More Than Half of Minn. Employers Offer Med Benefits

More than half of Minnesota employers offer paid medical insurance to full-time employees, according to the 2005 Minnesota Employee Benefits Survey.

About 53 percent of firms offer paid medical insurance, while just 12 percent offer benefits to part-time employees, according to the statistics released Tuesday by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. Forty-five percent of firms offer family medical coverage.

The survey found that large firms were far more likely than small firms to offer medical benefits, driving the number of employees with access to health insurance higher. About 80 percent of full-time workers in the state and 15.9 percent of part-time workers are offered some type of employee-sponsored medical insurance. Overall, about 64.8 percent of full-time employees and 8.6 percent of part-time workers participate in employer-sponsored medical plans.

Meanwhile, about 29 percent of firms offer dental coverage to full-time employees and 25 percent offer family dental coverage.

Roughly 46 percent of employers offer retirement benefits to full-time workers, with most offering defined contribution plans.

The most common employee benefit is paid vacation, which 62 percent of firms offer to their full-time workers. Paid holidays were also common.