Medicaid disbursed at least $6,255 for COVID-19–related services in Meadville in 2024

In 2024, Medicaid distributed at least $6,255 in Meadville for services billed with HCPCS codes specifically linked to COVID-19, based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database.

Medicaid, a state-run public health insurance program funded jointly by the federal and state governments, provides coverage for low-income people, seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities. It remains one of the nation’s largest health care programs.

Because taxpayer funding supports Medicaid, shifts in local billing levels highlight how a community’s public health care dollars are spent.

This analysis considered COVID-19–related claims as those with HCPCS codes labeled or listed as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in billing or reference data. These figures only represent services directly identified as COVID-related by billing records, excluding pandemic care billed under broader or alternative codes.

For a broader view, Pittsburgh led Pennsylvania in Medicaid payments associated with COVID-19 services for 2024, totaling $266,441 in virus-related claims.

The data indicates that Meadville Medical Center was the city’s sole provider submitting Medicaid claims for COVID-19–related services in 2024.

During the pandemic period, COVID-19–specific services contributed noticeably to the growth in Medicaid spending in Meadville.

Between 2020 and 2024, Medicaid payments for all other claims categories grew by $13,642,719, an increase of 379.8%.

In the two years prior to the pandemic, average yearly Medicaid spending in Meadville was $1,285,718.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, combined state and federal Medicaid expenditures totaled about $871.7 billion in fiscal 2023, accounting for approximately 18% of total U.S. health spending, up significantly from $613.5 billion in 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak.

This rise equates to roughly 40% growth in a few years, driven mainly by increased enrollment and higher service use during and after the pandemic.

Recent federal budget legislation during the Trump administration has featured significant proposals to curb federal Medicaid support and alter the program structure. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, is expected to reduce federal Medicaid expenditures by over $1 trillion over 10 years and features provisions such as work requirements and higher cost-sharing, which could limit benefits and support for certain enrollees. These measures are forecast to transfer additional costs to states while slowing the growth of federal Medicaid contributions, even as the program continues to provide coverage for millions of Americans.

Note: HCPCS codes included are those expressly flagged for COVID-19 services; totals do not reflect all health care spending associated with the pandemic.

Information for this report came from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The original data is available here.