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UHA health rates jump by 7.2%

University Health Alliance, a Honolulu-based health insurance plan with more than 25,000 members, plans to raise its premium rates by 7.2 percent for 2004. In a filing with the state insurance division, UHA also said it intends to raise its drug-plan rates by 15.7 percent and its vision plans by 1.4 percent.

Max Botticelli, UHA chief executive officer, said the increases were kept down by cutting administrative expenses and working with health-care providers to control what he called inappropriate use of health-care services. However, the upward pressure on premiums will continue as long as the use and cost of health-care services keep rising, Botticelli said.

UHA started out serving University of Hawaii personnel. It has grown since its acquisition three years ago of the rights to sign up members of two plans dropped by Queen's Health Systems. UHA had revenues of $50 million last year.

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[ HAWAII INC. ]

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New Jobs

>> Planning, architecture and interior design firm Group 70 International has hired Tanya Iden to work in the planning division. She will be responsible for the preparation of land use permitting applications, master plans and environmental studies for both government projects and private development. She most recently managed five rural community contractors for the Alaska Native Health Board.

Promotions

>> Lahaina-based Media Systems Inc. has hired Greg Primmer of Sydney, Australia, as director of photography and Mike Moser as lead editor. Eryck Quesada has also joined the company as sales administrator.

>> Richard Abe has been promoted to the newly created position of regional residential construction loan production manager at HomeStreet Bank. Abe will oversee single family construction loans as well as all renovation loans in Hawaii. He has been with the bank since 1984, starting as a mortgage loan officer. He was promoted to Hawaii sales manager in 1999.