children’s psychiatric drugs in maine medicaid: maine’s own three numbers
maine told cms three things about its children in the 2025 reporting year: 50.4 percent of children aged 1 to 11 newly prescribed an antipsychotic had psychosocial care documented first, 45th of the 50 states that reported it; 36.6 percent of children on two or more antipsychotics got both the glucose and the cholesterol test, 11th of the 49 states that reported it; 57.7 percent of children aged 6 to 12 starting an adhd medicine were seen again inside 30 days, 6th of the 51 states that reported it.[1]
across the whole age range, maine sits in the top quarter of the country 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 maine sent to cms
| measure | maine | denominator | rank | national median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 11 | 50.4 | withheld | 45 of 50 | 59.2 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 12 to 17 | 63.4 | withheld | 28 of 51 | 63.8 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 17 | 59.0 | 1,158 | 36 of 51 | 61.4 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 11 | 36.6 | withheld | 11 of 49 | 29.1 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 12 to 17 | 41.4 | withheld | 14 of 51 | 36.3 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 17 | 39.9 | 2,045 | 13 of 51 | 32.9 |
| APM-CHglucose alone, 1 to 17 | 54.4 | 2,045 | 25 of 51 | 54.4 |
| APM-CHcholesterol alone, 1 to 17 | 40.6 | 2,045 | 13 of 51 | 34.8 |
| ADD-CH30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 57.7 | 2,392 | 6 of 51 | 47.6 |
| ADD-CHnine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 59.7 | 1,069 | 16 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, maine reported 50.4 percent — 8.8 points below the national median of 59.2, and 45th of the 50 states that reported it. put the other way round, 49.6 percent of the youngest children in maine who were started on an antipsychotic had no psychosocial care documented before it. for adolescents aged 12 to 17 the figure was 63.4 percent. across ages 1 to 17, 59.0 percent on 1,158 children, 36th of the 51 states that reported it. it reported 59.6 the year before on the same method, so this one moved 0.6 points down — the only one of the three where that comparison holds. either side of maine on that row: indiana at 59.1 and georgia at 58.9.
the two blood tests
maine reported that 36.6 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 11th of the 49 states that reported it, 7.5 points above the national median of 29.1. split into halves across ages 1 to 17, glucose ran 54.4 percent and cholesterol 40.6 percent, both on 2,045 children — 25th of the 51 states that reported it on glucose, 13th of the 51 states that reported it on cholesterol. across ages 1 to 17 the both-tests rate was 39.9 percent. either side of maine on the both-tests row for ages 1 to 17: tennessee at 40.3 and north dakota at 39.3.
the 30-day visit after a new adhd prescription
57.7 percent, on 2,392 children aged 6 to 12 who were newly prescribed an adhd medicine in maine — 6th of the 51 states that reported it, 10.1 points above the national median of 47.6. that leaves 42.3 percent of those children with no recorded prescriber visit in the month after the medicine started. over the nine months that follow, 59.7 percent had at least two more visits on 1,069 children, against a national median of 55.5 — 16th of the 49 states that reported it. either side of maine on the 30-day row: oregon at 57.9 and new york at 56.6.
what medicaid paid for in maine in 2024
in 2024 medicaid in maine paid for 44,546 hydroxyzine prescriptions, $687,337 worth, and 68,555 benzodiazepine prescriptions, $1,288,331 worth — 65.0 hydroxyzine prescriptions for every 100 benzodiazepine ones. 74 of the 266 hydroxyzine rows and 443 of the 987 benzodiazepine rows for maine 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 maine’s own numbers behind them
ask which drug it is, not which class
maine, 2024: 44,546 hydroxyzine prescriptions and 68,555 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
maine: 50.4 percent of children aged 1 to 11, 45th of the 50 states that reported it
in 49.6 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
maine: 36.6 percent of children aged 1 to 11 had both tests, 11th of the 49 states that reported it
missed 63.4 percent of the time in maine. 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
maine: 57.7 percent, 6th of the 51 states that reported it
this is where a dose gets checked and a wrong fit is caught, and maine misses it 42.3 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 Maine, how many children get therapy before they get an antipsychotic?
In the 2025 reporting year Maine reported 50.4 percent for children aged 1 to 11, against a national median of 59.2 percent — 45th of the 50 states that reported it. For ages 12 to 17 it was 63.4 percent, and across ages 1 to 17 59.0 percent on 1,158 children.
In Maine, do children on antipsychotics get the blood tests?
36.6 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 11th of the 49 states that reported it, against a national median of 29.1 percent. Across ages 1 to 17: glucose 54.4 percent, cholesterol 40.6 percent, on 2,045 children.
In Maine, how often does the 30-day ADHD follow-up visit happen?
57.7 percent of the time, on 2,392 children aged 6 to 12 newly prescribed an ADHD medicine — 6th of the 51 states that reported it, against a national median of 47.6 percent. The nine-month measure, two further visits, was 59.7 percent in Maine against a median of 55.5.
sources
- CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child Core Set, 2025 reporting year, Maine rows, read 2026-09-28. APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 11: 50.4 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 12 to 17: 63.4 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 17: 59.0 on a denominator of 1,158; APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 11: 36.6 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 12 to 17: 41.4 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 17: 39.9 on a denominator of 2,045; APM-CH glucose alone, 1 to 17: 54.4 on a denominator of 2,045; APM-CH cholesterol alone, 1 to 17: 40.6 on a denominator of 2,045; ADD-CH 30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 57.7 on a denominator of 2,392; ADD-CH nine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 59.7 on a denominator of 1,069. Method and ranking scope: /medicaid-children. https://data.medicaid.gov/dataset/14bc26c3-5584-4032-9175-f3a0399cb206
- CMS State Drug Utilization Data 2024, Maine rows, summed by product name, read 2026-09-28: hydroxyzine 44,546 prescriptions, $687,337, 74 of 266 rows suppressed; benzodiazepines 68,555 prescriptions, $1,288,331, 443 of 987 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