Lemoore Medicaid paid more than $33,000 for COVID-19 services in 2024

In 2024, Medicaid payments for services billed under explicit COVID-19-related HCPCS codes in Lemoore reached at least $33,274, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database.

Medicaid is a state-operated public health insurance program funded in partnership by federal and state governments. It serves low-income individuals and families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities, making it a critical component of the U.S. health care system.

Because Medicaid relies on taxpayer funding, shifts in local billing demonstrate how health care resources are distributed in a community.

For this report, services were classified as COVID-19–related by identifying HCPCS codes marked as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in billing descriptions or reference sources. Thus, the totals show only services directly billed with COVID-specific codes and do not reflect other pandemic care billed under broader medical codes.

For comparison, San Jose recorded the highest Medicaid payments for COVID-19 services in California in 2024, with virus-related claims totaling $5,601,479.

Aria Community Health Center was the sole provider submitting Medicaid claims for COVID-19–related services in Lemoore during 2024, according to data.

During the two years prior to the pandemic, the city’s average annual Medicaid payments stood at $7,391,666.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data show that federal and state Medicaid expenditures amounted to approximately $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023—roughly 18% of all U.S. health spending—up from about $613.5 billion in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

This jump represents an increase of close to 40% in a few years, primarily due to expanded enrollment and increased health care usage during and after the pandemic.

Recent federal budget actions under the Trump administration included major proposals to decrease federal Medicaid spending and shift program structure. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed in 2025, is expected to lower federal Medicaid funding by over $1 trillion over 10 years and enacts policies such as work requirements and greater cost-sharing, measures that could reduce coverage and funding levels for certain recipients. As a result, more financial responsibility is expected to move to states and federal Medicaid growth could slow, even as the program continues to serve millions nationwide.

Note: Totals reflect only HCPCS codes specifically labeled for COVID-19 services; figures exclude broader pandemic-related health spending.

This article is based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The original data can be accessed here.