Pinehurst Medicaid COVID-19 claims for virus-related care reached $319,356 in 2024

Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database shows that at least $319,356 in Medicaid payments went to Pinehurst providers in 2024 for services billed using HCPCS codes expressly linked to COVID-19.

Medicaid is a government-run health insurance program managed by states and funded jointly by state and federal governments. It provides coverage for low-income individuals and families, seniors, children, and people with disabilities, making it a core part of the U.S. health care system.

Since Medicaid payments come from taxpayer resources, fluctuations in local billing reflect how public health dollars are distributed within a community.

This report defines COVID-19–related services as those identified with HCPCS codes labeled or categorized as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus”-related in billing or reference data. Consequently, the totals represent services clearly designated as COVID-related in billing data, and do not encompass broader pandemic-related care billed with different or more general medical codes.

For reference, Charlotte saw the most Medicaid payments related to COVID-19 services in North Carolina in 2024, totaling $2,373,883 in virus-specific claims.

Records indicate that Firsthealth Of The Carolinas, Inc was the only Pinehurst provider submitting Medicaid claims for COVID-19–specific services during 2024.

During the pandemic years, COVID-19–specific claims drove a considerable share of the increase in Medicaid spending in Pinehurst.

Total Medicaid payments for all other claim categories rose by $14,500,102 from 2020 through 2024, an increase of 98%.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, combined federal and state Medicaid expenditures hit approximately $871.7 billion during the 2023 fiscal year, representing around 18% of total national health spending, and rising from roughly $613.5 billion in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

This marks about 40% growth over a short timeframe, driven largely by increased enrollment and greater use of services during and after the pandemic.

Recent federal budget actions under the Trump administration have featured significant plans to decrease federal Medicaid funding and restructure the program. As an example, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law in 2025, aims to reduce federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over 10 years and introduces measures such as work requirements and higher cost-sharing, which could limit both coverage and funding for certain beneficiaries. These policy changes are expected to transfer more cost responsibility to states and may restrict federal Medicaid funding growth, even as the program continues to serve many Americans.

Note: Includes HCPCS codes explicitly labeled for COVID-19 services; totals do not represent all pandemic-related health care spending.

This article’s information is sourced from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The underlying data is available here.