§ 40A:10-21 — Payment of premiums; deduction of employee contributions.

40A:10-21. a. Any employer entering into a contract pursuant to this subarticle is hereby authorized to pay part or all of the premiums or charges for the contracts and may appropriate out of its general funds any money necessary to pay premiums or charges or portions thereof. The contribution required of any employee toward the cost of coverage may be deducted from the pay, salary or other compensation of the employee upon an authorization in writing made to the appropriate disbursing officer. The employer may reimburse an active employee for his premium charges under Part B of the Federal Medicare Program covering the employee alone. Nothing herein shall be construed as compelling an employer to pay any portion of the premiums or charges attributable to the contracts. b. Commencing on the effective date of P.L.2010, c.2 and upon the expiration of any applicable binding collective negotiations agreement in force on that effective date, employees of an employer shall pay 1.5 percent of base salary, through the withholding of the contribution from the pay, salary or other compensation, for health care benefits coverage provided pursuant to N.J.S.40A:10-17, notwithstanding any other amount that may be required additionally pursuant to subsection a. of this section for such coverage. This subsection shall apply also when the health care benefits coverage is provided through an insurance fund or joint insurance fund or in any other manner. This subsection shall apply to any agency, board, commission, authority, or instrumentality of a local unit. amended 2010, c.2, s.14.