children’s psychiatric drugs in connecticut medicaid: connecticut’s own three numbers
connecticut told cms three things about its children in the 2025 reporting year: 75.3 percent of children aged 1 to 11 newly prescribed an antipsychotic had psychosocial care documented first, the fourth-highest of the 50 states that reported it; 28.2 percent of children on two or more antipsychotics got both the glucose and the cholesterol test, 26th of the 49 states that reported it; 47.7 percent of children aged 6 to 12 starting an adhd medicine were seen again inside 30 days, 25th of the 51 states that reported it.[1]
across the whole age range, connecticut sits in the top quarter of the country on psychosocial care before an antipsychotic and above the national median on the 30-day adhd follow-up. same state, same year, same children.
every row connecticut sent to cms
| measure | connecticut | denominator | rank | national median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 11 | 75.3 | withheld | 4 of 50 | 59.2 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 12 to 17 | 79.9 | withheld | 2 of 51 | 63.8 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 17 | 78.5 | 1,031 | 3 of 51 | 61.4 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 11 | 28.2 | withheld | 26 of 49 | 29.1 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 12 to 17 | 41.2 | withheld | 15 of 51 | 36.3 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 17 | 36.9 | 3,809 | 20 of 51 | 32.9 |
| APM-CHglucose alone, 1 to 17 | 54.0 | 3,809 | 28 of 51 | 54.4 |
| APM-CHcholesterol alone, 1 to 17 | 39.3 | 3,809 | 17 of 51 | 34.8 |
| ADD-CH30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 47.7 | 3,356 | 25 of 51 | 47.6 |
| ADD-CHnine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 53.6 | 1,124 | 29 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, connecticut reported 75.3 percent — 16.1 points above the national median of 59.2, and the fourth-highest of the 50 states that reported it. put the other way round, 24.7 percent of the youngest children in connecticut who were started on an antipsychotic had no psychosocial care documented before it. for adolescents aged 12 to 17 the figure was 79.9 percent. across ages 1 to 17, 78.5 percent on 1,031 children, the third-highest of the 51 states that reported it. it reported 76.5 the year before on the same method, so this one moved 2.0 points up — the only one of the three where that comparison holds. either side of connecticut on that row: arkansas at 78.8 and district of columbia at 78.5.
the two blood tests
connecticut reported that 28.2 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 26th of the 49 states that reported it, 0.9 points below the national median of 29.1. split into halves across ages 1 to 17, glucose ran 54.0 percent and cholesterol 39.3 percent, both on 3,809 children — 28th of the 51 states that reported it on glucose, 17th of the 51 states that reported it on cholesterol. across ages 1 to 17 the both-tests rate was 36.9 percent. either side of connecticut on the both-tests row for ages 1 to 17: california at 37.2 and south carolina at 36.3.
the 30-day visit after a new adhd prescription
47.7 percent, on 3,356 children aged 6 to 12 who were newly prescribed an adhd medicine in connecticut — 25th of the 51 states that reported it, 0.1 points above the national median of 47.6. that leaves 52.3 percent of those children with no recorded prescriber visit in the month after the medicine started. over the nine months that follow, 53.6 percent had at least two more visits on 1,124 children, against a national median of 55.5 — 29th of the 49 states that reported it. either side of connecticut on the 30-day row: rhode island at 48.0 and georgia at 47.5.
what medicaid paid for in connecticut in 2024
in 2024 medicaid in connecticut paid for 132,824 hydroxyzine prescriptions, $1,956,559 worth, and 211,148 benzodiazepine prescriptions, $5,088,712 worth — 62.9 hydroxyzine prescriptions for every 100 benzodiazepine ones. 35 of the 264 hydroxyzine rows and 378 of the 1,062 benzodiazepine rows for connecticut 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 connecticut’s own numbers behind them
ask which drug it is, not which class
connecticut, 2024: 132,824 hydroxyzine prescriptions and 211,148 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
connecticut: 75.3 percent of children aged 1 to 11, the fourth-highest of the 50 states that reported it
in 24.7 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
connecticut: 28.2 percent of children aged 1 to 11 had both tests, 26th of the 49 states that reported it
missed 71.8 percent of the time in connecticut. 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
connecticut: 47.7 percent, 25th of the 51 states that reported it
this is where a dose gets checked and a wrong fit is caught, and connecticut misses it 52.3 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 Connecticut, how many children get therapy before they get an antipsychotic?
In the 2025 reporting year Connecticut reported 75.3 percent for children aged 1 to 11, against a national median of 59.2 percent — the fourth-highest of the 50 states that reported it. For ages 12 to 17 it was 79.9 percent, and across ages 1 to 17 78.5 percent on 1,031 children.
In Connecticut, do children on antipsychotics get the blood tests?
28.2 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 26th of the 49 states that reported it, against a national median of 29.1 percent. Across ages 1 to 17: glucose 54.0 percent, cholesterol 39.3 percent, on 3,809 children.
In Connecticut, how often does the 30-day ADHD follow-up visit happen?
47.7 percent of the time, on 3,356 children aged 6 to 12 newly prescribed an ADHD medicine — 25th of the 51 states that reported it, against a national median of 47.6 percent. The nine-month measure, two further visits, was 53.6 percent in Connecticut against a median of 55.5.
sources
- CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child Core Set, 2025 reporting year, Connecticut rows, read 2026-09-28. APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 11: 75.3 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 12 to 17: 79.9 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 17: 78.5 on a denominator of 1,031; APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 11: 28.2 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 12 to 17: 41.2 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 17: 36.9 on a denominator of 3,809; APM-CH glucose alone, 1 to 17: 54.0 on a denominator of 3,809; APM-CH cholesterol alone, 1 to 17: 39.3 on a denominator of 3,809; ADD-CH 30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 47.7 on a denominator of 3,356; ADD-CH nine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 53.6 on a denominator of 1,124. Method and ranking scope: /medicaid-children. https://data.medicaid.gov/dataset/14bc26c3-5584-4032-9175-f3a0399cb206
- CMS State Drug Utilization Data 2024, Connecticut rows, summed by product name, read 2026-09-28: hydroxyzine 132,824 prescriptions, $1,956,559, 35 of 264 rows suppressed; benzodiazepines 211,148 prescriptions, $5,088,712, 378 of 1,062 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