children’s psychiatric drugs in new york medicaid: new york’s own three numbers
new york told cms three things about its children in the 2025 reporting year: 68.3 percent of children aged 1 to 11 newly prescribed an antipsychotic had psychosocial care documented first, 11th of the 50 states that reported it; 35.5 percent of children on two or more antipsychotics got both the glucose and the cholesterol test, 12th of the 49 states that reported it; 56.6 percent of children aged 6 to 12 starting an adhd medicine were seen again inside 30 days, 7th of the 51 states that reported it.[1]
across the whole age range, new york sits in the top quarter of the country on the 30-day adhd follow-up and in the top quarter of the country on the two metabolic blood tests. same state, same year, same children.
every row new york sent to cms
| measure | new york | denominator | rank | national median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 11 | 68.3 | withheld | 11 of 50 | 59.2 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 12 to 17 | 72.3 | withheld | 9 of 51 | 63.8 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 17 | 71.1 | 5,490 | 10 of 51 | 61.4 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 11 | 35.5 | withheld | 12 of 49 | 29.1 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 12 to 17 | 44.6 | withheld | 10 of 51 | 36.3 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 17 | 41.7 | 19,188 | 10 of 51 | 32.9 |
| APM-CHglucose alone, 1 to 17 | 59.4 | 19,188 | 11 of 51 | 54.4 |
| APM-CHcholesterol alone, 1 to 17 | 43.1 | 19,188 | 11 of 51 | 34.8 |
| ADD-CH30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 56.6 | 18,827 | 7 of 51 | 47.6 |
| ADD-CHnine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 61.6 | 6,481 | 10 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 york reported 68.3 percent — 9.1 points above the national median of 59.2, and 11th of the 50 states that reported it. put the other way round, 31.7 percent of the youngest children in new york who were started on an antipsychotic had no psychosocial care documented before it. for adolescents aged 12 to 17 the figure was 72.3 percent. across ages 1 to 17, 71.1 percent on 5,490 children, 10th of the 51 states that reported it. it reported 69.4 the year before on the same method, so this one moved 1.7 points up — the only one of the three where that comparison holds. either side of new york on that row: kansas at 71.2 and new hampshire at 71.0.
the two blood tests
new york reported that 35.5 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 12th of the 49 states that reported it, 6.4 points above the national median of 29.1. split into halves across ages 1 to 17, glucose ran 59.4 percent and cholesterol 43.1 percent, both on 19,188 children — 11th of the 51 states that reported it on glucose, 11th of the 51 states that reported it on cholesterol. across ages 1 to 17 the both-tests rate was 41.7 percent. either side of new york on the both-tests row for ages 1 to 17: missouri at 42.6 and massachusetts at 40.6.
the 30-day visit after a new adhd prescription
56.6 percent, on 18,827 children aged 6 to 12 who were newly prescribed an adhd medicine in new york — 7th of the 51 states that reported it, 9.0 points above the national median of 47.6. that leaves 43.4 percent of those children with no recorded prescriber visit in the month after the medicine started. over the nine months that follow, 61.6 percent had at least two more visits on 6,481 children, against a national median of 55.5 — 10th of the 49 states that reported it. either side of new york on the 30-day row: maine at 57.7 and mississippi at 55.7.
what medicaid paid for in new york in 2024
in 2024 medicaid in new york paid for 489,866 hydroxyzine prescriptions, $7,155,134 worth, and 907,021 benzodiazepine prescriptions, $38,097,144 worth — 54.0 hydroxyzine prescriptions for every 100 benzodiazepine ones. 237 of the 597 hydroxyzine rows and 925 of the 2,158 benzodiazepine rows for new york 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 york’s own numbers behind them
ask which drug it is, not which class
new york, 2024: 489,866 hydroxyzine prescriptions and 907,021 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 york: 68.3 percent of children aged 1 to 11, 11th of the 50 states that reported it
in 31.7 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 york: 35.5 percent of children aged 1 to 11 had both tests, 12th of the 49 states that reported it
missed 64.5 percent of the time in new york. 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 york: 56.6 percent, 7th of the 51 states that reported it
this is where a dose gets checked and a wrong fit is caught, and new york misses it 43.4 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 York, how many children get therapy before they get an antipsychotic?
In the 2025 reporting year New York reported 68.3 percent for children aged 1 to 11, against a national median of 59.2 percent — 11th of the 50 states that reported it. For ages 12 to 17 it was 72.3 percent, and across ages 1 to 17 71.1 percent on 5,490 children.
In New York, do children on antipsychotics get the blood tests?
35.5 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 12th of the 49 states that reported it, against a national median of 29.1 percent. Across ages 1 to 17: glucose 59.4 percent, cholesterol 43.1 percent, on 19,188 children.
In New York, how often does the 30-day ADHD follow-up visit happen?
56.6 percent of the time, on 18,827 children aged 6 to 12 newly prescribed an ADHD medicine — 7th of the 51 states that reported it, against a national median of 47.6 percent. The nine-month measure, two further visits, was 61.6 percent in New York against a median of 55.5.
sources
- CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child Core Set, 2025 reporting year, New York rows, read 2026-09-28. APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 11: 68.3 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 12 to 17: 72.3 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 17: 71.1 on a denominator of 5,490; APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 11: 35.5 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 12 to 17: 44.6 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 17: 41.7 on a denominator of 19,188; APM-CH glucose alone, 1 to 17: 59.4 on a denominator of 19,188; APM-CH cholesterol alone, 1 to 17: 43.1 on a denominator of 19,188; ADD-CH 30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 56.6 on a denominator of 18,827; ADD-CH nine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 61.6 on a denominator of 6,481. Method and ranking scope: /medicaid-children. https://data.medicaid.gov/dataset/14bc26c3-5584-4032-9175-f3a0399cb206
- CMS State Drug Utilization Data 2024, New York rows, summed by product name, read 2026-09-28: hydroxyzine 489,866 prescriptions, $7,155,134, 237 of 597 rows suppressed; benzodiazepines 907,021 prescriptions, $38,097,144, 925 of 2,158 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