children’s psychiatric drugs in arkansas medicaid: arkansas’s own three numbers
arkansas told cms three things about its children in the 2025 reporting year: 82.0 percent of children aged 1 to 11 newly prescribed an antipsychotic had psychosocial care documented first, the second-highest of the 50 states that reported it; 59.7 percent of children on two or more antipsychotics got both the glucose and the cholesterol test, the third-highest of the 49 states that reported it; 54.4 percent of children aged 6 to 12 starting an adhd medicine were seen again inside 30 days, 11th of the 51 states that reported it.[1]
across the whole age range, arkansas sits in the top quarter of the country on psychosocial care before an antipsychotic and in the top quarter of the country on the 30-day adhd follow-up. same state, same year, same children.
every row arkansas sent to cms
| measure | arkansas | denominator | rank | national median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 11 | 82.0 | withheld | 2 of 50 | 59.2 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 12 to 17 | 77.5 | withheld | 3 of 51 | 63.8 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 17 | 78.8 | 1,640 | 2 of 51 | 61.4 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 11 | 59.7 | withheld | 3 of 49 | 29.1 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 12 to 17 | 55.8 | withheld | 4 of 51 | 36.3 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 17 | 56.8 | 4,255 | 3 of 51 | 32.9 |
| APM-CHglucose alone, 1 to 17 | 72.5 | 4,255 | 3 of 51 | 54.4 |
| APM-CHcholesterol alone, 1 to 17 | 57.7 | 4,255 | 4 of 51 | 34.8 |
| ADD-CH30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 54.4 | 8,702 | 11 of 51 | 47.6 |
| ADD-CHnine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 58.6 | 3,221 | 18 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, arkansas reported 82.0 percent — 22.8 points above the national median of 59.2, and the second-highest of the 50 states that reported it. put the other way round, 18.0 percent of the youngest children in arkansas who were started on an antipsychotic had no psychosocial care documented before it. for adolescents aged 12 to 17 the figure was 77.5 percent. across ages 1 to 17, 78.8 percent on 1,640 children, the second-highest of the 51 states that reported it. it reported 78.7 the year before on the same method, so this one moved 0.1 points up — the only one of the three where that comparison holds. either side of arkansas on that row: minnesota at 79.3 and connecticut at 78.5.
the two blood tests
arkansas reported that 59.7 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — the third-highest of the 49 states that reported it, 30.6 points above the national median of 29.1. split into halves across ages 1 to 17, glucose ran 72.5 percent and cholesterol 57.7 percent, both on 4,255 children — the third-highest of the 51 states that reported it on glucose, the fourth-highest of the 51 states that reported it on cholesterol. across ages 1 to 17 the both-tests rate was 56.8 percent. either side of arkansas on the both-tests row for ages 1 to 17: maryland at 58.1 and pennsylvania at 56.3.
the 30-day visit after a new adhd prescription
54.4 percent, on 8,702 children aged 6 to 12 who were newly prescribed an adhd medicine in arkansas — 11th of the 51 states that reported it, 6.8 points above the national median of 47.6. that leaves 45.6 percent of those children with no recorded prescriber visit in the month after the medicine started. over the nine months that follow, 58.6 percent had at least two more visits on 3,221 children, against a national median of 55.5 — 18th of the 49 states that reported it. either side of arkansas on the 30-day row: oklahoma at 54.6 and nevada at 54.2.
what medicaid paid for in arkansas in 2024
in 2024 medicaid in arkansas paid for 100,730 hydroxyzine prescriptions, $1,716,582 worth, and 99,804 benzodiazepine prescriptions, $1,610,425 worth — 100.9 hydroxyzine prescriptions for every 100 benzodiazepine ones. 135 of the 571 hydroxyzine rows and 890 of the 1,891 benzodiazepine rows for arkansas 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 arkansas’s own numbers behind them
ask which drug it is, not which class
arkansas, 2024: 100,730 hydroxyzine prescriptions and 99,804 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
arkansas: 82.0 percent of children aged 1 to 11, the second-highest of the 50 states that reported it
in 18.0 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
arkansas: 59.7 percent of children aged 1 to 11 had both tests, the third-highest of the 49 states that reported it
missed 40.3 percent of the time in arkansas. 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
arkansas: 54.4 percent, 11th of the 51 states that reported it
this is where a dose gets checked and a wrong fit is caught, and arkansas misses it 45.6 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 Arkansas, how many children get therapy before they get an antipsychotic?
In the 2025 reporting year Arkansas reported 82.0 percent for children aged 1 to 11, against a national median of 59.2 percent — the second-highest of the 50 states that reported it. For ages 12 to 17 it was 77.5 percent, and across ages 1 to 17 78.8 percent on 1,640 children.
In Arkansas, do children on antipsychotics get the blood tests?
59.7 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — the third-highest of the 49 states that reported it, against a national median of 29.1 percent. Across ages 1 to 17: glucose 72.5 percent, cholesterol 57.7 percent, on 4,255 children.
In Arkansas, how often does the 30-day ADHD follow-up visit happen?
54.4 percent of the time, on 8,702 children aged 6 to 12 newly prescribed an ADHD medicine — 11th of the 51 states that reported it, against a national median of 47.6 percent. The nine-month measure, two further visits, was 58.6 percent in Arkansas against a median of 55.5.
sources
- CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child Core Set, 2025 reporting year, Arkansas rows, read 2026-09-28. APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 11: 82.0 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 12 to 17: 77.5 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 17: 78.8 on a denominator of 1,640; APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 11: 59.7 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 12 to 17: 55.8 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 17: 56.8 on a denominator of 4,255; APM-CH glucose alone, 1 to 17: 72.5 on a denominator of 4,255; APM-CH cholesterol alone, 1 to 17: 57.7 on a denominator of 4,255; ADD-CH 30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 54.4 on a denominator of 8,702; ADD-CH nine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 58.6 on a denominator of 3,221. Method and ranking scope: /medicaid-children. https://data.medicaid.gov/dataset/14bc26c3-5584-4032-9175-f3a0399cb206
- CMS State Drug Utilization Data 2024, Arkansas rows, summed by product name, read 2026-09-28: hydroxyzine 100,730 prescriptions, $1,716,582, 135 of 571 rows suppressed; benzodiazepines 99,804 prescriptions, $1,610,425, 890 of 1,891 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