Wisconsin may soon be heading into the health insurance business. The state’s Group Insurance Board on Wednesday approved a plan that would alter the way the state provides health insurance for its employees, moving to a self-insured model where the state pays for medical bills directly instead of paying premiums to private health insurance companies. The board’s vote came hours before Gov. Scott Walker outlined the same self-insurance plan in his budget proposal. His plan and the Group Insurance Board’s both estimate $60 million total in savings over the next two fiscal years for the state. Walker said that other states, including Minnesota, successfully provide their state employees with health insurance. It's a model that has saved money in other states and will save money in Wisconsin, he said. "If you think about this reform, consider this: ... others are successfully using self insurance plans to make health care affordable for their employees," Walker said. "We can do the same."