While the nation's minimum wage was recently raised to $6.55 per hour and is scheduled to go up again in 2009, there's no denying that it's virtually impossible for employees in this income bracket to afford major medical health insurance. For these individuals — and a growing class of middle-income wage earners — limited medical plans can be the answer to their health insurance woes.

Let's face it, most employee benefits professionals are not salivating over the premium potential that exists in the low-wage marketplace. This got me thinking — which benefits work for this demographic and what are brokers missing?

Part-time, hourly and seasonal employees are often unable to qualify for or afford a company's major medical plan, if one is even offered. When someone is earning $6.55 per hour it is seemingly impossible to purchase much at all, let alone employee benefits. Fortunately, the maturation of the limited medical marketplace has provided a wide variety of plan offerings so individuals can select a plan that best suits their personal situation.