Grand Rapids saw $241,410 in Medicaid payments for COVID-19 services in 2024

At least $241,410 in Medicaid payments were made in Grand Rapids in 2024 for services billed under HCPCS codes classified as COVID-19–related, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending data.

Medicaid is a health insurance program administered by the states and funded through a partnership between federal and state governments. It serves low-income people and families, seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities, making it a cornerstone of the nation’s health care system.

Since taxpayer funding supports Medicaid payments, trends in local billing highlight how public health care resources are spent within communities.

This analysis reviewed HCPCS codes labeled or classified as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus”-related in billing details or reference data to identify COVID-19–related services. Figures reflect only services directly labeled as COVID-related and do not include pandemic-related services billed under other codes.

Detroit recorded the highest total of Medicaid payments tied to COVID-19 services in Michigan in 2024, reaching $432,564 for virus-related claims.

In Grand Rapids, 12 providers filed Medicaid claims for COVID-19–related services in 2024. The most billed service was COVID-19 Vaccine Administration, totaling $190,401.

On average, a Grand Rapids provider billed $20,118 for COVID-19–related Medicaid services, surpassing the state average of $11,005.

During the pandemic years, Medicaid spending in Grand Rapids increased due to the use of COVID-19–specific services.

Total Medicaid spending across all other categories rose by $86,714,205 from 2020 to 2024, up 39.2%.

In the two years prior to the pandemic, Grand Rapids’ average annual Medicaid payments were $218,823,174.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reports that federal and state Medicaid expenditures reached about $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, representing approximately 18% of total national health spending and rising sharply from $613.5 billion in 2019, before the pandemic.

This increase marks around 40% growth over several years, largely due to increased enrollment and utilization during and after the pandemic.

Federal budget measures enacted under the Trump administration proposed major cuts and restructuring of Medicaid. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed in 2025, is projected to reduce federal Medicaid funding by more than $1 trillion over 10 years and to implement changes such as work requirements and higher cost sharing, which could reduce coverage and funding for certain recipients. These measures are expected to transfer additional costs to states and slow the growth of federal Medicaid funding, even as the program continues to provide health coverage to millions.

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

This article is based on information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The source data is available here.