Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed switch to a self-insurance plan for state workers has been rejected in a rare bipartisan vote by the Wisconsin Legislature’s budget-writing committee. The vote Thursday is a defeat for Walker after heavy lobbying by him to make the change. The Joint Finance Committee voted 16-0 to reject proposed self-insurance contracts in its first meeting in two weeks as budget talks have stalled amid disagreements over K-12 school funding, roads and taxes. The panel wasn’t taking up any of those issues Thursday. Under self-insurance, state workers and their families are insured by the state rather than purchasing coverage through private HMOs. The state would assume the risk for medical claims that exceed premiums. Sen. Alberta Darling says “This is the wrong time for us to make major shifts in the marketplace.”
