children’s psychiatric drugs in idaho medicaid: idaho’s own three numbers
idaho told cms three things about its children in the 2025 reporting year: 46.6 percent of children aged 1 to 11 newly prescribed an antipsychotic had psychosocial care documented first, the fourth-lowest of the 50 states that reported it; 15.3 percent of children on two or more antipsychotics got both the glucose and the cholesterol test, the second-lowest of the 49 states that reported it; 40.6 percent of children aged 6 to 12 starting an adhd medicine were seen again inside 30 days, 39th of the 51 states that reported it.[1]
across the whole age range, idaho sits in the bottom quarter of the country on the 30-day adhd follow-up and in the bottom quarter of the country on the two metabolic blood tests. same state, same year, same children.
every row idaho sent to cms
| measure | idaho | denominator | rank | national median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 11 | 46.6 | withheld | 47 of 50 | 59.2 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 12 to 17 | 51.6 | withheld | 46 of 51 | 63.8 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 17 | 50.1 | 862 | 48 of 51 | 61.4 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 11 | 15.3 | withheld | 48 of 49 | 29.1 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 12 to 17 | 21.5 | withheld | 48 of 51 | 36.3 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 17 | 19.6 | 2,743 | 48 of 51 | 32.9 |
| APM-CHglucose alone, 1 to 17 | 46.1 | 2,743 | 46 of 51 | 54.4 |
| APM-CHcholesterol alone, 1 to 17 | 20.6 | 2,743 | 47 of 51 | 34.8 |
| ADD-CH30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 40.6 | 2,355 | 39 of 51 | 47.6 |
| ADD-CHnine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 45.2 | 1,039 | 41 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, idaho reported 46.6 percent — 12.6 points below the national median of 59.2, and the fourth-lowest of the 50 states that reported it. put the other way round, 53.4 percent of the youngest children in idaho who were started on an antipsychotic had no psychosocial care documented before it. for adolescents aged 12 to 17 the figure was 51.6 percent. across ages 1 to 17, 50.1 percent on 862 children, the fourth-lowest of the 51 states that reported it. it reported 58.6 the year before on the same method, so this one moved 8.5 points down — the only one of the three where that comparison holds. either side of idaho on that row: west virginia at 51.5 and texas at 49.3.
the two blood tests
idaho reported that 15.3 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — the second-lowest of the 49 states that reported it, 13.8 points below the national median of 29.1. split into halves across ages 1 to 17, glucose ran 46.1 percent and cholesterol 20.6 percent, both on 2,743 children — 46th of the 51 states that reported it on glucose, the fourth-lowest of the 51 states that reported it on cholesterol. across ages 1 to 17 the both-tests rate was 19.6 percent. either side of idaho on the both-tests row for ages 1 to 17: oklahoma at 19.9 and kansas at 15.6.
the 30-day visit after a new adhd prescription
40.6 percent, on 2,355 children aged 6 to 12 who were newly prescribed an adhd medicine in idaho — 39th of the 51 states that reported it, 7.0 points below the national median of 47.6. that leaves 59.4 percent of those children with no recorded prescriber visit in the month after the medicine started. over the nine months that follow, 45.2 percent had at least two more visits on 1,039 children, against a national median of 55.5 — 41st of the 49 states that reported it. either side of idaho on the 30-day row: virginia at 41.5 and missouri at 40.1.
what medicaid paid for in idaho in 2024
in 2024 medicaid in idaho paid for 53,327 hydroxyzine prescriptions, $774,475 worth, and 79,187 benzodiazepine prescriptions, $3,104,650 worth — 67.3 hydroxyzine prescriptions for every 100 benzodiazepine ones. 61 of the 273 hydroxyzine rows and 444 of the 1,111 benzodiazepine rows for idaho 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 idaho’s own numbers behind them
ask which drug it is, not which class
idaho, 2024: 53,327 hydroxyzine prescriptions and 79,187 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
idaho: 46.6 percent of children aged 1 to 11, the fourth-lowest of the 50 states that reported it
in 53.4 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
idaho: 15.3 percent of children aged 1 to 11 had both tests, the second-lowest of the 49 states that reported it
missed 84.7 percent of the time in idaho. 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
idaho: 40.6 percent, 39th of the 51 states that reported it
this is where a dose gets checked and a wrong fit is caught, and idaho misses it 59.4 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 Idaho, how many children get therapy before they get an antipsychotic?
In the 2025 reporting year Idaho reported 46.6 percent for children aged 1 to 11, against a national median of 59.2 percent — the fourth-lowest of the 50 states that reported it. For ages 12 to 17 it was 51.6 percent, and across ages 1 to 17 50.1 percent on 862 children.
In Idaho, do children on antipsychotics get the blood tests?
15.3 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — the second-lowest of the 49 states that reported it, against a national median of 29.1 percent. Across ages 1 to 17: glucose 46.1 percent, cholesterol 20.6 percent, on 2,743 children.
In Idaho, how often does the 30-day ADHD follow-up visit happen?
40.6 percent of the time, on 2,355 children aged 6 to 12 newly prescribed an ADHD medicine — 39th of the 51 states that reported it, against a national median of 47.6 percent. The nine-month measure, two further visits, was 45.2 percent in Idaho against a median of 55.5.
sources
- CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child Core Set, 2025 reporting year, Idaho rows, read 2026-09-28. APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 11: 46.6 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 12 to 17: 51.6 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 17: 50.1 on a denominator of 862; APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 11: 15.3 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 12 to 17: 21.5 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 17: 19.6 on a denominator of 2,743; APM-CH glucose alone, 1 to 17: 46.1 on a denominator of 2,743; APM-CH cholesterol alone, 1 to 17: 20.6 on a denominator of 2,743; ADD-CH 30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 40.6 on a denominator of 2,355; ADD-CH nine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 45.2 on a denominator of 1,039. Method and ranking scope: /medicaid-children. https://data.medicaid.gov/dataset/14bc26c3-5584-4032-9175-f3a0399cb206
- CMS State Drug Utilization Data 2024, Idaho rows, summed by product name, read 2026-09-28: hydroxyzine 53,327 prescriptions, $774,475, 61 of 273 rows suppressed; benzodiazepines 79,187 prescriptions, $3,104,650, 444 of 1,111 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