Wildfire town hall scheduled for this week
A panel of experts will host a virtual wildfire town hall to discuss rebuilding and insurance.
Posted: Apr 27, 2021 9:43 AM
Posted By: Alicia Rubin
Oregon Insurance Commissioner Andrew Stolfi and Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum will host a statewide virtual wildfire insurance town hall on Thursday, April 29, at noon.
Cleanup is progressing, and the arrival of spring means construction will soon be ramping up for people affected by the Labor Day wildfires.
Stolfi and Rosenblum will be joined by Oregon State University Fire Program Manager Carrie Berger and representatives from the Division of Financial Regulation to discuss insurance claims during the rebuilding process, how to avoid construction scams, and tips to prepare for the 2021 wildfire season.
SALEM â Many parts of the U.S. are facing lumber shortages â and experts say the problem is acute in the West after 2020âs devastating wildfires.
Industry experts say several events led to the lumber shortage: lockdown orders and closures, new safety protocols that slowed production at mills, and a spike in home remodeling while Americans were quarantined followed by a massive wildfire season.
âThe industry is normally like this fine-tuned machine. A lot of events (in 2020) disrupted it,â said Cindy Mitchell, senior director of public affairs at the Washington Forest Protection Association, or WPFA.
Cumming Corp., an international cost consulting firm, said wildfires along the West Coast âhave led to a significant spike in certain material prices.â
Many parts of the U.S. are facing lumber shortages â and experts say the problem is acute in the West after 2020âs devastating wildfires.
Industry experts say several events led to the lumber shortage: lockdown orders and closures, new safety protocols that slowed production at mills and a spike in home remodeling while Americans were quarantined followed by a massive wildfire season.
âThe industry is normally like this fine-tuned machine. A lot of events (in 2020) disrupted it,â said Cindy Mitchell, senior director of public affairs at the Washington Forest Protection Association, or WPFA.
Cumming Corp., an international cost consulting firm, said wildfires along the West Coast âhave led to a significant spike in certain material prices.â
The State of Oregon has reached an agreement with several health insurance companies to continue providing expanded telehealth options through at least June 30, 2021. The agreement follows guidance issued by the Department of Consumer and Business Services and the Oregon Health Authority in late March requiring health insurance plans to provide in-network coverage for multiple telehealth platforms.
In June 2020, the state reached agreement with health insurance companies to continue providing expanded telehealth options, including payment to providers at the same rate as an in-person visit, through Dec. 31. This new agreement means health insurance companies will continue to provide coverage for expanded telehealth services and pay for these services at the rates they established during the COVID-19 pandemic.