Chillicothe Medicaid providers collected at least $1,276,827 for COVID-19 care in 2024

Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database shows Medicaid payments in Chillicothe reached at least $1,276,827 in 2024 for care billed under HCPCS codes specifically defined for COVID-19. This was a 263.5% jump from 2023, when $351,307 was billed under the same service codes.

Medicaid, a major component of the U.S. health system, is a public insurance program managed by the states in partnership with the federal government. It insures seniors, children, people with disabilities, and low-income families, making it one of the most prominent sources of health coverage in the country.

Medicaid funding comes from tax dollars, so fluctuations in local claim levels indicate how health care money is used within different communities.

Analysts identified COVID-19–related care using HCPCS codes with “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” flagged in their billing descriptions. Therefore, these totals represent only care marked as COVID-specific, and do not include care provided for pandemic-related needs billed under more general medical codes.

By comparison, Marion led all Ohio cities in 2024, with $10,818,404 of Medicaid services billed for COVID-19 care.

Four Chillicothe providers recorded Medicaid billing for COVID-19–related services in 2024. The most billed code, COVID Specific, represented $989,317 in claims.

On average, each Chillicothe provider billed $319,207 for COVID-19 Medicaid services, exceeding the state average of $119,792 per provider.

COVID-19–specific services contributed significantly to Medicaid payment increases for Chillicothe during the core pandemic years.

All other types of Medicaid claims increased by $19,753,956 in Chillicothe from 2020 through 2024, climbing by 59.6%.

In the two years before the pandemic, Chillicothe’s average annual Medicaid payments stood at $32,610,801.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicaid on both the federal and state level spent about $871.7 billion during the 2023 fiscal year. This accounted for approximately 18% of health spending nationwide—a notable rise from $613.5 billion in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The surge amounts to roughly 40% growth over several years, primarily due to increased enrollments and greater service utilization during and after the pandemic.

Major federal budget bills passed under the Trump administration, such as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed in 2025, are slated to reduce federal Medicaid dollars by more than $1 trillion across 10 years. These laws bring policy changes such as stricter work rules and higher cost-sharing, which could restrict coverage and funds for some participants. The reforms are expected to shift Medicaid-related costs to states and slow overall federal payment growth while the program continues to insure millions of Americans.

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

This article is based on information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The original data can be accessed here.