children’s psychiatric drugs in nevada medicaid: nevada’s own three numbers
nevada told cms three things about its children in the 2025 reporting year: 66.2 percent of children aged 1 to 11 newly prescribed an antipsychotic had psychosocial care documented first, 13th of the 50 states that reported it; 23.0 percent of children on two or more antipsychotics got both the glucose and the cholesterol test, 39th of the 49 states that reported it; 54.2 percent of children aged 6 to 12 starting an adhd medicine were seen again inside 30 days, 12th of the 51 states that reported it.[1]
across the whole age range, nevada sits in the top quarter of the country on the 30-day adhd follow-up and below the national median on the two metabolic blood tests. same state, same year, same children.
every row nevada sent to cms
| measure | nevada | denominator | rank | national median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 11 | 66.2 | withheld | 13 of 50 | 59.2 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 12 to 17 | 62.7 | withheld | 31 of 51 | 63.8 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 17 | 63.8 | 922 | 21 of 51 | 61.4 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 11 | 23.0 | withheld | 39 of 49 | 29.1 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 12 to 17 | 36.3 | withheld | 25 of 51 | 36.3 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 17 | 32.1 | 2,862 | 30 of 51 | 32.9 |
| APM-CHglucose alone, 1 to 17 | 48.0 | 2,862 | 44 of 51 | 54.4 |
| APM-CHcholesterol alone, 1 to 17 | 32.4 | 2,862 | 31 of 51 | 34.8 |
| ADD-CH30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 54.2 | 2,013 | 12 of 51 | 47.6 |
| ADD-CHnine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 60.0 | 673 | 15 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, nevada reported 66.2 percent — 7.0 points above the national median of 59.2, and 13th of the 50 states that reported it. put the other way round, 33.8 percent of the youngest children in nevada who were started on an antipsychotic had no psychosocial care documented before it. for adolescents aged 12 to 17 the figure was 62.7 percent. across ages 1 to 17, 63.8 percent on 922 children, 21st of the 51 states that reported it. it reported 56.2 the year before on the same method, so this one moved 7.6 points up — the only one of the three where that comparison holds. either side of nevada on that row: kentucky at 64.0 and new mexico at 63.3.
the two blood tests
nevada reported that 23.0 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 39th of the 49 states that reported it, 6.1 points below the national median of 29.1. split into halves across ages 1 to 17, glucose ran 48.0 percent and cholesterol 32.4 percent, both on 2,862 children — 44th of the 51 states that reported it on glucose, 31st of the 51 states that reported it on cholesterol. across ages 1 to 17 the both-tests rate was 32.1 percent. either side of nevada on the both-tests row for ages 1 to 17: ohio at 32.4 and kentucky at 31.8.
the 30-day visit after a new adhd prescription
54.2 percent, on 2,013 children aged 6 to 12 who were newly prescribed an adhd medicine in nevada — 12th of the 51 states that reported it, 6.6 points above the national median of 47.6. that leaves 45.8 percent of those children with no recorded prescriber visit in the month after the medicine started. over the nine months that follow, 60.0 percent had at least two more visits on 673 children, against a national median of 55.5 — 15th of the 49 states that reported it. either side of nevada on the 30-day row: arkansas at 54.4 and kentucky at 53.7.
what medicaid paid for in nevada in 2024
in 2024 medicaid in nevada paid for 79,998 hydroxyzine prescriptions, $878,540 worth, and 100,579 benzodiazepine prescriptions, $1,022,743 worth — 79.5 hydroxyzine prescriptions for every 100 benzodiazepine ones. 199 of the 598 hydroxyzine rows and 929 of the 1,917 benzodiazepine rows for nevada 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 nevada’s own numbers behind them
ask which drug it is, not which class
nevada, 2024: 79,998 hydroxyzine prescriptions and 100,579 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
nevada: 66.2 percent of children aged 1 to 11, 13th of the 50 states that reported it
in 33.8 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
nevada: 23.0 percent of children aged 1 to 11 had both tests, 39th of the 49 states that reported it
missed 77.0 percent of the time in nevada. 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
nevada: 54.2 percent, 12th of the 51 states that reported it
this is where a dose gets checked and a wrong fit is caught, and nevada misses it 45.8 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 Nevada, how many children get therapy before they get an antipsychotic?
In the 2025 reporting year Nevada reported 66.2 percent for children aged 1 to 11, against a national median of 59.2 percent — 13th of the 50 states that reported it. For ages 12 to 17 it was 62.7 percent, and across ages 1 to 17 63.8 percent on 922 children.
In Nevada, do children on antipsychotics get the blood tests?
23.0 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 39th of the 49 states that reported it, against a national median of 29.1 percent. Across ages 1 to 17: glucose 48.0 percent, cholesterol 32.4 percent, on 2,862 children.
In Nevada, how often does the 30-day ADHD follow-up visit happen?
54.2 percent of the time, on 2,013 children aged 6 to 12 newly prescribed an ADHD medicine — 12th of the 51 states that reported it, against a national median of 47.6 percent. The nine-month measure, two further visits, was 60.0 percent in Nevada against a median of 55.5.
sources
- CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child Core Set, 2025 reporting year, Nevada rows, read 2026-09-28. APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 11: 66.2 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 12 to 17: 62.7 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 17: 63.8 on a denominator of 922; APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 11: 23.0 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 12 to 17: 36.3 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 17: 32.1 on a denominator of 2,862; APM-CH glucose alone, 1 to 17: 48.0 on a denominator of 2,862; APM-CH cholesterol alone, 1 to 17: 32.4 on a denominator of 2,862; ADD-CH 30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 54.2 on a denominator of 2,013; ADD-CH nine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 60.0 on a denominator of 673. Method and ranking scope: /medicaid-children. https://data.medicaid.gov/dataset/14bc26c3-5584-4032-9175-f3a0399cb206
- CMS State Drug Utilization Data 2024, Nevada rows, summed by product name, read 2026-09-28: hydroxyzine 79,998 prescriptions, $878,540, 199 of 598 rows suppressed; benzodiazepines 100,579 prescriptions, $1,022,743, 929 of 1,917 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