The Butler County Commission has hired a consultant for a feasibility study on whether it can afford to self-insure for workers’ compensation coverage.

The county already has agreed to a new self-insured health plan that commissioners say will save $500,000 a year, the Journal-News reported.

The commission has hired World Risk Management to study the county’s workers’ compensation program.

“We believe there is significant savings to Butler County by moving to a self-insured model,” County Administrator Charlie Young told the newspaper. “We believe we have reserves now that we did not have a few years ago, that are sufficient to allow us to adopt that model and take the risk associated with being self-insured.”