Saranac Lake Medicaid paid $360 for COVID-19 services in 2024

At least $360 in Medicaid payments were made for services billed with HCPCS codes specifically linked to COVID-19 in Saranac Lake in 2024, data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database shows.

Medicaid, a public health insurance program managed by states and funded in partnership with federal and state governments, covers low-income adults and families, seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities, making it a central part of the U.S. health care network.

Since Medicaid payments are funded by taxpayers, shifts in local billing provide insights into how public health care funds are distributed in a community.

This analysis identified COVID-19–related services through HCPCS codes that were designated or classified as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” within billing information or supporting reference data. These figures only represent services explicitly marked as COVID-related in billing records, excluding broader pandemic care billed under other codes.

To compare, in 2024, Brooklyn led New York in Medicaid claims for COVID-19 services, reaching $3,718,101 in payments.

In Saranac Lake, two providers billed Medicaid for COVID-19–related services in 2024. One of the most used codes was COVID Specific, totaling $360 in payments.

The average Medicaid payment per provider for COVID-19–related care in Saranac Lake was $180, significantly below the New York state average of $29,403.

During the pandemic years, services labeled as COVID-19 accounted for much of the increase in Medicaid expenditures in Saranac Lake.

In the two years before the pandemic, Saranac Lake averaged $3,738,361 in annual Medicaid payments.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data shows combined federal and state Medicaid spending totaled about $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023—making up roughly 18% of total national health expenditures—a steep jump from $613.5 billion in 2019, before COVID-19 began.

This increase of about 40% over a few years was largely due to greater enrollment and higher use during and after the pandemic.

Recent federal budget measures under the Trump administration have included proposals to lower federal Medicaid funding and change the structure of the program. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, is forecast to reduce federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over the next decade, adding requirements such as work mandates and higher cost-sharing that may decrease coverage and funding for some recipients. These measures are likely to place a larger financial burden on states and restrict growth in federal Medicaid funding, even as the program remains critical for millions.

Note: Includes HCPCS codes clearly labeled for COVID-19 services; does not include all pandemic-related health care spending.

Information for this article comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. Access the source data here.