children’s psychiatric drugs in louisiana medicaid: louisiana’s own three numbers
louisiana told cms three things about its children in the 2025 reporting year: 64.8 percent of children aged 1 to 11 newly prescribed an antipsychotic had psychosocial care documented first, 17th of the 50 states that reported it; 21.9 percent of children on two or more antipsychotics got both the glucose and the cholesterol test, 41st of the 49 states that reported it; 45.9 percent of children aged 6 to 12 starting an adhd medicine were seen again inside 30 days, 29th of the 51 states that reported it.[1]
across the whole age range, louisiana sits above the national median on psychosocial care before an antipsychotic and below the national median on the two metabolic blood tests. same state, same year, same children.
every row louisiana sent to cms
| measure | louisiana | denominator | rank | national median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 11 | 64.8 | withheld | 17 of 50 | 59.2 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 12 to 17 | 66.5 | withheld | 19 of 51 | 63.8 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 17 | 65.9 | withheld | 18 of 51 | 61.4 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 11 | 21.9 | withheld | 41 of 49 | 29.1 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 12 to 17 | 32.1 | withheld | 35 of 51 | 36.3 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 17 | 28.5 | 7,992 | 38 of 51 | 32.9 |
| APM-CHglucose alone, 1 to 17 | 54.9 | 7,992 | 21 of 51 | 54.4 |
| APM-CHcholesterol alone, 1 to 17 | 29.7 | 7,992 | 38 of 51 | 34.8 |
| ADD-CH30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 45.9 | 14,971 | 29 of 51 | 47.6 |
| ADD-CHnine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 58.2 | withheld | 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, louisiana reported 64.8 percent — 5.6 points above the national median of 59.2, and 17th of the 50 states that reported it. put the other way round, 35.2 percent of the youngest children in louisiana who were started on an antipsychotic had no psychosocial care documented before it. for adolescents aged 12 to 17 the figure was 66.5 percent. across ages 1 to 17, 65.9 percent, 18th of the 51 states that reported it. it reported 63.9 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 louisiana on that row: michigan at 67.4 and wisconsin at 65.0.
the two blood tests
louisiana reported that 21.9 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 41st of the 49 states that reported it, 7.2 points below the national median of 29.1. split into halves across ages 1 to 17, glucose ran 54.9 percent and cholesterol 29.7 percent, both on 7,992 children — 21st of the 51 states that reported it on glucose, 38th of the 51 states that reported it on cholesterol. across ages 1 to 17 the both-tests rate was 28.5 percent. either side of louisiana on the both-tests row for ages 1 to 17: washington at 28.8 and michigan at 28.1.
the 30-day visit after a new adhd prescription
45.9 percent, on 14,971 children aged 6 to 12 who were newly prescribed an adhd medicine in louisiana — 29th of the 51 states that reported it, 1.7 points below the national median of 47.6. that leaves 54.1 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, against a national median of 55.5 — 19th of the 49 states that reported it. either side of louisiana on the 30-day row: nebraska at 46.6 and colorado at 45.3.
what medicaid paid for in louisiana in 2024
in 2024 medicaid in louisiana paid for 234,699 hydroxyzine prescriptions, $3,172,234 worth, and 351,389 benzodiazepine prescriptions, $6,389,151 worth — 66.8 hydroxyzine prescriptions for every 100 benzodiazepine ones. 163 of the 563 hydroxyzine rows and 883 of the 2,061 benzodiazepine rows for louisiana 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 louisiana’s own numbers behind them
ask which drug it is, not which class
louisiana, 2024: 234,699 hydroxyzine prescriptions and 351,389 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
louisiana: 64.8 percent of children aged 1 to 11, 17th of the 50 states that reported it
in 35.2 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
louisiana: 21.9 percent of children aged 1 to 11 had both tests, 41st of the 49 states that reported it
missed 78.1 percent of the time in louisiana. 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
louisiana: 45.9 percent, 29th of the 51 states that reported it
this is where a dose gets checked and a wrong fit is caught, and louisiana misses it 54.1 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 Louisiana, how many children get therapy before they get an antipsychotic?
In the 2025 reporting year Louisiana reported 64.8 percent for children aged 1 to 11, against a national median of 59.2 percent — 17th of the 50 states that reported it. For ages 12 to 17 it was 66.5 percent, and across ages 1 to 17 65.9 percent.
In Louisiana, do children on antipsychotics get the blood tests?
21.9 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 41st of the 49 states that reported it, against a national median of 29.1 percent. Across ages 1 to 17: glucose 54.9 percent, cholesterol 29.7 percent, on 7,992 children.
In Louisiana, how often does the 30-day ADHD follow-up visit happen?
45.9 percent of the time, on 14,971 children aged 6 to 12 newly prescribed an ADHD medicine — 29th 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 Louisiana against a median of 55.5.
sources
- CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child Core Set, 2025 reporting year, Louisiana rows, read 2026-09-28. APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 11: 64.8 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 12 to 17: 66.5 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 17: 65.9 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 11: 21.9 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 12 to 17: 32.1 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 17: 28.5 on a denominator of 7,992; APM-CH glucose alone, 1 to 17: 54.9 on a denominator of 7,992; APM-CH cholesterol alone, 1 to 17: 29.7 on a denominator of 7,992; ADD-CH 30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 45.9 on a denominator of 14,971; ADD-CH nine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 58.2 (denominator not publicly reported). Method and ranking scope: /medicaid-children. https://data.medicaid.gov/dataset/14bc26c3-5584-4032-9175-f3a0399cb206
- CMS State Drug Utilization Data 2024, Louisiana rows, summed by product name, read 2026-09-28: hydroxyzine 234,699 prescriptions, $3,172,234, 163 of 563 rows suppressed; benzodiazepines 351,389 prescriptions, $6,389,151, 883 of 2,061 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