Members of the Appropriations Committee of the South Dakota legislature got an update on the state employee insurance plan this week.
The legislature last year moved over eleven million dollars into the insurance fund to make up a shortfall.
Laurie Gill, Commissioner of the Bureau of Human Resources, told lawmakers they estimated insurance costs would rise to twelve point five million dollars for next year. She says they tried to make minimal changes in costs to state employees…..

Gill says even with the extra money, the plan would still run a shortfall…..

Gill says the legislature did not set aside any new money for the plan this year……

Gill says insurance claims through May are running about two and a half million dollars above their estimates, but they should still end with a reserve of about six million dollars, which means the plan doesn’t need emergency funding right now.