Tampa Medicaid paid $152,878 for COVID-19 services in 2024, representing less than 0.1% of total claims

Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database shows that in 2024, Medicaid payments for services in Tampa billed under HCPCS codes designated for COVID-19 reached a minimum of $152,878.

Medicaid, a state-managed health coverage program jointly funded by federal and state governments , provides insurance to low-income families and individuals, senior citizens, children and people with disabilities, making up a major portion of the U.S. health care system.

These payments reflect tax-based public funding, so shifts in local billing levels illustrate how health care dollars are used within different communities.

The analysis identifies COVID-19–specific services by isolating HCPCS codes marked as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in the billing description or reference sources. This method counts only those services directly labeled as COVID-related, so other pandemic-related care that falls under broader or differently described codes is not included.

In comparison, Miami reported the highest Medicaid total in Florida for COVID-19–related claims in 2024, at $270,279.

Seventeen providers in Tampa filed Medicaid claims for COVID-19–related services in 2024. The COVID Specific code was the most billed, totaling $101,666.

On average, Tampa’s Medicaid COVID-19–related payments per provider stood at $8,993, surpassing the state average of $7,271 during the same timeframe.

Throughout pandemic years, Medicaid spending growth in Tampa included a significant role for COVID-19–specific services.

Total Medicaid payouts for all other claims categories in Tampa increased by $26,820,501 from 2020 to 2024, reflecting a 9.3% gain.

For the two years before the pandemic, average annual Medicaid spending in Tampa was $159,627,467.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, combined Medicaid spending by state and federal governments reached about $871.7 billion in Fiscal Year 2023, or roughly 18% of all U.S. health expenditures, up from $613.5 billion in 2019 before the pandemic.

That rise marks nearly 40% growth within several years, largely caused by increased enrollment and usage during and following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent legislative changes at the federal level under the Trump administration have aimed to lower federal funding and change the structure of Medicaid. For instance, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law in 2025, is set to reduce federal Medicaid support by more than $1 trillion over the next decade by implementing tactics like work requirements and greater cost-sharing, possibly curbing coverage for some. These provisions are expected to shift costs to states while capping federal growth, despite Medicaid’s continued coverage for tens of millions nationwide.

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

Information for this report comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The source data can be accessed here.