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The board that oversees health benefits for state workers plans to vote next month on a move toward self-insurance.

After a special meeting Thursday to discuss the issue, the Group Insurance Board, largely controlled by the governor, is set to vote Feb. 17 on whether to issue requests for proposals from companies that would assist the state in self-insuring workers, on a regional or statewide basis, starting in 2018.

Such proposals would give the board better information on whether the move would be good for workers and taxpayers, said Jon Litscher, board chairman.

Currently, “we don’t have hard data to make a final choice,” Litscher said.

The state could save $42 million a year by self-insuring state workers instead of buying insurance from 17 HMOs, Segal Consulting said in a report to the board in November.

The state would pay benefits directly and assume the risk for large claims, likely hiring one or more insurance companies to administer the program.

Previous consultant reports have said self-insurance could save $20 million a year or cost $100 million a year.