Medicaid COVID-19 spending in Dickson City reaches at least $1,390 in 2024

In 2024, Medicaid disbursed a minimum of $1,390 in Dickson City for services associated with COVID-19-specific HCPCS codes, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database.

Medicaid, which is operated by states with joint funding from state and federal governments, provides health insurance for low-income individuals and families, seniors, children, and people living with disabilities, making it a major component of the U.S. health care system. Further details on funding can be found at the Commonwealth Fund.

Since Medicaid is financed by taxpayers, changes in local billing levels reflect the distribution of public health care funds within a community.

For this report, COVID-19–related services include those with HCPCS codes labeled or categorized as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in their billing descriptions or related reference materials. This means the statistics cover only services directly identified as COVID-related in billing records and do not include pandemic care billed more generally under non-specific codes.

Pittsburgh reported the highest Medicaid payments for COVID-19 care among Pennsylvania municipalities in 2024, making up $266,441 in virus-specific claims.

Compared to this, the average Medicaid payment per provider for COVID-19 services in Dickson City was $695—well below the Pennsylvania state average of $6,645.

COVID-19–specific care also contributed to notable Medicaid spending increases in Dickson City during the pandemic period.

Total Medicaid payments across all other types of claims grew by $1,428,285 from 2021 to 2024, marking a 92.7% rise.

During the two years before the pandemic, Dickson City averaged $97,460 in annual Medicaid payments.

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

This surge represents an increase of about 40% in just a few years, mainly tied to higher enrollment and increased demand during and after the pandemic period.

Recent federal budget actions under the Trump administration have included large proposals aimed at reducing federal Medicaid expenditures and redesigning aspects of the program. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law in 2025, is estimated to reduce federal Medicaid outlays by more than $1 trillion over the next decade and introduces changes like work requirements and greater cost-sharing. These measures may reduce benefits and federal funding for some recipients, shifting greater financial responsibility to states even as the program remains a critical support for tens of millions nationwide.

Note: Totals include only HCPCS codes clearly identified as COVID-19 services; they do not represent the full scope of pandemic health care spending.

This article’s data comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. Source data is available here.