Hands off our Healthcare! Stop the GIC Increase: What You Can Do
2/5/2026
Dear Faculty and Librarians,
Right now, Governor Healey is asking the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) to shift $100 million in healthcare costs from the Commonwealth onto us. If this goes through, it will mean higher co-pays, deductibles, and premiums, along with the elimination of coverage for critical prescriptions such as GLP-1s.
The GIC provides healthcare plans for Massachusetts state employees and retirees, including all public higher education workers. They decide what gets covered and how much it costs. This proposal would directly raise our healthcare expenses.
The FSU and MTA are fighting back!
GIC decisions are made by a seventeen-member commission, which is scheduled to vote on these proposed cost increases on February 12th. We need nine commissioners to vote no.
What have we done?
Thank you to those who attended last week’s GIC Listening Sessions and flooded the phone lines for Governor Healey’s appearance on WBUR. These actions moved a commissioner from a yes to a no vote.
We believe we have seven no votes. We need two more to stop these cost increases.
Next Step (5 minutes): Tell state leaders how you feel
Use MTA’s Action Network to send a pre-made letter. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/take-action-to-protect-health-care-for-public-employees/
Next Step (5 minutes): Tell the GIC directly
Email GIC with your specific concerns at GIC.info@mass.gov. Please copy the MTA GIC Commissioner Dean Robinson (Political Science Dept at UMass Amherst) at deanr@umass.edu.
Next Step (In-person): Join the February 10th Rally in Arlington
Join the 4PM Hands Off Our Healthcare Rally at Town Hall in Arlington (outdoor event). For details and to register go to https://www.mobilize.us/massteacher/?event_type=24
Click here to find out more: https://massteacher.org/current-initiatives/gic
Sincerely,
Caroline Coscia Jason Rodriquez
Senior Lecturer II Professor
Political Science Department Sociology Department
President Vice President