MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin is accepting bids in a renewed effort to self-insure more than 200,000 state employees who receive health insurance through the Department of Employee Trust Funds, a move Gov. Scott Walker first proposed last fall but that was tabled.

By self-insuring state employees the state would pay benefits directly and assume risk for losses. It would be a switch from the HMO plan that’s been used in Wisconsin since 1984. Under that plan, the state buys insurance from 18 companies from which employees and their family members choose.