Massachusetts Senate Democrats Reject Republican Push to Probe Health Insurance Spending and SNAP Junk Food Use

BY ALISON KUZNITZ

Senate Democrats rejected a Republican-backed amendment Wednesday to probe the Group Insurance Commission’s spending and block SNAP benefits from being used on certain food.

The GIC, which provides insurance coverage to more than 460,000 state employees and retirees, has required emergency supplemental budgets the last two years totaling $540 million. Plans offered in fiscal 2027 will no longer cover GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, after surging demand for the costly medication partly caused the agency to run out of money.

Sen. Bruce Tarr proposed allocating $300,000 for Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro and the Center for Health Information and Analysis to investigate the GIC’s expenses in fiscal 2025 and 2026. His amendment (#259) also tasked the Department of Transitional Assistance to seek federal permission to prevent SNAP recipients from using their public benefits on candy and soft drinks.

The Senate rejected the amendment on a 4-35 roll call vote, with only Republican Sens. Tarr, Kelly Dooner, Ryan Fattman and Peter Durant supporting the measure. Tarr noted the Legislature has previously allocated funding for the inspector general to scrutinize funding concerns around special education transportation, bar advocates and county sheriffs.

“I would suggest, madam president, that the Group Insurance Commission, which holds in its hands the health insurance coverage of public sector employees throughout this commonwealth and represents $2.7 billion in state spending, that the impetus should be no less urgent to turn the inspector general’s attention to this particular agency,” the Gloucester Republican said.

Sen. Cindy Friedman, the chamber’s healthcare point person, countered that the GIC is one of the commonwealth’s “most regulated” agencies. She also said the probe would be “administratively burdensome” to the GIC as it examines ways to cut costs, including through “new innovative products.”

Fattman said the SNAP benefit exclusion could allow Massachusetts to unlock federal grants to “enhance” its food aid program. Sen. Lydia Edwards said the action would disproportionately impact “poor people.”

“I would argue we should care about the health and welfare of all people, so if we find that sugary snacks and sodas aren’t good for our health and wellbeing, then maybe they would join me in supporting the tax on candy that was proposed, I think, by the governor before, or propose a tax and make it expensive for all of us,” said Edwards, referencing Gov. Maura Healey’s budget pitch last year.