Health benefits are about to get a lot more costly for 800,000 state workers and local government employees come January.

Davren Noble, a Department of Children and Families family service specialist, is one of those workers bracing for an increase.

"It's going to hurt. It's going to hurt a lot," says Noble. "And the benefits are things that we need."

If premium increases go through, benefit costs could be passed along to counties, towns and school districts.

"All we want is the people who we vote for to protect our interests," says Noble.

In Jersey City Wednesday, Gov. Phil Murphy said the benefit increases are formulaic and the result of inflation and people accessing medical procedures after the pandemic.

Lawmakers from both parties are rushing to prevent the increases, asking Murphy to use billions in federal stimulus money as relief.