BUSINESS BRIEFS
State tax revenues down 6.4%
Advertiser Staff
State tax revenues fell 6.4 percent through the first eight months of the fiscal year compared with the same period a year earlier, according to the state Department of Taxation.
The state said it brought in $285.8 million in March, including $203.1 million in general excise and use taxes, $20 million in hotel room taxes, $52.2 million in individual income taxes and $1.6 million in corporate income taxes.
Total state revenue for the first five months of the fiscal year was $2.89 billion, compared with $3.08 billion for the same period last year. The fiscal year ends June 30.
Declining revenues have prompted Gov. Linda Lingle to make new recommendations to lawmakers on how to close a budget shortfall facing the state.
QUEEN'S TO CARE FOR HUMANA MEMBERS
The Queen's Medical Center will provide in-network medical care to members of Humana's ChoicePPO Medicare Advantage Plan under a long-term participating hospital agreement announced yesterday.Members of Humana's ChoicePPO Medicare Advantage Plan will have in-network benefit access to all inpatient, outpatient and emergency services at The Queen's Medical Center, the largest private hospital in the state.
Since 2006, Humana's Medicare Advantage products in Hawai'i have included a private-fee-for-service plan and stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plans. In January 2009, Humana launched a Medicare Advantage preferred provider organization plan in Hawai'i.
"We look forward to working with Humana to meet the needs of their members through our comprehensive range of primary and specialized care services," said Arthur Ushijima, president of The Queen's Medical Center. "This agreement gives many retirees in our community additional plan options to access our healthcare services."
ISLE FIRM STARTING LATEST FILM PROJECT
Hawaii Film Partners on Monday will begin shooting its latest motion picture here titled "You May Not Kiss the Bride."Rob Hedden is directing the film based on his original screenplay. The "romantic adventure comedy" is set in Chicago and Tahiti and filmed in Hawai'i, according to a news release from the production company.
Hawaii Film Partners was founded by Rann and Gina Watumull in 2002 with the goal of helping build an indigenous film industry in Hawai'i.
The studio's productions include Discovery Kids' "Flight 29 Down," 38 two-minute animated episodes of "Ape Escape" for NickToons, and an original animated television series called "Guardians of the Power Masks."
