Bell Gardens Medicaid paid $9,227 for COVID-19-related claims in 2024, up nearly 20%

At least $9,227 in Medicaid spending was recorded for COVID-19–related services in Bell Gardens in 2024 based on HCPCS codes tied directly to coronavirus care, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database shows. This amount marks a 19.6% rise compared with what providers in the area billed in 2023 for the same categories, which reached $7,713.

Medicaid operates as a public insurance program, with joint funding from federal and state sources. It provides health coverage to low-income groups, including families, older adults, children, and people with disabilities, making it a significant driver of the U.S. health system.

Because taxpayer dollars fund Medicaid, fluctuations in local claims reflect how health spending is directed on a community level.

COVID-19 services in this review were identified by HCPCS billing codes explicitly designed for “COVID-19” or “coronavirus;” totals shown reflect only these directly attributed claims and may not include pandemic care listed under broader code categories.

For context, San Jose recorded the highest total for COVID-related Medicaid claims in California in 2024, amounting to $5,601,479.

Gardens Medical Center Inc was the lone provider in Bell Gardens who billed Medicaid for COVID-19–linked services in 2024, according to the data.

During the pandemic, Medicaid spending on coronavirus-specific services contributed significantly to overall payment growth in Bell Gardens.

Across all other Medicaid service categories, total claims increased by $1,073,131 from 2020 through 2024, an overall rise of 36.4%.

Looking at the two years before the pandemic began, the city’s yearly average for Medicaid payments was $2,919,038.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reporting shows combined state and federal Medicaid expenditures reached around $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023—nearly 18% of the nation’s total health spending, compared to $613.5 billion in 2019 before COVID-19.

This translates to a jump of approximately 40% over several years, mainly prompted by higher enrollment and increased utilization throughout the pandemic and afterward.

Recent legislative changes during the Trump administration have put forward substantial reductions and changes for the federal portion of Medicaid. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” passed in 2025, is expected to reduce total federal Medicaid funding by over $1 trillion over the next 10 years, and it includes provisions like work requirements and higher beneficiary cost-sharing that may cut coverage and financial support, impacting how states handle Medicaid costs.

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

All data in this story come from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The dataset is available here.