Clifton receives $1,725,516 in Medicaid reimbursements for COVID-19 services in 2024

At least $1,725,516 in Medicaid reimbursements were made in Clifton in 2024 for services billed under HCPCS codes specifically linked to COVID-19, based on information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database.

Medicaid is a state-operated public health insurance program that receives joint funding from federal and state governments. The program provides coverage for low-income families and individuals, seniors, children, and people with disabilities, and it is one of the largest divisions of the U.S. health care system.

Because Medicaid funding is drawn from taxpayer dollars, shifts in local claim activity demonstrate how community health resources are distributed.

This analysis identifies COVID-19–related services using HCPCS codes marked as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in billing descriptions or reference information. The reported totals are limited to services distinctly labeled in billing data as COVID-19–related and do not include other pandemic-era services that may have been billed under different or more general codes.

Among all cities in the state, Clifton recorded the highest Medicaid reimbursements connected to COVID-19 services in 2024.

In Clifton, four providers accounted for Medicaid claims classified under COVID-19 services in 2024. COVID Specific was among the most billed categories, representing $1,607,781.

For comparison, the average Medicaid claim amount per provider for COVID-19 services was $431,379 in Clifton, well above the state average of $33,367.

COVID-19–targeted services contributed notably to increases in Medicaid spending in Clifton during the pandemic years.

Other Medicaid payment categories experienced a $50,528,787 rise between 2020 and 2024—a 49% gain.

During the two years before the pandemic, the average yearly Medicaid payments in Clifton reached $103,485,790.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, combined federal and state Medicaid outlays climbed to around $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023, accounting for about 18% of all national health expenditures. That figure is a significant jump from $613.5 billion in 2019, before the pandemic.

This increase marks approximately 40% growth over several years, with much of the rise attributed to greater enrollment and increased utilization of care during and after the pandemic period.

Recent federal budget laws passed under the Trump administration included extensive plans to scale back federal Medicaid contributions and change program structure. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, is set to trim more than $1 trillion in federal Medicaid expenditures over the next 10 years, introducing work requirements and higher cost-sharing for some participants. These changes may transfer additional costs to states and restrict growth in federal Medicaid backing, while the program continues serving tens of millions across the country.

Note: Totals include only HCPCS codes clearly marked for COVID-19 services and do not encompass all health care expenditures related to the pandemic.

Details in this article are sourced from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. Source data can be found here.