HMSA announces members’ due uses
HMSA announces members’ due uses
The Hawaii Medical Service Association paid 90.7 percent of the member dues it collected in the second quarter of the year to physicians, hospitals, pharmacies and other health care providers. Of member dues, 8.6 percent covered administrative expenses, leaving HMSA with a net underwriting gain of 0.7 percent for the quarter.
“Every year, we challenge ourselves to make the high-quality health care our members deserve accessible without taxing their already strained budgets,” said Steve Van Ribbink, HMSA executive vice president and chief financial officer. “We do this by emphasizing the importance of preventive care, embracing the latest technology, and supporting the essential relationships between our members and their doctors.”
The underwriting gain of $4.20 million plus a net investment gain of $4.56 million was added to HMSA’s reserve. The reserve protects HMSA members, employers and providers from losses, and is periodically used to fund special health initiatives. At the end of the second quarter, HMSA had 699,771 members and the reserve stood at $431.30 million or $616 per member.
Year to date, HMSA collected $1.23 billion in member dues and paid $1.21 billion in benefits and administrative expenses. In short, 99.1 percent of member dues covered benefits and operating costs. HMSA ended the first six months of this year with a net underwriting gain of 0.9 percent of revenue. This compares to a net underwriting gain of 0.5 percent of revenue for the first six months of last year.
For more information, visit hmsa.com.
Waikoloa restaurant welcomes new chefs
Waikoloa Grill’n Bar has added two chefs to its culinary team, and introduces their fresh new all-day menu at the former Buzz’s Sand Trap in Waikoloa Beach Resort.
Chefs Helgi Olafson and Gabriel Rao will work with seasoned restaurateur Dickie Furtado, who remains at the helm of Waikoloa Grill’n Bar, to offer diners lighter, healthier menu choices, side-by-side with timeless favorites and comfort food from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily.
Olafson attended Scottsdale Culinary Institute and has followed a varied culinary career path over the last 10 years. A food judge on Fox TV’s “Master Chef 3” with Gordon Ramsay, a shipboard chef for Alaska Charters, sushi chef in Scottsdale’s Sushi Roku, Olafson also has experience with Food in Bloom, Vibrant Table Catering in Portland, Ore., and boutique restaurants on the east coast of Florida.
Originally from Oregon, Rao developed a strong appreciation for local ingredients, growing up on his family farm in Eagle Creek. He attended Western Culinary Institute and cooked with many of Portland’s top chefs, such as chef Kenny Giambolvo at Bluehour, chef Kit Zhu at Papa Haydns. He also opened Davis Street Tavern with chef Gabriel Kaputska, served as executive chef of N.W. Natural, and established Black & White Catering Co.
AT&T upgrading
state’s 4G service
AT&T is driving investment and innovation across Hawaii to deliver superior 4G service and the best possible mobile Internet experience.
In the first half of 2012, AT&T invested nearly $19 million in its Hawaii wireless and wired networks. These enhancements include activation of new cell sites or towers to improve network coverage, deploying faster connections to enable 4G speeds, and adding spectrum capacity to support additional traffic.
AT&T network upgrades in Hawaii also include deployment of new wi-fi hot spots and backbone network connections.
For more information about AT&T’s coverage in Hawaii or anywhere in the United States, visit the AT&T Coverage Viewer. For updates on the AT&T wireless network, visit the AT&T network news page.