Each and every county, county board of public instruction, city, town, governmental unit, department, board, or bureau of this state or of the cities and towns of this state is authorized to make deductions periodically from the wages or salaries of its employees with which to pay the premium for life, accident and sickness, hospitalization, or annuity insurance, or any other kind of insurance, for the benefit of such employees upon a group insurance plan and to that end to enter into agreements with insurance companies whereby the kind of group insurance desired by the employees may be furnished to them and the premiums for the group insurance remitted periodically by the counties, boards, cities, towns, bureaus, or departments.