Although children who use behavioral health services represent a small portion of the overall Medicaid population, the Medicaid program is a major source of funding for children’s behavioral health care.

This data brief updates the Center for Health Care Strategies’ national analysis of 2005 Medicaid claims data for children’s psychotropic medication utilization and expenditures. It explores psychotropic medication use based on 2008 Medicaid Analytic eXtract (MAX) claims data to provide insights to help guide improvements in care coordination, delivery, and financing for this vulnerable population.