children’s psychiatric drugs in florida medicaid: florida’s own three numbers
florida told cms three things about its children in the 2025 reporting year: 61.6 percent of children aged 1 to 11 newly prescribed an antipsychotic had psychosocial care documented first, 22nd of the 50 states that reported it; 30.2 percent of children on two or more antipsychotics got both the glucose and the cholesterol test, 19th of the 49 states that reported it; 46.7 percent of children aged 6 to 12 starting an adhd medicine were seen again inside 30 days, 27th of the 51 states that reported it.[1]
across the whole age range, florida sits above the national median on the two metabolic blood tests and below the national median on the 30-day adhd follow-up. same state, same year, same children.
every row florida sent to cms
| measure | florida | denominator | rank | national median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 11 | 61.6 | withheld | 22 of 50 | 59.2 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 12 to 17 | 61.0 | withheld | 36 of 51 | 63.8 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 17 | 61.2 | 6,698 | 27 of 51 | 61.4 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 11 | 30.2 | withheld | 19 of 49 | 29.1 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 12 to 17 | 42.9 | withheld | 11 of 51 | 36.3 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 17 | 38.8 | 18,740 | 15 of 51 | 32.9 |
| APM-CHglucose alone, 1 to 17 | 54.7 | 18,740 | 23 of 51 | 54.4 |
| APM-CHcholesterol alone, 1 to 17 | 40.4 | 18,740 | 14 of 51 | 34.8 |
| ADD-CH30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 46.7 | 29,449 | 27 of 51 | 47.6 |
| ADD-CHnine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 59.4 | 6,489 | 17 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, florida reported 61.6 percent — 2.4 points above the national median of 59.2, and 22nd of the 50 states that reported it. put the other way round, 38.4 percent of the youngest children in florida who were started on an antipsychotic had no psychosocial care documented before it. for adolescents aged 12 to 17 the figure was 61.0 percent. across ages 1 to 17, 61.2 percent on 6,698 children, 27th of the 51 states that reported it. it reported 59.9 the year before on the same method, so this one moved 1.3 points up — the only one of the three where that comparison holds. either side of florida on that row: washington at 61.5 and alabama at 60.9.
the two blood tests
florida reported that 30.2 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 19th of the 49 states that reported it, 1.1 points above the national median of 29.1. split into halves across ages 1 to 17, glucose ran 54.7 percent and cholesterol 40.4 percent, both on 18,740 children — 23rd of the 51 states that reported it on glucose, 14th of the 51 states that reported it on cholesterol. across ages 1 to 17 the both-tests rate was 38.8 percent. either side of florida on the both-tests row for ages 1 to 17: north dakota at 39.3 and texas at 37.7.
the 30-day visit after a new adhd prescription
46.7 percent, on 29,449 children aged 6 to 12 who were newly prescribed an adhd medicine in florida — 27th of the 51 states that reported it, 0.9 points below the national median of 47.6. that leaves 53.3 percent of those children with no recorded prescriber visit in the month after the medicine started. over the nine months that follow, 59.4 percent had at least two more visits on 6,489 children, against a national median of 55.5 — 17th of the 49 states that reported it. either side of florida on the 30-day row: georgia at 47.5 and nebraska at 46.6.
what medicaid paid for in florida in 2024
in 2024 medicaid in florida paid for 270,517 hydroxyzine prescriptions, $2,558,252 worth, and 451,892 benzodiazepine prescriptions, $12,191,727 worth — 59.9 hydroxyzine prescriptions for every 100 benzodiazepine ones. 174 of the 599 hydroxyzine rows and 893 of the 2,311 benzodiazepine rows for florida 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 florida’s own numbers behind them
ask which drug it is, not which class
florida, 2024: 270,517 hydroxyzine prescriptions and 451,892 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
florida: 61.6 percent of children aged 1 to 11, 22nd of the 50 states that reported it
in 38.4 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
florida: 30.2 percent of children aged 1 to 11 had both tests, 19th of the 49 states that reported it
missed 69.8 percent of the time in florida. 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
florida: 46.7 percent, 27th of the 51 states that reported it
this is where a dose gets checked and a wrong fit is caught, and florida misses it 53.3 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 Florida, how many children get therapy before they get an antipsychotic?
In the 2025 reporting year Florida reported 61.6 percent for children aged 1 to 11, against a national median of 59.2 percent — 22nd of the 50 states that reported it. For ages 12 to 17 it was 61.0 percent, and across ages 1 to 17 61.2 percent on 6,698 children.
In Florida, do children on antipsychotics get the blood tests?
30.2 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 19th of the 49 states that reported it, against a national median of 29.1 percent. Across ages 1 to 17: glucose 54.7 percent, cholesterol 40.4 percent, on 18,740 children.
In Florida, how often does the 30-day ADHD follow-up visit happen?
46.7 percent of the time, on 29,449 children aged 6 to 12 newly prescribed an ADHD medicine — 27th of the 51 states that reported it, against a national median of 47.6 percent. The nine-month measure, two further visits, was 59.4 percent in Florida against a median of 55.5.
sources
- CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child Core Set, 2025 reporting year, Florida rows, read 2026-09-28. APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 11: 61.6 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 12 to 17: 61.0 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 17: 61.2 on a denominator of 6,698; APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 11: 30.2 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 12 to 17: 42.9 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 17: 38.8 on a denominator of 18,740; APM-CH glucose alone, 1 to 17: 54.7 on a denominator of 18,740; APM-CH cholesterol alone, 1 to 17: 40.4 on a denominator of 18,740; ADD-CH 30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 46.7 on a denominator of 29,449; ADD-CH nine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 59.4 on a denominator of 6,489. Method and ranking scope: /medicaid-children. https://data.medicaid.gov/dataset/14bc26c3-5584-4032-9175-f3a0399cb206
- CMS State Drug Utilization Data 2024, Florida rows, summed by product name, read 2026-09-28: hydroxyzine 270,517 prescriptions, $2,558,252, 174 of 599 rows suppressed; benzodiazepines 451,892 prescriptions, $12,191,727, 893 of 2,311 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