At least $1,681 in Knoxville Medicaid payments connected to COVID-19 care in 2024

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database, at least $1,681 in Medicaid payments for care attributed to COVID-19–specific HCPCS codes was recorded in Knoxville in 2024.

Medicaid is a state-administered public health insurance program that receives funding from both federal and state governments. Covering low-income adults and families, the elderly, children, and individuals with disabilities, Medicaid accounts for one of the largest shares of U.S. health care coverage.

Taxpayer funding sustains Medicaid, and any shift in billing trends locally reflects adjustments in the way a community’s health care funds are used.

Only those services specifically labeled as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in the HCPCS billing descriptions or referenced in classification data are included in these results. As a result, the totals represent solely services directly identified as related to COVID-19 in claims and do not represent a broader scope of pandemic-era care billed under general or alternative healthcare codes.

By comparison, Davenport had the highest total for Medicaid payments associated with COVID-19 treatment among Iowa cities in 2024, reporting $278,795 in related claims.

The 2024 Medicaid data for Knoxville indicates Knoxville Community Hospital Inc was the exclusive submitter of claims related to COVID-19 services within the city.

Medicaid expenditures on COVID-19–specific services significantly contributed to the rise in overall Medicaid spending in Knoxville during the pandemic stage.

Average annual Medicaid payments in Knoxville during the two years before the pandemic reached $1,072,274.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data shows total combined federal and state Medicaid spending topped $871.7 billion for fiscal year 2023, which made up close to 18% of all national health expenditures, up from $613.5 billion in 2019, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This growth marks an approximate 40% increase over a short timeframe, primarily a result of expanded coverage and greater utilization during and after the pandemic.

The Trump administration passed federal budget measures containing substantial plans to reduce federal Medicaid allocations and revamp the program. Notably, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law in 2025, includes over $1 trillion in planned federal Medicaid spending cuts during the next 10 years and institutes conditions such as work requirements and higher cost-sharing, steps that could decrease funding and enrollment for certain beneficiaries. This legislation is set to increase the financial burden on states and restrain the rate of federal Medicaid growth, even as the program remains vital for millions in the U.S.

Note: Figures only account for HCPCS codes explicitly assigned to COVID-19 services and do not include the full range of health care expenditures related to the pandemic.

Details were sourced from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database; the underlying data can be accessed here.