children’s psychiatric drugs in colorado medicaid: colorado’s own three numbers
colorado 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; 24.0 percent of children on two or more antipsychotics got both the glucose and the cholesterol test, 34th of the 49 states that reported it; 45.3 percent of children aged 6 to 12 starting an adhd medicine were seen again inside 30 days, 30th of the 51 states that reported it.[1]
across the whole age range, colorado sits above the national median on psychosocial care before an antipsychotic and below the national median on the two metabolic blood tests. same state, same year, same children.
every row colorado sent to cms
| measure | colorado | 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 | 69.4 | withheld | 15 of 51 | 63.8 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 17 | 68.6 | 1,371 | 15 of 51 | 61.4 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 11 | 24.0 | withheld | 34 of 49 | 29.1 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 12 to 17 | 32.4 | withheld | 34 of 51 | 36.3 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 17 | 30.1 | 4,273 | 36 of 51 | 32.9 |
| APM-CHglucose alone, 1 to 17 | 50.6 | 4,273 | 38 of 51 | 54.4 |
| APM-CHcholesterol alone, 1 to 17 | 31.4 | 4,273 | 35 of 51 | 34.8 |
| ADD-CH30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 45.3 | 4,842 | 30 of 51 | 47.6 |
| ADD-CHnine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 45.3 | 2,363 | 40 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, colorado 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 colorado who were started on an antipsychotic had no psychosocial care documented before it. for adolescents aged 12 to 17 the figure was 69.4 percent. across ages 1 to 17, 68.6 percent on 1,371 children, 15th of the 51 states that reported it. it reported 64.9 the year before on the same method, so this one moved 3.7 points up — the only one of the three where that comparison holds. either side of colorado on that row: arizona at 69.5 and oregon at 67.6.
the two blood tests
colorado reported that 24.0 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 34th of the 49 states that reported it, 5.1 points below the national median of 29.1. split into halves across ages 1 to 17, glucose ran 50.6 percent and cholesterol 31.4 percent, both on 4,273 children — 38th of the 51 states that reported it on glucose, 35th of the 51 states that reported it on cholesterol. across ages 1 to 17 the both-tests rate was 30.1 percent. either side of colorado on the both-tests row for ages 1 to 17: south dakota at 30.2 and washington at 28.8.
the 30-day visit after a new adhd prescription
45.3 percent, on 4,842 children aged 6 to 12 who were newly prescribed an adhd medicine in colorado — 30th of the 51 states that reported it, 2.3 points below the national median of 47.6. that leaves 54.7 percent of those children with no recorded prescriber visit in the month after the medicine started. over the nine months that follow, 45.3 percent had at least two more visits on 2,363 children, against a national median of 55.5 — 40th of the 49 states that reported it. either side of colorado on the 30-day row: louisiana at 45.9 and new hampshire at 45.3.
what medicaid paid for in colorado in 2024
in 2024 medicaid in colorado paid for 137,639 hydroxyzine prescriptions, $1,948,523 worth, and 176,839 benzodiazepine prescriptions, $5,057,436 worth — 77.8 hydroxyzine prescriptions for every 100 benzodiazepine ones. 124 of the 485 hydroxyzine rows and 810 of the 1,877 benzodiazepine rows for colorado 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 colorado’s own numbers behind them
ask which drug it is, not which class
colorado, 2024: 137,639 hydroxyzine prescriptions and 176,839 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
colorado: 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
colorado: 24.0 percent of children aged 1 to 11 had both tests, 34th of the 49 states that reported it
missed 76.0 percent of the time in colorado. 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
colorado: 45.3 percent, 30th of the 51 states that reported it
this is where a dose gets checked and a wrong fit is caught, and colorado misses it 54.7 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 Colorado, how many children get therapy before they get an antipsychotic?
In the 2025 reporting year Colorado 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 69.4 percent, and across ages 1 to 17 68.6 percent on 1,371 children.
In Colorado, do children on antipsychotics get the blood tests?
24.0 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 34th of the 49 states that reported it, against a national median of 29.1 percent. Across ages 1 to 17: glucose 50.6 percent, cholesterol 31.4 percent, on 4,273 children.
In Colorado, how often does the 30-day ADHD follow-up visit happen?
45.3 percent of the time, on 4,842 children aged 6 to 12 newly prescribed an ADHD medicine — 30th of the 51 states that reported it, against a national median of 47.6 percent. The nine-month measure, two further visits, was 45.3 percent in Colorado against a median of 55.5.
sources
- CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child Core Set, 2025 reporting year, Colorado 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: 69.4 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 17: 68.6 on a denominator of 1,371; APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 11: 24.0 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 12 to 17: 32.4 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 17: 30.1 on a denominator of 4,273; APM-CH glucose alone, 1 to 17: 50.6 on a denominator of 4,273; APM-CH cholesterol alone, 1 to 17: 31.4 on a denominator of 4,273; ADD-CH 30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 45.3 on a denominator of 4,842; ADD-CH nine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 45.3 on a denominator of 2,363. Method and ranking scope: /medicaid-children. https://data.medicaid.gov/dataset/14bc26c3-5584-4032-9175-f3a0399cb206
- CMS State Drug Utilization Data 2024, Colorado rows, summed by product name, read 2026-09-28: hydroxyzine 137,639 prescriptions, $1,948,523, 124 of 485 rows suppressed; benzodiazepines 176,839 prescriptions, $5,057,436, 810 of 1,877 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