COVID-19 services accounted for $616 in Malta Medicaid payments in 2024

In 2024, Malta saw Medicaid payments reach a minimum of $616 for services billed using HCPCS codes directly tied to COVID-19, based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database.

Medicaid, a state-operated health insurance program funded by both federal and state governments, provides medical coverage to low-income individuals and families, seniors, children, and people with disabilities—making it a central part of the U.S. health care landscape.

Since Medicaid is taxpayer-supported, local billing fluctuations reflect how health care resources are utilized across a community.

Researchers identified COVID-19 services based on HCPCS codes marked as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus”-related in billing descriptions or reference tables. This means the data represent only those encounters explicitly coded as related to COVID-19, excluding broader services that may have been prompted by the pandemic but billed differently.

For context, Brooklyn registered the state’s highest Medicaid expenses associated with COVID-19 services in 2024, with virus-related claims totaling $3,718,101.

The data indicate Healthcare Partners Of Saratoga Ltd was the city’s sole provider to submit COVID-19–specific Medicaid claims in 2024.

During the main pandemic years, COVID-19 services represented a considerable segment of increased Medicaid spending in Malta.

From 2020 to 2024, Medicaid spending in other categories surged by $442,222, indicating growth of 31.3%.

In the two years before the pandemic, Malta’s average annual Medicaid expenditures were $564,714.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data shows federal and state Medicaid spending approached $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, about 18% of all U.S. health costs—substantially above the $613.5 billion recorded ahead of the pandemic in 2019.

This jump marks approximately 40% growth within just a few years, due primarily to expanded enrollment and greater use of benefits during and in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Recent federal budget legislation during the Trump administration has proposed major reductions in federal Medicaid outlays and substantial structural changes. One example is the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, which is expected to reduce federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over 10 years, adding measures like work mandates and increased participant cost-sharing, potentially reducing access and funding for some people. The effect may be a greater cost burden for states as federal funding expansion slows, while Medicaid continues to serve tens of millions across the U.S.

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

This article’s data comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database, which can be found here.