children’s psychiatric drugs in indiana medicaid: indiana’s own three numbers
indiana told cms three things about its children in the 2025 reporting year: 59.1 percent of children aged 1 to 11 newly prescribed an antipsychotic had psychosocial care documented first, 27th of the 50 states that reported it; 26.6 percent of children on two or more antipsychotics got both the glucose and the cholesterol test, 28th of the 49 states that reported it; 42.8 percent of children aged 6 to 12 starting an adhd medicine were seen again inside 30 days, 37th of the 51 states that reported it.[1]
across the whole age range, indiana sits below 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 indiana sent to cms
| measure | indiana | denominator | rank | national median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 11 | 59.1 | withheld | 27 of 50 | 59.2 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 12 to 17 | 59.1 | withheld | 40 of 51 | 63.8 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 17 | 59.1 | 3,056 | 35 of 51 | 61.4 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 11 | 26.6 | withheld | 28 of 49 | 29.1 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 12 to 17 | 33.5 | withheld | 32 of 51 | 36.3 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 17 | 30.9 | 6,738 | 33 of 51 | 32.9 |
| APM-CHglucose alone, 1 to 17 | 49.4 | 6,738 | 41 of 51 | 54.4 |
| APM-CHcholesterol alone, 1 to 17 | 32.1 | 6,738 | 33 of 51 | 34.8 |
| ADD-CH30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 42.8 | 10,586 | 37 of 51 | 47.6 |
| ADD-CHnine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 54.1 | 2,788 | 27 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, indiana reported 59.1 percent — 0.1 points below the national median of 59.2, and 27th of the 50 states that reported it. put the other way round, 40.9 percent of the youngest children in indiana who were started on an antipsychotic had no psychosocial care documented before it. for adolescents aged 12 to 17 the figure was 59.1 percent. across ages 1 to 17, 59.1 percent on 3,056 children, 35th of the 51 states that reported it. it reported 58.1 the year before on the same method, so this one moved 1.0 points up — the only one of the three where that comparison holds. either side of indiana on that row: pennsylvania at 59.8 and maine at 59.0.
the two blood tests
indiana reported that 26.6 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 28th of the 49 states that reported it, 2.5 points below the national median of 29.1. split into halves across ages 1 to 17, glucose ran 49.4 percent and cholesterol 32.1 percent, both on 6,738 children — 41st of the 51 states that reported it on glucose, 33rd of the 51 states that reported it on cholesterol. across ages 1 to 17 the both-tests rate was 30.9 percent. either side of indiana on the both-tests row for ages 1 to 17: oregon at 31.4 and wisconsin at 30.3.
the 30-day visit after a new adhd prescription
42.8 percent, on 10,586 children aged 6 to 12 who were newly prescribed an adhd medicine in indiana — 37th of the 51 states that reported it, 4.8 points below the national median of 47.6. that leaves 57.2 percent of those children with no recorded prescriber visit in the month after the medicine started. over the nine months that follow, 54.1 percent had at least two more visits on 2,788 children, against a national median of 55.5 — 27th of the 49 states that reported it. either side of indiana on the 30-day row: hawaii at 43.2 and virginia at 41.5.
what medicaid paid for in indiana in 2024
in 2024 medicaid in indiana paid for 275,551 hydroxyzine prescriptions, $2,948,543 worth, and 250,498 benzodiazepine prescriptions, $3,679,661 worth — 110.0 hydroxyzine prescriptions for every 100 benzodiazepine ones. 126 of the 541 hydroxyzine rows and 861 of the 2,046 benzodiazepine rows for indiana 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 indiana’s own numbers behind them
ask which drug it is, not which class
indiana, 2024: 275,551 hydroxyzine prescriptions and 250,498 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
indiana: 59.1 percent of children aged 1 to 11, 27th of the 50 states that reported it
in 40.9 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
indiana: 26.6 percent of children aged 1 to 11 had both tests, 28th of the 49 states that reported it
missed 73.4 percent of the time in indiana. 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
indiana: 42.8 percent, 37th of the 51 states that reported it
this is where a dose gets checked and a wrong fit is caught, and indiana misses it 57.2 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 Indiana, how many children get therapy before they get an antipsychotic?
In the 2025 reporting year Indiana reported 59.1 percent for children aged 1 to 11, against a national median of 59.2 percent — 27th of the 50 states that reported it. For ages 12 to 17 it was 59.1 percent, and across ages 1 to 17 59.1 percent on 3,056 children.
In Indiana, do children on antipsychotics get the blood tests?
26.6 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 28th of the 49 states that reported it, against a national median of 29.1 percent. Across ages 1 to 17: glucose 49.4 percent, cholesterol 32.1 percent, on 6,738 children.
In Indiana, how often does the 30-day ADHD follow-up visit happen?
42.8 percent of the time, on 10,586 children aged 6 to 12 newly prescribed an ADHD medicine — 37th of the 51 states that reported it, against a national median of 47.6 percent. The nine-month measure, two further visits, was 54.1 percent in Indiana against a median of 55.5.
sources
- CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child Core Set, 2025 reporting year, Indiana rows, read 2026-09-28. APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 11: 59.1 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 12 to 17: 59.1 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 17: 59.1 on a denominator of 3,056; APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 11: 26.6 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 12 to 17: 33.5 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 17: 30.9 on a denominator of 6,738; APM-CH glucose alone, 1 to 17: 49.4 on a denominator of 6,738; APM-CH cholesterol alone, 1 to 17: 32.1 on a denominator of 6,738; ADD-CH 30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 42.8 on a denominator of 10,586; ADD-CH nine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 54.1 on a denominator of 2,788. Method and ranking scope: /medicaid-children. https://data.medicaid.gov/dataset/14bc26c3-5584-4032-9175-f3a0399cb206
- CMS State Drug Utilization Data 2024, Indiana rows, summed by product name, read 2026-09-28: hydroxyzine 275,551 prescriptions, $2,948,543, 126 of 541 rows suppressed; benzodiazepines 250,498 prescriptions, $3,679,661, 861 of 2,046 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