WVFA Winter 2018-19

www.wvfa.org Winter 2018–2019 |  West Virginia Forestry Association Mountain State Forestry 5 A s this is my initial message to WVFA members as your new President, it is my great pleasure to acknowledge the yeoman’s work of Mark Haddix over the last two years. Mark led the Association with distinction as he implemented new communications efforts via social media and streamlined website and database management by engaging MemberClicks. And, perhaps most importantly he led the Executive Committee in the Herculean task of finding, purchasing, and remodeling the new WVFA office in Charleston, while simultaneously selling the office in Ripley. Also, under his leadership, the WVFA Insurance Committee was established, which I chaired, to seek answers to the biggest bottleneck in the healthy flow of commerce in the WV forest products industry: Workers’ Compensation (WC) Insurance. A foundational component of a WC solution, we determined, was affordable health insurance for loggers and their employees, as well as our other Association members. So, WVFA has entered into an agreement with Hub International, Inc. of Pittsburgh, PA to offer an extremely affordable health insurance as a benefit of WVFA membership and which provides a small revenue stream for the Association. The insurance carrier, Redirect Health, offers a low cost plan that can fit any budget and is Affordable Care Act compliant. Low cost plans start at $107 per employee per month and include free preventive and wellness care, free chiropractic care and no co-pays for doctor’s office visits. A unique aspect of this coverage is a concierge medical service that provides 24/7 access to trained medical providers who can advise on the appropriate response to a condition and prescribe the appropriate prescription drugs. And there is no minimum level of employee participation or contribution requirements for employers. Family plans are also available. If you are interested in learning more about the coverages, contact Hub International at 412-992-2860. In order to lower loggers’ (and others) WC premium costs specifically, we now have an answer that will work for many businesses. WVFA, through its WV Loggers Council and Insurance Committee, has pursued a range of workers’ compensation insurance alternatives for the logging community. And, after a series of dead ends, we have identified a viable alternative to existing workers’ compensation choices. This option is available to WVFA members only and can offer WC coverage for both mechanized and non-mechanized logging configurations and based on preliminary estimates can generate significant savings for those that qualify. If you are interested in exploring this opportunity, please contact the WVFA office at 681-265-5019 for more information. For those that may not qualify for this coverage, we continue to work on an alternative that will close the gap so that all logging companies that desire WC coverage will be able to obtain cost competitive policies. Finally, as we embark on the next two years of Association leadership, I am committed to developing additional programs and services that continue to enhance the benefits of membership and ultimately grow our membership numbers. As we move forward together, please don’t hesitate to offer your input on any issue affecting the Association and to a broader extent the forest products industry. Curt Hassler Board President “...as we embark on the next two years of Association leadership, I am committed to developing additional programs and services that continue to enhance the benefits of membership and ultimately grow our membership numbers.” M E S S A G E F R OM T H E P R E S I D E N T