BACKGROUND

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurobe-havioral disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Children with ADHD have trouble paying attention, control-ling impulsive behaviors, and in some cases are overly active. The cause(s) and risk factors for ADHD are unknown, but current research shows that genetics plays an important role. Scientists are also researching other possible causes and risk factors including brain injury, environmental exposures (e.g., lead), alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy, premature delivery, and low birth weight.1 Approximately 9.0% of young adults ages 13 to 18 years of age have ever been diagnosed with ADHD, according to a 2010 study.2 As with younger individuals diagnosed with the disor-der, adults with ADHD are often inattentive and forgetful and typically lack impulse control. Because it is an “invisible disability” often unrecognized by others, socially inappropriate behaviors that are the result of ADHD symptoms are often attributed to other causes or to negative personality attributes.3

The total excess cost of ADHD in the U.S. in 2000 was $31.6 billion. Of this total, $1.6 billion was for the treatment of patients, $12.1 billion was for all other health-care costs of persons with ADHD, $14.2 billion was for all other healthcare costs of family members with ADHD, and $3.7 billion was for the work loss cost of adults with ADHD and adult family members of persons with ADHD. The annual societal ‘‘cost of illness’’ for ADHD in 2005 dollars is estimated to be between $36 and $52 billion, and is estimated to be between $12,005 and $17,458 annually, per person with ADHD. Adult workers with ADHD were more likely to have at least one sick day in the previous month compared to workers without ADHD.4

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and SC Medicaid Recipients SFY 2010 Fact Sheet

1 www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html 2 www.nimh.nih.gov/statistics/1ADHD_CHILD.shtml3 www.help4adhd.org/en/living/relandsoc/WWK154 www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html#cost

SC Medicaid Population Demographics ADHD–2010

Ages Race Gender Geographic Residence

Birth-5 1,985 Black 15,193 Female 14,428 Rural 14,289

6-14 31,498 White 23,807 Male 30,453 Urban 30,215

15-18 7,888 Hispanic 793 Unclassified 377

Other 5,088

Expenditure and mapped prevalence data for Medicaid recipients in South Carolina is provided on the reverse side.

SC FISCAL YEAR 2010

A total of 44,881 Medicaid recipients had paid claims associated with a primary diag-nosis of ADHD or 4.75 percent of the total Medicaid recipient population. Total medi-cal expenditures for this population were $264,749,623, accounting for 5.13 percent of the state Medicaid expenditures.

Developed by the Division of Policy and Research on Medicaid and Medicare at the University of South Carolina’s Institute for Families in Society under contract to the SC Department of Health and Human Services. This factsheet and important information about its use and data limitations can be found at ifs.sc.edu/PRMM/Factsheets. Suggest-ed citation: Lòpez-De Fede, A., Mayfield-Smith, K., Stewart, J., Sudarshan, N., Rodgers, M., & Sudduth, D. (2012). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and SC Medicaid recipients: SFY 2010 factsheet. Columbia, SC: Institute for Families in Society, University of South Carolina.