Salem recorded at least $77,164 in Medicaid claims for COVID-19 care during 2024

Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database shows that Salem reported at least $77,164 in Medicaid payments for HCPCS codes specifically tied to COVID-19 in 2024.

Medicaid, funded jointly by state and federal governments and administered by the states, provides health coverage for low-income families and individuals, seniors, children, and people with disabilities. This makes it one of the most significant components of the national health care system.

With Medicaid supported through taxpayer dollars, shifts in local billing reflect the allocation of public health resources within communities.

This analysis defined COVID-19–related services based on HCPCS codes noted as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in claims or billing data. Consequently, the reported figures account only for care explicitly labeled as such, leaving out related services billed under broader categories.

In Massachusetts, Boston posted the highest Medicaid claims linked to COVID-19 services for 2024, with $691,711 attributed to virus-related care.

Four Salem providers billed Medicaid for COVID-19–related services in 2024. The code COVID Specific was the most commonly billed, totaling $69,044.

The average COVID-19 service payment per provider in Salem was $19,291, lower than the statewide average of $28,676.

During the years when the pandemic was at its peak, expenditures on COVID-19–labeled Medicaid services were a significant factor in driving overall Medicaid spending increases in Salem.

Between 2020 and 2024, Medicaid payments across all other service categories in Salem climbed by $6,154,490—an 18.8% rise.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, information indicates that federal and state Medicaid spending reached approximately $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, representing nearly 18% of total national health spending. This marks a substantial increase from roughly $613.5 billion in 2019 before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The difference amounts to around 40% growth in just a few years, driven primarily by higher enrollment numbers and greater use of Medicaid both during and following the pandemic.

Recent federal budget actions under the Trump administration have included key proposals to reduce federal Medicaid allocations and restructure the program. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, is on track to cut more than $1 trillion from federal Medicaid funding over 10 years, with new provisions such as work requirements and increased cost-sharing that may decrease coverage and funding for some beneficiaries. These policy changes are anticipated to leave states absorbing a larger share of rising Medicaid expenses and may restrict future increases in federal support even as millions of Americans rely on the program.

Note: Only HCPCS codes explicitly defined for COVID-19 services are included; the totals exclude other forms of pandemic-related care expenses.

The information for this report is sourced from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. Access the data here.