Under the proposal, GIC weighs higher deductibles and copays and the removal of GLP-1 weight management drugs from coverage.
Educators and students rallied at UMass Amherst, urging the commission to reject the funding shift. Labor leaders argue the state would offload costs onto lower-wage workers and retirees already strained by inflation. The vote could land as early as Feb. 12, 2026.
Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and a professor at UMass Amherst, warned about hourly school staff earning $15 to $17…