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Abstract:
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Policy analysis can be used to determine the impact of structural changes on public health outcomes. Evaluating Medicaid policy on the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children younger than 6 requires an analysis of the use and timing of behavior therapy, the recommended first-line treatment, compared to medication use, which best practices recommend only be used if significant impairment remains after an extended trial of behavior therapy. We propose to describe the impact of a prior authorization policy for the prescription of ADHD medications among young children in several state Medicaid programs. These analyses will show the change in ADHD medication rates following policy implementation, and will compare these to trends of other psychoactive medications in this age group and ADHD medications in older children. We will also show whether there was a corresponding uptake of psychological services, bringing current practice in line with recommended best practices. This information can be used by state Medicaid programs to inform use of prior authorization policies that might influence the treatment trajectories of young children with ADHD.
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