State GIC

Articles about the State GIC that may be useful to Massachusetts retirees

GIC APPROVES 1.43% FY13 PREMIUM INCREASE

No Copay/Deductible Changes

March 2, 2012: Providing good news to those state, teacher and municipal retirees it insures, the state’s Group Insurance Commission (GIC) has approved its lowest insurance premium increase since 1999 – just 1.43% across its eleven different plans. Rate changes are effective for Fiscal Year 2013, which begins July 1, 2012.

ASSOCIATION PEC DESIGNEES ATTEND MUNICIPAL HEALTH FORUM

ASSOCIATION PEC DESIGNEES ATTEND MUNICIPAL HEALTH FORUM

Focus On New Municipal Insurance Law

FEBRUARY 14, 2012: Association members were among the over 200 attendees at a recent forum on the new Municipal Health Insurance (MHI) law, that was held at Boston Fire Local 718’s Florian Hall in Dorchester. They gathered together as the retiree designees on the Public Employee Committee (PEC) for their community or school district.

Annual Insurance Hearing Draws Retirees

Annual Insurance Hearing Draws Retirees

FEBRUARY 1, 2012: Over 100 employees and retirees attended today’s annual public hearing of the Commonwealth’s Group Insurance Commission (GIC) held in Minihan Hall at the Lindemann Center.

Dolores Mitchell, Executive Director of the GIC, presented an extensive update of all commission activities and an estimated projection of future needs and costs.

Mitchell started by pointing out that the Commonwealth could be under some pressure from the added costs of Federal health care reform.

Locals Remain With GIC

JANUARY 2012 VOICE: Beginning July 1, 2009, the retirees, survivors and employees in 11 communities initiated their health insurance coverage with the state Group Insurance Commission (GIC). Whether their GIC coverage would continue for 3 or 6 years depended upon the agreement that had been reached between local officials and the PEC (Public Employee Committee).

Wisconsin Parallels Seen In Local Health Care Fight

Wisconsin Parallels Seen In Local Health Care Fight

Retirees Must Have Voice In Process

The battle, now being waged in Wisconsin over the rights of public employees to collectively bargain, should come as no surprise to Association members. As we have been reporting for some time, there is a growing national movement to reduce and alter the health care and defined benefit pensions of public employees and retirees.

Tackling health costs requires coordinated effort

EDITORIAL  Gov. Deval Patrick has set the ambitious goal of reducing by $1 billion the projected health care expenditures in the next fiscal year. While there is reason to doubt whether he’ll be able to meet that target, he has followed up with concrete proposals.

GateHouse News Service Posted Feb 23, 2011 @ 10:00 AM

Local Insurance Changes Loom

Local Insurance Changes Loom

GIC Mandate Proposed

Filing his third barebones budget in as many years, Governor Deval Patrick has proposed a significant change to local health insurance plans in an attempt to plug growing budget deficits that are the result of the ongoing economic recession.

In addition to slashing the budget of the state’s Group Insurance Commission (GIC) by $100 million for FY12, the Governor is also proposing a 7% cut in non-school local aid to cities and towns. In order to offset local aid cuts, Patrick has reintroduced a plan that could drastically alter municipal health plans.

GIC Unveils Plan To Save $100 Million

Health Fairs Focus On Employee Reenrollment

FEBRUARY 14, 2011: The state's Group Insurance Commission has put plans in place that, if successful, are expected to save the Commonwealth upwards of $100 million for FY12, beginning on July 1, 2011. Under the plan, active state employees, enrolled in one of six limited network low-cost plans offered by the GIC for the coming year will receive free coverage for three months - a so-called "Premium Holiday."

Battle Rages Over Municipal Health Care

Municipal Leaders Demand Control

JANUARY 2011 VOICE: Within days of the November election, a coalition of mayors and the Mass. Municipal Association were back on Beacon Hill in an attempt to rally support to grant local officials complete control over health insurance plan design.