At least $5,136 spent on Medicaid COVID-19 care in Shinnston in 2024

Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database shows Medicaid payments totaled at least $5,136 in Shinnston in 2024 for services billed under HCPCS codes specifically linked to COVID-19.

Medicaid is a public health coverage program administered by each state and funded by both the federal government and individual states. It provides coverage for low-income people and families, children, seniors, and those with disabilities, making it a significant component of the U.S. health care system.

Because taxpayer funding supports Medicaid, shifts in the amount of local billing provide insight into how a community allocates public health care resources.

For this report, COVID-19–related services were determined through the use of HCPCS codes that were tagged or classified as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in either billing descriptions or reference materials. As a result, these totals capture only services directly marked as COVID-19-related, and do not reflect care billed under more general or unrelated codes that may also pertain to the pandemic.

In comparison, South Charleston saw the highest level of Medicaid payments linked to COVID-19 in West Virginia in 2024, amounting to $519,058 for virus-related claims.

Records indicate United Physicians Care Inc was the sole provider filing Medicaid claims for COVID-19–related services in Shinnston during 2024.

COVID-19–specific services contributed notably to the increase in Medicaid dollars spent in Shinnston throughout the pandemic years.

Across all other claim categories, Medicaid payments rose by $1,191,094 from 2021 through 2024, which is an increase of 58.7%.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, combined federal and state Medicaid spending approached $871.7 billion in the 2023 fiscal year, making up nearly 18% of total national health expenditures. This was a substantial rise from the $613.5 billion spent in 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak.

This surge reflects an increase of roughly 40% within a few years, mainly the result of greater enrollment and service use during and after the pandemic.

Recent federal budget actions during the Trump administration included major measures to decrease federal support for Medicaid and alter its structure. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, is set to reduce federal Medicaid spending by over $1 trillion over 10 years, introduce work requirements, and raise cost-sharing, which could limit coverage and funding for some recipients. These policy changes are projected to place greater financial responsibility on state budgets and curb federal growth, even as Medicaid continues to cover tens of millions nationwide.

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

Information for this article was sourced from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The underlying data set is available here.