The report looked at fee-for-service claims for 10.5 million children a year who were covered by employer-sponsored health insurance plans. Between 2009 and 2012, per capita spending for this group rose from $2,074 to $2,437.
Until age 14, more money was spent on boys than girls, but after that point, healthcare spending for girls continued to be higher through adulthood. And despite more spending going toward infants and toddlers than any other age group, prescription drug spending was up for children across the board.
“The trend of rising use of prescriptions among children is particularly notable,” HCCI Executive Director David Newman said in a release. “We, and others, need to focus on the mental health needs of our children.”
That rise was due in large part to double-digit growth in the use of generic central nervous system drugs, which are commonly prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression.
Though boys had a higher rate of use of CNS drugs than girls, teen girls averaged higher levels of overall prescription use than teen boys, mostly as a result of the use of birth control pills.
Teen girls also led the use of mental health services. Mental health and substance use admissions for girls rose from nine per 1,000 in 2010 to 11 in 2012, compared to seven per 1,000 teen boys in 2010 to nine in 2012.
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