The Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission during a Feb. 26 meeting voted to eliminate GLP-1 coverage for state employees and retirees.
Chair Valerie Sullivan said removing the coverage would help with managing the budget. She called the vote “a very difficult decision.”
Several commission members opposed the move.
“The long-term impacts for removing people from GLP-1s is a huge mistake,” Vice Chair Bobbi Kaplan said during the meeting. “It’s very shortsighted.”
Ms. Sullivan said the commission should “revisit” the matter going forward.
Professional services firm Aon previously found that long-term GLP-1 use can trim medical cost growth. Still, employers have been grappling with steep GLP-1 costs in recent years. BCBS Massachusetts and North Carolina’s state health plan dropped weight-loss coverage in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
The Group Insurance Commission oversees health coverage for more than 280,000 subscribers and 460,000 members, according to its website.
