children’s psychiatric drugs in arizona medicaid: arizona’s own three numbers
arizona told cms three things about its children in the 2025 reporting year: 66.0 percent of children aged 1 to 11 newly prescribed an antipsychotic had psychosocial care documented first, 15th of the 50 states that reported it; 34.2 percent of children on two or more antipsychotics got both the glucose and the cholesterol test, 13th of the 49 states that reported it; 58.8 percent of children aged 6 to 12 starting an adhd medicine were seen again inside 30 days, the fourth-highest of the 51 states that reported it.[1]
across the whole age range, arizona sits in the top quarter of the country on the 30-day adhd follow-up and above the national median on psychosocial care before an antipsychotic. same state, same year, same children.
every row arizona sent to cms
| measure | arizona | denominator | rank | national median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 11 | 66.0 | withheld | 15 of 50 | 59.2 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 12 to 17 | 71.0 | withheld | 10 of 51 | 63.8 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 17 | 69.5 | 2,538 | 14 of 51 | 61.4 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 11 | 34.2 | withheld | 13 of 49 | 29.1 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 12 to 17 | 50.7 | withheld | 7 of 51 | 36.3 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 17 | 45.8 | 9,958 | 8 of 51 | 32.9 |
| APM-CHglucose alone, 1 to 17 | 60.5 | 9,958 | 10 of 51 | 54.4 |
| APM-CHcholesterol alone, 1 to 17 | 46.4 | 9,958 | 8 of 51 | 34.8 |
| ADD-CH30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 58.8 | 7,793 | 4 of 51 | 47.6 |
| ADD-CHnine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 66.6 | 2,764 | 3 of 49 | 55.5 |
rank 1 is the highest rate. how the ranks and the withheld cells work.[1]
talking treatment before the antipsychotic
for the youngest children, aged 1 to 11, arizona reported 66.0 percent — 6.8 points above the national median of 59.2, and 15th of the 50 states that reported it. put the other way round, 34.0 percent of the youngest children in arizona who were started on an antipsychotic had no psychosocial care documented before it. for adolescents aged 12 to 17 the figure was 71.0 percent. across ages 1 to 17, 69.5 percent on 2,538 children, 14th of the 51 states that reported it. it reported 70.1 the year before on the same method, so this one moved 0.6 points down — the only one of the three where that comparison holds. either side of arizona on that row: montana at 69.7 and colorado at 68.6.
the two blood tests
arizona reported that 34.2 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 13th of the 49 states that reported it, 5.1 points above the national median of 29.1. split into halves across ages 1 to 17, glucose ran 60.5 percent and cholesterol 46.4 percent, both on 9,958 children — 10th of the 51 states that reported it on glucose, 8th of the 51 states that reported it on cholesterol. across ages 1 to 17 the both-tests rate was 45.8 percent. either side of arizona on the both-tests row for ages 1 to 17: wyoming at 51.2 and missouri at 42.6.
the 30-day visit after a new adhd prescription
58.8 percent, on 7,793 children aged 6 to 12 who were newly prescribed an adhd medicine in arizona — the fourth-highest of the 51 states that reported it, 11.2 points above the national median of 47.6. that leaves 41.2 percent of those children with no recorded prescriber visit in the month after the medicine started. over the nine months that follow, 66.6 percent had at least two more visits on 2,764 children, against a national median of 55.5 — the third-highest of the 49 states that reported it. either side of arizona on the 30-day row: vermont at 60.6 and oregon at 57.9.
what medicaid paid for in arizona in 2024
in 2024 medicaid in arizona paid for 288,175 hydroxyzine prescriptions, $2,122,801 worth, and 201,173 benzodiazepine prescriptions, $4,784,013 worth — 143.2 hydroxyzine prescriptions for every 100 benzodiazepine ones. 150 of the 487 hydroxyzine rows and 690 of the 1,507 benzodiazepine rows for arizona were suppressed, so both are floors.[2] our own sums of the federal file, which has no ages, so neither is a children’s number, and no rank.
four things to ask, with arizona’s own numbers behind them
ask which drug it is, not which class
arizona, 2024: 288,175 hydroxyzine prescriptions and 201,173 benzodiazepine prescriptions
hydroxyzine is an antihistamine; a benzodiazepine brings dependence and withdrawal. read the name on the bottle. why they get merged.
if an antipsychotic is being started, ask what came first
arizona: 66.0 percent of children aged 1 to 11, 15th of the 50 states that reported it
in 34.0 percent of these cases the answer is “none yet”. ask what was tried first, and ask for it in the notes.
if your child is on an antipsychotic, get the date of the bloodwork
arizona: 34.2 percent of children aged 1 to 11 had both tests, 13th of the 49 states that reported it
missed 65.8 percent of the time in arizona. ask when the glucose and cholesterol test is booked, and leave with a date.
if an adhd medicine has just been started, book the 30-day visit now
arizona: 58.8 percent, the fourth-highest of the 51 states that reported it
this is where a dose gets checked and a wrong fit is caught, and arizona misses it 41.2 percent of the time. book it before you leave the room.
how to read any of this
self-reported, on methods that differ by state, and process not outcome.[1] method and suppression rules; the national picture.
questions people ask
In Arizona, how many children get therapy before they get an antipsychotic?
In the 2025 reporting year Arizona reported 66.0 percent for children aged 1 to 11, against a national median of 59.2 percent — 15th of the 50 states that reported it. For ages 12 to 17 it was 71.0 percent, and across ages 1 to 17 69.5 percent on 2,538 children.
In Arizona, do children on antipsychotics get the blood tests?
34.2 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 13th of the 49 states that reported it, against a national median of 29.1 percent. Across ages 1 to 17: glucose 60.5 percent, cholesterol 46.4 percent, on 9,958 children.
In Arizona, how often does the 30-day ADHD follow-up visit happen?
58.8 percent of the time, on 7,793 children aged 6 to 12 newly prescribed an ADHD medicine — the fourth-highest of the 51 states that reported it, against a national median of 47.6 percent. The nine-month measure, two further visits, was 66.6 percent in Arizona against a median of 55.5.
sources
- CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child Core Set, 2025 reporting year, Arizona rows, read 2026-09-28. APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 11: 66.0 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 12 to 17: 71.0 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 17: 69.5 on a denominator of 2,538; APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 11: 34.2 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 12 to 17: 50.7 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 17: 45.8 on a denominator of 9,958; APM-CH glucose alone, 1 to 17: 60.5 on a denominator of 9,958; APM-CH cholesterol alone, 1 to 17: 46.4 on a denominator of 9,958; ADD-CH 30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 58.8 on a denominator of 7,793; ADD-CH nine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 66.6 on a denominator of 2,764. Method and ranking scope: /medicaid-children. https://data.medicaid.gov/dataset/14bc26c3-5584-4032-9175-f3a0399cb206
- CMS State Drug Utilization Data 2024, Arizona rows, summed by product name, read 2026-09-28: hydroxyzine 288,175 prescriptions, $2,122,801, 150 of 487 rows suppressed; benzodiazepines 201,173 prescriptions, $4,784,013, 690 of 1,507 rows suppressed. Our sum, not a CMS statistic. https://data.medicaid.gov/dataset/61729e5a-7aa8-448c-8903-ba3e0cd0ea3c
all 51 states ranked · what the national numbers say
nothing here is a reason to start, stop or change a child’s medication. it is a set of questions to bring to the person who prescribes it.
adam