children’s psychiatric drugs in utah medicaid: utah’s own three numbers
utah told cms three things about its children in the 2025 reporting year: 54.1 percent of children aged 1 to 11 newly prescribed an antipsychotic had psychosocial care documented first, 39th of the 50 states that reported it; 23.9 percent of children on two or more antipsychotics got both the glucose and the cholesterol test, 35th of the 49 states that reported it; 34.3 percent of children aged 6 to 12 starting an adhd medicine were seen again inside 30 days, the third-lowest of the 51 states that reported it.[1]
across the whole age range, utah sits in the bottom quarter of the country 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 utah sent to cms
| measure | utah | denominator | rank | national median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 11 | 54.1 | withheld | 39 of 50 | 59.2 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 12 to 17 | 57.4 | withheld | 41 of 51 | 63.8 |
| APP-CHpsychosocial care first, 1 to 17 | 56.6 | withheld | 41 of 51 | 61.4 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 11 | 23.9 | withheld | 35 of 49 | 29.1 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 12 to 17 | 29.6 | withheld | 41 of 51 | 36.3 |
| APM-CHboth blood tests, 1 to 17 | 28.1 | withheld | 39 of 51 | 32.9 |
| APM-CHglucose alone, 1 to 17 | 51.7 | 1,971 | 34 of 51 | 54.4 |
| APM-CHcholesterol alone, 1 to 17 | 29.1 | withheld | 41 of 51 | 34.8 |
| ADD-CH30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 34.3 | 2,085 | 49 of 51 | 47.6 |
| ADD-CHnine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12 | 40.5 | 550 | 46 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, utah reported 54.1 percent — 5.1 points below the national median of 59.2, and 39th of the 50 states that reported it. put the other way round, 45.9 percent of the youngest children in utah who were started on an antipsychotic had no psychosocial care documented before it. for adolescents aged 12 to 17 the figure was 57.4 percent. across ages 1 to 17, 56.6 percent, 41st of the 51 states that reported it. it reported 54.4 the year before on the same method, so this one moved 2.2 points up — the only one of the three where that comparison holds. either side of utah on that row: nebraska at 58.3 and oklahoma at 55.7.
the two blood tests
utah reported that 23.9 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 35th of the 49 states that reported it, 5.2 points below the national median of 29.1. split into halves across ages 1 to 17, glucose ran 51.7 percent and cholesterol 29.1 percent, both on 1,971 children — 34th of the 51 states that reported it on glucose, 41st of the 51 states that reported it on cholesterol. across ages 1 to 17 the both-tests rate was 28.1 percent. either side of utah on the both-tests row for ages 1 to 17: michigan at 28.1 and new mexico at 28.0.
the 30-day visit after a new adhd prescription
34.3 percent, on 2,085 children aged 6 to 12 who were newly prescribed an adhd medicine in utah — the third-lowest of the 51 states that reported it, 13.3 points below the national median of 47.6. that leaves 65.7 percent of those children with no recorded prescriber visit in the month after the medicine started. over the nine months that follow, 40.5 percent had at least two more visits on 550 children, against a national median of 55.5 — the fourth-lowest of the 49 states that reported it. either side of utah on the 30-day row: district of columbia at 34.4 and new jersey at 32.1.
what medicaid paid for in utah in 2024
in 2024 medicaid in utah paid for 42,316 hydroxyzine prescriptions, $594,145 worth, and 88,343 benzodiazepine prescriptions, $1,264,952 worth — 47.9 hydroxyzine prescriptions for every 100 benzodiazepine ones. 173 of the 486 hydroxyzine rows and 750 of the 1,423 benzodiazepine rows for utah 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 utah’s own numbers behind them
ask which drug it is, not which class
utah, 2024: 42,316 hydroxyzine prescriptions and 88,343 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
utah: 54.1 percent of children aged 1 to 11, 39th of the 50 states that reported it
in 45.9 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
utah: 23.9 percent of children aged 1 to 11 had both tests, 35th of the 49 states that reported it
missed 76.1 percent of the time in utah. 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
utah: 34.3 percent, the third-lowest of the 51 states that reported it
this is where a dose gets checked and a wrong fit is caught, and utah misses it 65.7 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 Utah, how many children get therapy before they get an antipsychotic?
In the 2025 reporting year Utah reported 54.1 percent for children aged 1 to 11, against a national median of 59.2 percent — 39th of the 50 states that reported it. For ages 12 to 17 it was 57.4 percent, and across ages 1 to 17 56.6 percent.
In Utah, do children on antipsychotics get the blood tests?
23.9 percent of children aged 1 to 11 on two or more antipsychotic prescriptions had both tests — 35th of the 49 states that reported it, against a national median of 29.1 percent. Across ages 1 to 17: glucose 51.7 percent, cholesterol 29.1 percent, on 1,971 children.
In Utah, how often does the 30-day ADHD follow-up visit happen?
34.3 percent of the time, on 2,085 children aged 6 to 12 newly prescribed an ADHD medicine — the third-lowest of the 51 states that reported it, against a national median of 47.6 percent. The nine-month measure, two further visits, was 40.5 percent in Utah against a median of 55.5.
sources
- CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child Core Set, 2025 reporting year, Utah rows, read 2026-09-28. APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 11: 54.1 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 12 to 17: 57.4 (denominator not publicly reported); APP-CH psychosocial care first, 1 to 17: 56.6 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 11: 23.9 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 12 to 17: 29.6 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH both blood tests, 1 to 17: 28.1 (denominator not publicly reported); APM-CH glucose alone, 1 to 17: 51.7 on a denominator of 1,971; APM-CH cholesterol alone, 1 to 17: 29.1 (denominator not publicly reported); ADD-CH 30-day adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 34.3 on a denominator of 2,085; ADD-CH nine-month adhd follow-up, 6 to 12: 40.5 on a denominator of 550. Method and ranking scope: /medicaid-children. https://data.medicaid.gov/dataset/14bc26c3-5584-4032-9175-f3a0399cb206
- CMS State Drug Utilization Data 2024, Utah rows, summed by product name, read 2026-09-28: hydroxyzine 42,316 prescriptions, $594,145, 173 of 486 rows suppressed; benzodiazepines 88,343 prescriptions, $1,264,952, 750 of 1,423 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