GIC says dental, vision vendors will change and rolls out benefit enhancements as premiums rise

Group Insurance Commission officials announced a change in dental and vision vendors for fiscal 2026, several benefit enhancements and other plan design updates, and cautioned that health insurance premiums will be significantly higher next year.

The changes matter because the GIC covers roughly 455,000 members, including about 110,000 retirees, and manages a roughly $3,000,000,000 annual budget on behalf of the Commonwealth and participating public employers. Those funding dynamics and the GIC’s self‑insured structure mean cost shifts affect the state budget and employer contributions as well as members’ paycheck or pension deductions.

GIC presenter Matt, speaking early in the session, framed the commission’s goals as balancing “high quality and affordable benefits.” He said affordability is “getting harder and harder as healthcare costs that underlie the premiums continue to rise.”

Cameron McBean, the GIC’s director of vendor management, announced…