those with disabilities, making it a key component of the nation’s health care infrastructure.

As Medicaid is publicly funded, shifts in local billing provide insights into how community health care resources are used.

COVID-19–related services for this report were found by identifying HCPCS codes billed as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” services based on their descriptions or associated reference data. The totals include only those explicitly coded for COVID-19, so broader pandemic care billed under non-specific codes may not be included.

To compare, in 2024 Minneapolis showed Minnesota’s highest amount in Medicaid-paid COVID-19 service claims, with $269,940 in virus-related reimbursements.

For reference, the average Medicaid payment per provider for COVID-19–coded services in Brainerd was $375, below the Minnesota statewide mean of $9,636.

COVID-19–coded Medicaid services fueled a notable portion of Medicaid spending growth in Brainerd during the pandemic.

Across all claim categories, total Medicaid payments rose by $11,830,772 from 2020 through 2024, marking a 76.8% rise.

Before the pandemic, the city’s average yearly Medicaid payment totaled $14,032,881 for the two years prior.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, joint federal and state Medicaid expenditures reached around $871.7 billion in the 2023 fiscal year, making up nearly 18% of total health care outlays nationwide. That’s a significant increase from $613.5 billion in 2019, ahead of the COVID-19 emergency.

This jump represents approximately 40% growth in just several years, driven by more enrollees and rising usage of health services during and after the pandemic phase.

In recent years, federal budget laws enacted during the Trump administration have advanced significant cuts and policy changes to federal Medicaid funding. Among these, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” passed into law in 2025, is estimated to reduce federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over 10 years, and introduces measures like work requirements and higher cost-sharing. These changes may lower coverage and funding for some recipients, with additional costs shifting to state programs as overall federal support growth slows, even while the program continues to insure tens of millions across the country.

Note: Totals include only HCPCS codes clearly marked for COVID-19 services; these sums do not include all care related to the pandemic.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database supplied the statistics cited in this story. Original data can be found here.