Medicaid payments for COVID-19 services in Nome exceeded $271,000 in 2024

In 2024, Medicaid spending in Nome included at least $271,631 for services billed with HCPCS codes clearly associated with COVID-19, per data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database.

Medicaid operates as a state-run health insurance program funded by both federal and state governments. It serves low-income people and families, seniors, children, and people with disabilities, making it a leading component of U.S. health care.

Because taxpayer dollars fund Medicaid, fluctuations in billing provide insight into local allocation of public health funds.

This review used HCPCS codes flagged as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in service descriptions or reference data to identify related Medicaid services. Therefore, the numbers show only services explicitly coded for COVID in the billing and exclude pandemic care classified under other designations.

Across the state, Nome had the highest amount of Medicaid claims tied to COVID-19 services for 2024.

According to the data, Norton Sound Health Corporation was the single provider issuing COVID-19–classified Medicaid claims in Nome during 2024.

Throughout the pandemic, COVID-specific claims drove a significant portion of Medicaid payment growth in Nome.

Total Medicaid outlays for other claim categories in Nome grew by $68,464 from 2020 to 2024, reflecting a 0.6% rise.

Data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services indicate that combined federal and state Medicaid spending reached an estimated $871.7 billion for fiscal year 2023, accounting for approximately 18% of all national health spending—up from about $613.5 billion in 2019, ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This marked an increase of nearly 40% in several years, fueled by expanded participation and higher health service use linked to and following the pandemic.

Recent federal budget measures enacted under the Trump administration included notable moves to decrease the federal share of Medicaid and change how the program functions. One example is the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed in 2025, which aims to cut federal Medicaid funding by over $1 trillion during the next 10 years and adds requirements like work obligations and higher cost-sharing. These adjustments could mean less coverage for certain recipients and pose higher spending responsibilities for states while Medicaid continues to cover tens of millions of Americans.

Note: Includes HCPCS codes clearly identified with COVID-19; numbers do not account for all health spending related to the pandemic.

The data source for this article is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The underlying source is available here.