Insurance coverage for autism services, including critical applied behavior analysis, would be available to all state employees and individuals purchasing health insurance through state-based exchanges under plans announced Friday by Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Autism services, including up to 20 hours of behavioral treatment a week, would be defined as part of the “essential health benefit” package mandated by the state and required under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The federal health care law requires every state to offer minimum insurance benefits to its residents beginning in 2014 when the on-line health exchanges are scheduled to launch. But the law also allows states to define specific benefits.

In addition to making autism services a mandated benefit in Ohio’s private insurance market, Kasich proposes expanding the benefit to all state employees. That would require the approval of the state’s five employee unions because the essential benefit requirement wouldn’t automatically apply to the state’s self-insured health plans.

“The governor has said we choose to subject (the state) to the mandate,” said Greg Moody, who heads Gov. Kasich’s Office of Health Transformation. “That requires a negotiation with the unions. We hope and expect that that will be a constructive, positive process.”

If the unions agree, autism services would be available to all state employees and their nearly 40,000 children. One in 88 children is diagnosed with autism, which is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States, according to government data.

Lisa Houseworth, director of Trumpet Behavioral Health in Dayton, applauded the governor’s efforts but said “it’s about time” the state provided coverage for autism treatment, noting 32 states, including all of Ohio’s neighbors, already offer such coverage.

“Right now, there’s no real mechanism in Ohio to get behavioral treatment for autism because most insurances don’t cover it,” Houseworth said. “Ohio definitely needs to get in the ballgame and get it covered.”

Houseworth said many of the autistic kids she sees have their treatments paid for privately, which can put tremendous financial strain on the families.

“I have a family where the dad just got a second job, and they just took out a second mortgage on their home to cover the treatment,” she said.

Moody said Ohio’s new health care mandate would also help control costs for businesses that provide private health care coverage for their employees. Most large companies use self-insured health plans.

“If we didn’t have this, the federal government very well could come in and say we’re going to pick the autism benefit for you, and this is what it is,” Moody said. “Instead of losing control of that process, I like the idea that we’re acting now to create certainty for businesses.”