Knoxville Medicaid reported $377,077 in COVID-19 service claims for 2024

In Knoxville, Medicaid disbursed at least $377,077 for services billed under HCPCS codes that specifically reference COVID-19 in 2024, figures from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database show.

Medicaid serves as a public health insurance program administered by the states and funded jointly by state and federal governments. It covers groups such as low-income families, children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities, making up a major component of the U.S. health care system.

Because taxpayer dollars support Medicaid payments, tracking local billing shifts helps show where a community’s public health care funds are going.

This analysis identifies COVID-19–specific services using HCPCS codes described as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus”-related in billing records. Therefore, only claims directly categorized as COVID-related are included; other care linked to the pandemic may fall under broader medical coding and is not reflected.

Comparatively, Spring Hill saw the largest total in Tennessee for Medicaid payments for COVID-19 services in 2024, with coronavirus-related claims totaling $4,274,403.

In the Knoxville area, 15 providers billed Medicaid for COVID-19–specific services during 2024. The COVID Specific code made up the largest share, with claims totaling $295,053.

The average Medicaid payout per provider for COVID-19 services in Knoxville ($25,138) was below the statewide provider average of $43,799.

Around the pandemic’s peak, COVID-19–designated services contributed noticeably to Medicaid spending increases in Knoxville.

All other Medicaid claim categories, over the same period, saw total payments rise by $59,050,355 from 2020 to 2024, a gain of 36%.

Knoxville’s average annual Medicaid payments in the two years preceding the pandemic were $152,156,270.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported that federal and state Medicaid spending together reached about $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, making up approximately 18% of the nation’s total health expenditures. This represents a significant climb from the $613.5 billion reported in 2019, prior to COVID-19.

This approximately 40% rise has largely resulted from increased enrollment and service use during and after the pandemic.

Policies passed under the Trump administration included substantial changes to Medicaid’s structure and funding. For example, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law in 2025, aims to cut federal Medicaid spending by over $1 trillion over a decade and brings notable shifts—such as adding work requirements and heightened cost-sharing that could curtail funding and limits for various beneficiaries. Such changes are anticipated to shift financial responsibility to states and slow the growth of the federal contribution, while Medicaid continues to serve millions across the country.

Note: Only includes HCPCS codes expressly marked for COVID-19; numbers may not reflect the entirety of health spending connected to the pandemic.

The information for this report draws on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database, accessible here.