Richland Medicaid spending for COVID-19 care reached $18,605 in 2024

At least $18,605 in Medicaid payments were made for services tied to explicit COVID-19 HCPCS codes in Richland in 2024, data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database shows.

Medicaid represents a state-run health insurance program financed through both federal and state sources. Serving low-income individuals, seniors, children, and people with disabilities, it is a core part of the U.S. health care system.

Because Medicaid is supported by taxpayer resources, fluctuations in local billing provide insight into how health care funding is distributed within a community.

In this report, services considered COVID-19–related were determined based on HCPCS codes identified as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus”-related through billing descriptions or associated reference data. Hence, the provided numbers only reflect services billed specifically as COVID-related and do not include pandemic care listed under more general or different codes.

In comparison, Seattle recorded $461,706 in 2024 Medicaid payments linked to COVID-19 services, the highest total in Washington for that year.

Data indicate that Kadlec Regional Medical Center was the sole provider to submit COVID-19 Medicaid service claims in Richland for 2024.

Richland’s Medicaid payments for all other service categories grew by $7,888,814 from 2020 to 2024, marking a 28.4% rise.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicaid jointly funded by states and the federal government amounted to about $871.7 billion in fiscal 2023, representing about 18% of all national health expenditures, significantly increasing from roughly $613.5 billion in 2019 before the pandemic began.

This change equates to a growth of about 40% in just a few years, mainly due to increased enrollment and higher use during and following the pandemic.

Recent federal budget action under the Trump administration included legislative moves to reduce Medicaid’s federal funding and modify the structure. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, is expected to cut more than $1 trillion from federal Medicaid funding over the next decade, with new measures such as work requirements and greater cost-sharing that may affect coverage for some recipients. These reforms are set to shift additional costs to states and may slow federal Medicaid expansion even as the program remains a safety net for tens of millions across the country.

Note: This total includes only claims using HCPCS codes specifically identified for COVID-19; it does not account for all pandemic-era medical costs.

Details for this report are based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. Access the full data set here.