Haysi Medicaid providers billed $2,831 for COVID-19 services in 2024

At least $2,831 in Medicaid payments were billed in Haysi during 2024 for services identified with HCPCS codes specifically related to COVID-19, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending data.

Medicaid is a joint federal-state public health insurance program funded by both state and federal governments. The program serves low-income families and individuals, seniors, children, and people with disabilities, making up one of the largest components of the U.S. health care system.

Because these payments rely on taxpayer funding, fluctuations in local Medicaid billing illustrate how community health care dollars are distributed.

This report used HCPCS codes classified as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in billing labels or descriptions to identify related services. Consequently, the data reflect only directly labeled COVID-19 services and exclude care tied to the pandemic that may have used broader or alternative codes.

Richmond led in Medicaid payments for COVID-19-labeled services across Virginia in 2024, reaching $775,923 in related claims.

Data indicates Viers Medical Clinic Pllc was the sole provider submitting Medicaid claims under COVID-19–related codes in Haysi for 2024.

During the years recognized as the pandemic, Medicaid spending linked to COVID-19–specific codes accounted for a significant portion of local public health funding in Haysi.

Other Medicaid claims categories in Haysi saw payments rise by $20,853 from 2021 to 2024, which amounts to an 11.7% increase.

Before the pandemic began, the city’s average annual Medicaid payments totaled $65,809 over a two-year span.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, total federal and state Medicaid spending reached about $871.7 billion for fiscal year 2023, or roughly 18% of the nation’s health expenditures—significantly above the approximately $613.5 billion spent in 2019 before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This increase marks a jump of close to 40% within a few years, largely attributed to growing enrollment and greater demand on the program during and after the pandemic era.

Recent federal budgeting action during the Trump administration brought major proposals for federal Medicaid funding changes. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed in 2025, is anticipated to cut more than $1 trillion in federal Medicaid spending over the next 10 years while enacting measures such as work requirements and increased cost-sharing that could limit coverage and funding for some recipients. These changes are expected to leave states with a larger share of Medicaid costs and curtail the overall growth of federal Medicaid assistance, even as the program remains a core support for tens of millions.

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

This article’s information is sourced from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The full data is available here.