children’s psychiatric drugs in new jersey medicaid: new jersey’s own three numbers
new jersey told cms three things about its children in the 2025 reporting year: 44.6 percent of children aged 1 to 11 newly prescribed an antipsychotic had psychosocial care documented first, the second-lowest of the 50 states that reported it; 26.3 percent of children on two or more antipsychotics got both the glucose and the cholesterol test, 29th of the 49 states that reported it; 32.1 percent of children aged 6 to 12 starting an adhd medicine were seen again inside 30 days, the second-lowest of the 51 states that reported it.[1]
across the whole age range, new jersey sits above the national median on the two metabolic blood tests and in the bottom quarter of the country on the 30-day adhd follow-up. same state, same year, same children.
every row new jersey sent to cms
| measure | new jersey | denominator | rank | national median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 11 | 44.6 | withheld | 49 of 50 | 59.2 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 12 to 17 | 49.6 | withheld | 50 of 51 | 63.8 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 17 | 48.0 | 1,918 | 50 of 51 | 61.4 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 11 | 26.3 | withheld | 29 of 49 | 29.1 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 12 to 17 | 36.2 | withheld | 26 of 51 | 36.3 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 17 | 32.9 | 6,180 | 25 of 51 | 32.9 |
| APM-CHglucose alone, 1 to 17 | 50.8 | 6,180 | 37 of 51 | 54.4 |
| APM-CHcholesterol alone, 1 to 17 | 33.7 | 6,180 | 27 of 51 | 34.8 |
| ADD-CH30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 32.1 | 3,727 | 50 of 51 | 47.6 |
| ADD-CHnine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 32.9 | 2,238 | 47 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, new jersey reported 44.6 percent — 14.6 points below the national median of 59.2, and the second-lowest of the 50 states that reported it. put the other way round, 55.4 percent of the youngest children in new jersey who were started on an antipsychotic had no psychosocial care documented before it. for adolescents aged 12 to 17 the figure was 49.6 percent. across ages 1 to 17, 48.0 percent on 1,918 children, the second-lowest of the 51 states that reported it. it reported 63.5 the year before on the same method, so this one moved 15.5 points down — the only one of the three where that comparison holds. either side of new jersey on that row: texas at 49.3 and north carolina at 46.1.
the two blood tests
new jersey reported that 26.3 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 29th of the 49 states that reported it, 2.8 points below the national median of 29.1. split into halves across ages 1 to 17, glucose ran 50.8 percent and cholesterol 33.7 percent, both on 6,180 children — 37th of the 51 states that reported it on glucose, 27th of the 51 states that reported it on cholesterol. across ages 1 to 17 the both-tests rate was 32.9 percent. either side of new jersey on the both-tests row for ages 1 to 17: nebraska at 33.7 and rhode island at 32.8.
the 30-day visit after a new adhd prescription
32.1 percent, on 3,727 children aged 6 to 12 who were newly prescribed an adhd medicine in new jersey — the second-lowest of the 51 states that reported it, 15.5 points below the national median of 47.6. that leaves 67.9 percent of those children with no recorded prescriber visit in the month after the medicine started. over the nine months that follow, 32.9 percent had at least two more visits on 2,238 children, against a national median of 55.5 — the third-lowest of the 49 states that reported it. either side of new jersey on the 30-day row: utah at 34.3 and north dakota at 30.2.
what medicaid paid for in new jersey in 2024
in 2024 medicaid in new jersey paid for 163,402 hydroxyzine prescriptions, $1,120,082 worth, and 413,236 benzodiazepine prescriptions, $6,054,891 worth — 39.5 hydroxyzine prescriptions for every 100 benzodiazepine ones. 206 of the 532 hydroxyzine rows and 1,012 of the 2,151 benzodiazepine rows for new jersey 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 new jersey’s own numbers behind them
ask which drug it is, not which class
new jersey, 2024: 163,402 hydroxyzine prescriptions and 413,236 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
new jersey: 44.6 percent of children aged 1 to 11, the second-lowest of the 50 states that reported it
in 55.4 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
new jersey: 26.3 percent of children aged 1 to 11 had both tests, 29th of the 49 states that reported it
missed 73.7 percent of the time in new jersey. 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
new jersey: 32.1 percent, the second-lowest of the 51 states that reported it
this is where a dose gets checked and a wrong fit is caught, and new jersey misses it 67.9 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 New Jersey, how many children get therapy before they get an antipsychotic?
In the 2025 reporting year New Jersey reported 44.6 percent for children aged 1 to 11, against a national median of 59.2 percent — the second-lowest of the 50 states that reported it. For ages 12 to 17 it was 49.6 percent, and across ages 1 to 17 48.0 percent on 1,918 children.
In New Jersey, do children on antipsychotics get the blood tests?
26.3 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 29th of the 49 states that reported it, against a national median of 29.1 percent. Across ages 1 to 17: glucose 50.8 percent, cholesterol 33.7 percent, on 6,180 children.
In New Jersey, how often does the 30-day ADHD follow-up visit happen?
32.1 percent of the time, on 3,727 children aged 6 to 12 newly prescribed an ADHD medicine — the second-lowest of the 51 states that reported it, against a national median of 47.6 percent. The nine-month measure, two further visits, was 32.9 percent in New Jersey against a median of 55.5.
sources
- CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child Core Set, 2025 reporting year, New Jersey rows, read 2026-09-28. APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 11: 44.6 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 12 to 17: 49.6 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 17: 48.0 on a denominator of 1,918; APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 11: 26.3 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 12 to 17: 36.2 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 17: 32.9 on a denominator of 6,180; APM-CH glucose alone, 1 to 17: 50.8 on a denominator of 6,180; APM-CH cholesterol alone, 1 to 17: 33.7 on a denominator of 6,180; ADD-CH 30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 32.1 on a denominator of 3,727; ADD-CH nine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 32.9 on a denominator of 2,238. Method and ranking scope: /medicaid-children. https://data.medicaid.gov/dataset/14bc26c3-5584-4032-9175-f3a0399cb206
- CMS State Drug Utilization Data 2024, New Jersey rows, summed by product name, read 2026-09-28: hydroxyzine 163,402 prescriptions, $1,120,082, 206 of 532 rows suppressed; benzodiazepines 413,236 prescriptions, $6,054,891, 1,012 of 2,151 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