Hastings Medicaid payments for COVID-19 services totaled at least $210 in 2024

At least $210 in Medicaid payments were made in Hastings in 2024 for services billed using HCPCS codes specifically tied to COVID-19, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database.

Medicaid is a state-administered public health insurance program funded jointly by federal and state governments. Serving low-income families and individuals, as well as seniors, children, and people with disabilities, Medicaid is one of the leading components of the nation’s health care system.

Since Medicaid funding comes from taxpayer dollars, shifts in local billing patterns illustrate how public health care funds are distributed within communities.

In this report, COVID-19–related services were identified through HCPCS codes labeled as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in billing descriptions and reference information. Therefore, the data only counts services directly marked as COVID-related in billing and may exclude pandemic care recorded under broader medical codes.

Detroit had the highest Medicaid payments for COVID-19 services in Michigan in 2024, with $432,564 in virus-related claims for that year.

Pennock Hospital was identified as the sole provider submitting Medicaid claims related to COVID-19 services in Hastings in 2024.

During pandemic years, spending on COVID-19–specific services contributed significantly to Medicaid expenditure increases in Hastings.

Between 2020 and 2024, Medicaid payments in all other categories rose by $3,768,720, an 83.6% growth.

In the two years before the pandemic, the average annual total for Medicaid payments in Hastings was $4,777,401.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, combined federal and state Medicaid spending reached about $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, representing roughly 18% of overall national health expenses. This is up from approximately $613.5 billion in 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic.

This represents about 40% growth in a few years, primarily due to increased enrollment and higher utilization during and following the pandemic period.

Major federal budget legislation under the Trump administration has introduced proposals to significantly cut federal Medicaid funding and modify the program. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law in 2025, is projected to reduce federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years. The law also establishes policies such as work requirements and greater cost-sharing, which could decrease funding and coverage for some participants. These measures are expected to place a larger share of costs on states while restricting the expansion of federal Medicaid support, even as the program continues to cover tens of millions of people.

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 original source data can be accessed here.