Insurance Coverage Dwindles for Paper Mill Employees

Hoquiam, WA - According to Hoquiam Mayor Jack Durney, also of Durney Insurance, health coverage for the 240 employees of Grays Harbor Paper affected by the recently announced closure will end tomorrow evening. Durney said recently "the medical insurance for the employees of Grays Harbor Paper Company, we understand, is ending at the end of this month.  I believe this also applies to those on a COBRA plan as we have gotten calls from retirees who have told us that."

Durney said Monica Ewing who manages the benefits department at Durney Insurance handles more group and individual medical insurance than anyone in the county.  She is very familiar with the options available to GHP families and has been taking calls from them the past couple of days and getting their new insurance going.

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According to Durney, there are some definite timeframes to keep in mind:  They must have an application in by May 31st at 5PM to have no gap in coverage.  There is a 90 day window to avoid underwriting and still have guaranteed acceptance, a 63 day window to still get credit for the 9 month pre-existing condition waiting period, and only a 31 day window to get children insured.  Timeframes begin with the date of coverage loss:  May 31st.

Monica’s phone number is 532-0905 (x-107 if you get our voice mail) and she is happy to answer questions.  Medical insurance is an EXTREMELY complex topic and she is a true expert.