South Plainfield Medicaid bills for COVID-19 services reach $49,510 in 2024

At least $49,510 in Medicaid payments were submitted in South Plainfield in 2024 for services billed using HCPCS codes specifically linked to COVID-19, based on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database.

Medicaid is a government health insurance program managed by states and jointly financed by state and federal governments. It offers coverage mainly to low-income people and families, children, older adults, and individuals with disabilities, making it a substantial component of health care in the U.S.

Because Medicaid funding is sourced from taxpayers, variations in billing locally reflect how communities allocate public health care spending.

For this report, services classified as COVID-19–related were identified through HCPCS codes marked as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in their descriptions or within associated reference data. Consequently, only services directly labeled as COVID-19 in billing information are included; the data does not reflect broader pandemic care billed under general medical codes.

In comparison, Clifton led the state in Medicaid claims tied to COVID-19 services for 2024, with a total of $1,725,516 in such claims.

Five providers in South Plainfield submitted Medicaid claims related to COVID-19 in 2024, with Immunoassay being the most commonly billed code, totaling $47,246.

On average, Medicaid payments for COVID-19–related claims per provider in South Plainfield were $9,902, which is less than the state average payment of $33,367 per provider.

During the pandemic years, COVID-19–focused services contributed significantly to growth in Medicaid expenditures in South Plainfield.

Total Medicaid payments for all other claim types climbed by $16,508,097 from 2020 to 2024, an increase of 56%.

In the two years before the pandemic, typical yearly Medicaid payments in South Plainfield averaged $28,531,360.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicaid spending by federal and state governments totaled roughly $871.7 billion during fiscal 2023, which was about 18% of overall U.S. health expenses. This was up from $613.5 billion in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This change marks an increase of approximately 40% over several years, primarily driven by more enrollments and greater usage during and after the pandemic phase.

Recent federal budget acts enacted during the Trump presidency have included major plans to trim federal Medicaid spending and make structural changes to the program. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted in 2025, is forecasted to cut over $1 trillion in federal Medicaid costs over 10 years and introduces changes, such as work requirements and higher cost-sharing, that could affect eligibility and funding for certain beneficiaries. Such policy shifts are expected to increase financial burdens on states and slow federal Medicaid funding growth, even as the insurance program continues serving tens of millions nationally.

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

The data in this report is sourced from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. Full details are available here.