Anniston sees $499,934 in Medicaid claims for COVID-19 services in 2024

Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database show that Anniston’s Medicaid claims for services billed under COVID-19-linked HCPCS codes reached at least $499,934 in 2024.

Medicaid, a health insurance program with state administration and joint federal and state funding, provides coverage for low-income individuals and families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities. It is a significant component of the U.S. health system.

Because tax dollars fund Medicaid, changes in billing at the local level reveal how community health care resources are distributed.

COVID-19 services for this report were identified by selecting HCPCS codes designated as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus”-related in billing labels or reference materials. Therefore, these totals only reflect services billed with an explicit COVID connection and exclude other pandemic-driven care potentially coded differently.

By comparison, Birmingham reported Alabama’s highest Medicaid payments tied to COVID-19 in 2024, with $1,029,178 in virus-related claims.

Anniston had seven providers who billed Medicaid for services linked to COVID-19 in 2024. The Immunoassay code generated the highest billing, accounting for $280,581.

For reference, in Anniston the average Medicaid payment per provider for COVID-19–coded services was $71,419, surpassing the statewide average of $35,056.

During the pandemic, Anniston saw a substantial increase in Medicaid spending on COVID-19–specific services.

From 2020 to 2024, Medicaid payments across other claim categories in the city increased by $5,422,715, marking a 47.9% rise.

In the two-year period before the pandemic, Anniston’s average annual Medicaid payments were $11,771,893.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, combined federal and state Medicaid spending reached about $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, representing around 18% of national health outlays—an increase from roughly $613.5 billion in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This jump amounts to approximately 40% growth in just a few years, fueled mainly by expanded enrollment and utilization during and after the pandemic.

Recent federal budget measures adopted during the Trump administration have proposed major changes to Medicaid funding and structure. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, is expected to reduce federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over 10 years. The law introduces provisions like work requirements and more cost-sharing, which may affect coverage and funding for beneficiaries. These adjustments could put more financial responsibility on states and slow the pace of federal Medicaid contributions, even as the program continues to cover tens of millions.

Note: Includes only HCPCS codes labeled for COVID-19; figures do not represent all health care spending linked to the pandemic.

Information for this report comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The original source data is available here.