Government workers in New Jersey may soon be paying for more fortheir health care, if a proposal by Governor Chris Christie isadopted.

Christie’s plan would be phased in over three years and underit, employees would pay 10 percent of their health care premiumsbeginning this July. Their share would go up to 17 percent inJanuary 2012, 23 percent in January 2013 and 30 percent by July2014. New employees would automatically pay the full 30 percenttoward their premiums.

Government workers currently pay 1.5 percent of their salarytoward premiums.

According to the administration, if adopted, the governor's planwould save $323 million in the 2012 budget year, which begins inJuly. State Treasury Department Spokesman William Quinn said thatwhen the plan is fully implemented in 2014, the state can expect tosave $871 million each year.

Plans have also been offered by State Senate President StephenSweeney and New Jersey’s biggest workers union. Sweeney’s is also aphase-in plan over seven year and which would estimate workers’contributions on a sliding scale based on income. The nonpartisanOffice of Legislative Services estimates that Sweeney's plan wouldsave $206 million when fully implemented.

Under the union plan, workers would continue to pay 1.5 percentof their salary and 8.5 percent of their premium by the fourth andfinal year of a new contract, and is said to save the state $240million.

Christie has yet to submit his plan for legislation, drawingcriticism from some skeptical Democrats who see it as the governorputting off an inevitable independent evaluation from theOLS.