Pomona Medicaid COVID-19 billing surpasses $62,996 in 2024

Payouts for COVID-19–related Medicaid services in Pomona reached at least $62,996 in 2024, based on reports from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database.

Medicaid is a government health insurance initiative overseen by states and receives funding through a partnership of state and federal resources. The program provides coverage for seniors, children, people with disabilities, low-income individuals, and families, making it one of the largest health care programs in the U.S. system.

As Medicaid is funded by taxpayers, fluctuations in local billing patterns reflect how public health dollars are utilized across communities.

This report defined COVID-19–related services using HCPCS codes indicated in billing or reference data as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” specific. Thus, only services specifically tagged for COVID in billing records are counted, not those billed under more generic codes that could also cover COVID-related care.

By comparison, San Jose saw the highest Medicaid payments tied to COVID-19 services in California in 2024, reporting $5,601,479 in virus-related claims.

Four Pomona providers billed Medicaid for COVID-19–related codes in 2024. The COVID Specific code was the area’s most frequently billed, amounting to $62,277 of the total.

Pomona’s average Medicaid billing per provider for COVID-19–related claims was $15,749, which is lower than the state average of $52,976.

COVID-19–specific billing contributed significantly to the growth in Pomona’s Medicaid health spending during the pandemic period.

Between 2020 and 2024, Medicaid expenses across other claim categories in Pomona rose by $20,778,936, an increase of 40.3% from the prior period.

Data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shows that the joint federal and state Medicaid outlay was about $871.7 billion for fiscal year 2023, representing nearly 18% of all health spending nationally. This is up from approximately $613.5 billion in 2019, before the pandemic.

This jump marks an increase of about 40%, led by higher Medicaid enrollment and increased service use during and after the pandemic phase.

Recent federal budget measures under the Trump administration feature substantial plans to cut federal Medicaid contributions and restructure the program. For instance, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law in 2025, is expected to reduce federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years, introducing cost-sharing and work requirements that may lower coverage and funding for some populations. These changes could shift greater financial responsibility to the states while holding back federal Medicaid growth, even as the program remains a key source of health care for millions.

Note: The analysis considers only HCPCS codes marked as COVID-19 services and does not encompass all expenditures tied to the pandemic.

The information provided here uses data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database, available here.