Truth or Consequences logged $7,460 in Medicaid COVID-19 billings for 2024

At least $7,460 in Medicaid payments for 2024 in Truth or Consequences were linked to services billed under HCPCS codes specifically associated with COVID-19, as shown by data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database.

Medicaid, operated by states and funded through a partnership between federal and state governments, provides health coverage to low-income people, including individuals, families, seniors, children, and those with disabilities. It remains a major component of the American health care system.

Because Medicaid funds originate from taxpayers, shifts in a community’s billing levels indicate how public health resources are distributed locally.

This review defined COVID-19–related services as those categorized by HCPCS codes labeled in billing references or descriptions as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” related. As a result, only claims explicitly marked as COVID-related in the data are included, and pandemic-associated care potentially billed under broader codes is not reflected here.

For context, Albuquerque had the highest total Medicaid payments for COVID-19–related services within New Mexico in 2024, with $958,608 in claims tied to the virus.

Only Sierra Vista Hospital filed Medicaid claims for COVID-19–specific services in Truth or Consequences during 2024, according to the records.

All other Medicaid claim categories saw payment totals increase by $3,077,004 from 2020 to 2024, an uptick of 113.7%.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services report that combined state and federal Medicaid spending reached about $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, accounting for around 18% of the nation’s total health expenditures. That compares to about $613.5 billion in 2019, preceding the COVID-19 emergency.

This nearly 40% rise in costs comes in response to expanded program enrollment and greater service use during and following the coronavirus pandemic.

Federal budget measures during the Trump administration have introduced plans to trim federal Medicaid spending and alter the program’s structure. For instance, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed in 2025, is forecast to reduce federal Medicaid funding by more than $1 trillion over 10 years, introduce work requirements, and raise cost-sharing, which may lower support and coverage for some recipients. These adjustments would likely transfer more financial responsibility to states and restrict future growth of federal Medicaid funding, while the program continues serving many millions of Americans.

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

The information in this story was sourced from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. Access the source data here.