Ohio Senate reviews autism coverage requirement

COLUMBUS (AP) — Autism treatment advocates may soon lose the ground they gained when the Democrat-controlled Ohio House approved a budget plan that would force insurance companies to cover autism.

The Republican-controlled Senate is concerned about higher costs for health coverage for small businesses. State Sen. John Carey, chairman of the Finance Committee, says he is considering taking the policy out of the budget for further studied.

Ty Pine of the Ohio chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business says the autism coverage requirement would add $120 million to small business costs.

Autism treatment advocates say it’s time for private insurance companies to start shouldering their share of the burden instead of leaving costs to the public sector.