The state is planning to lower what it pays for most autism therapy services.

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration says it intends to cut reimbursement rates for most applied behavior analysis, or ABA, therapy by ten percent.

Group therapy would not be affected. State leaders say the change comes as costs have surged.

FSSA Deputy Secretary Eric Miller told lawmakers the state was on pace to spend more than eight hundred million dollars on ABA services if nothing changed.

Miller said the goal is to keep therapy available long term while controlling costs.

He added the new rates would still be higher than the national average and higher than what nearby states pay.