children’s psychiatric drugs in georgia medicaid: georgia’s own three numbers
georgia told cms three things about its children in the 2025 reporting year: 55.1 percent of children aged 1 to 11 newly prescribed an antipsychotic had psychosocial care documented first, 36th of the 50 states that reported it; 26.1 percent of children on two or more antipsychotics got both the glucose and the cholesterol test, 31st of the 49 states that reported it; 47.5 percent of children aged 6 to 12 starting an adhd medicine were seen again inside 30 days, 26th of the 51 states that reported it.[1]
across the whole age range, georgia sits below the national median on the 30-day adhd follow-up and below the national median on psychosocial care before an antipsychotic. same state, same year, same children.
every row georgia sent to cms
| measure | georgia | denominator | rank | national median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 11 | 55.1 | withheld | 36 of 50 | 59.2 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 12 to 17 | 61.3 | withheld | 35 of 51 | 63.8 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 17 | 58.9 | 2,914 | 37 of 51 | 61.4 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 11 | 26.1 | withheld | 31 of 49 | 29.1 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 12 to 17 | 36.2 | withheld | 26 of 51 | 36.3 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 17 | 32.4 | 6,899 | 27 of 51 | 32.9 |
| APM-CHglucose alone, 1 to 17 | 53.6 | 6,899 | 30 of 51 | 54.4 |
| APM-CHcholesterol alone, 1 to 17 | 35.2 | 6,899 | 24 of 51 | 34.8 |
| ADD-CH30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 47.5 | 17,132 | 26 of 51 | 47.6 |
| ADD-CHnine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 58.2 | 3,270 | 19 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, georgia reported 55.1 percent — 4.1 points below the national median of 59.2, and 36th of the 50 states that reported it. put the other way round, 44.9 percent of the youngest children in georgia who were started on an antipsychotic had no psychosocial care documented before it. for adolescents aged 12 to 17 the figure was 61.3 percent. across ages 1 to 17, 58.9 percent on 2,914 children, 37th of the 51 states that reported it. it reported 56.3 the year before on the same method, so this one moved 2.6 points up — the only one of the three where that comparison holds. either side of georgia on that row: maine at 59.0 and south carolina at 58.9.
the two blood tests
georgia reported that 26.1 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 31st of the 49 states that reported it, 3.0 points below the national median of 29.1. split into halves across ages 1 to 17, glucose ran 53.6 percent and cholesterol 35.2 percent, both on 6,899 children — 30th of the 51 states that reported it on glucose, 24th of the 51 states that reported it on cholesterol. across ages 1 to 17 the both-tests rate was 32.4 percent. either side of georgia on the both-tests row for ages 1 to 17: rhode island at 32.8 and illinois at 32.4.
the 30-day visit after a new adhd prescription
47.5 percent, on 17,132 children aged 6 to 12 who were newly prescribed an adhd medicine in georgia — 26th of the 51 states that reported it, 0.1 points below the national median of 47.6. that leaves 52.5 percent of those children with no recorded prescriber visit in the month after the medicine started. over the nine months that follow, 58.2 percent had at least two more visits on 3,270 children, against a national median of 55.5 — 19th of the 49 states that reported it. either side of georgia on the 30-day row: connecticut at 47.7 and florida at 46.7.
what medicaid paid for in georgia in 2024
in 2024 medicaid in georgia paid for 140,347 hydroxyzine prescriptions, $1,435,332 worth, and 179,227 benzodiazepine prescriptions, $4,654,891 worth — 78.3 hydroxyzine prescriptions for every 100 benzodiazepine ones. 123 of the 613 hydroxyzine rows and 962 of the 2,235 benzodiazepine rows for georgia 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 georgia’s own numbers behind them
ask which drug it is, not which class
georgia, 2024: 140,347 hydroxyzine prescriptions and 179,227 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
georgia: 55.1 percent of children aged 1 to 11, 36th of the 50 states that reported it
in 44.9 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
georgia: 26.1 percent of children aged 1 to 11 had both tests, 31st of the 49 states that reported it
missed 73.9 percent of the time in georgia. 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
georgia: 47.5 percent, 26th of the 51 states that reported it
this is where a dose gets checked and a wrong fit is caught, and georgia misses it 52.5 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 Georgia, how many children get therapy before they get an antipsychotic?
In the 2025 reporting year Georgia reported 55.1 percent for children aged 1 to 11, against a national median of 59.2 percent — 36th of the 50 states that reported it. For ages 12 to 17 it was 61.3 percent, and across ages 1 to 17 58.9 percent on 2,914 children.
In Georgia, do children on antipsychotics get the blood tests?
26.1 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 31st of the 49 states that reported it, against a national median of 29.1 percent. Across ages 1 to 17: glucose 53.6 percent, cholesterol 35.2 percent, on 6,899 children.
In Georgia, how often does the 30-day ADHD follow-up visit happen?
47.5 percent of the time, on 17,132 children aged 6 to 12 newly prescribed an ADHD medicine — 26th of the 51 states that reported it, against a national median of 47.6 percent. The nine-month measure, two further visits, was 58.2 percent in Georgia against a median of 55.5.
sources
- CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child Core Set, 2025 reporting year, Georgia rows, read 2026-09-28. APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 11: 55.1 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 12 to 17: 61.3 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 17: 58.9 on a denominator of 2,914; APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 11: 26.1 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 12 to 17: 36.2 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 17: 32.4 on a denominator of 6,899; APM-CH glucose alone, 1 to 17: 53.6 on a denominator of 6,899; APM-CH cholesterol alone, 1 to 17: 35.2 on a denominator of 6,899; ADD-CH 30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 47.5 on a denominator of 17,132; ADD-CH nine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 58.2 on a denominator of 3,270. Method and ranking scope: /medicaid-children. https://data.medicaid.gov/dataset/14bc26c3-5584-4032-9175-f3a0399cb206
- CMS State Drug Utilization Data 2024, Georgia rows, summed by product name, read 2026-09-28: hydroxyzine 140,347 prescriptions, $1,435,332, 123 of 613 rows suppressed; benzodiazepines 179,227 prescriptions, $4,654,891, 962 of 2,235 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