State assigns contracts for Medicaid

The Department of Human Services Med-QUEST Division has awarded health care contracts for the state’s Medicaid programs for low-income residents to HMSA QUEST, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, AlohaCare, ‘Ohana Health Plan and United HealthCare Community Plan.

HMSA QUEST, Kaiser and AlohaCare are existing QUEST plan providers.

Each of the health plans, except for Kaiser, will provide QUEST services statewide. Kaiser will service only Oahu and Maui.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie said the new contracts will "improve upon an important safety net for Hawaii."

"Facilitating access, expanding and tailoring options, and incentivizing providers’ use of record and management technology for better efficiency are all important steps toward the health care transformation we need in Hawaii," Abercrombie said.

QUEST serves nondisabled children and pregnant women and adults younger than 65 years old.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Tot left alone in tub, woman says of death

WAIMEA, Hawaii » The wife of the Hawaii island man charged with manslaughter in the death of his 3-year-old niece says he was giving the girl a bath and left, then returned to find her "partially submerged" and making a "gurgling" sound.

Ezekiel Wakinekona is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail in connection with the death Sunday of Marley Makanani, who was living with him in Waimea.

West Hawaii Today reported that his wife, Kahealani Wakine-kona, testified at his preliminary hearing Thursday that they tried to drive her to a hospital but stopped at a fire station when the girl stopped breathing.

Emergency Services Director Jerry Goldberg testified Marley Makanani had injuries including bruises all over her body, a burn with blisters on her chest and a cut on her groin area.

Alleged robbers arrested, held in store heist

Hawaii County police are crediting the public for helping to identify two men wanted in connection with a store robbery in Holualoa.

A 22-year-old Kailua-Kona man was arrested at 1:45 p.m. Thursday on suspicion of two counts of first-degree robbery. The second offense was a Jan. 5 robbery at Kaloko Business Center V in Kona.

At Keauhou Store on Jan. 12, a man took cash from the register while a second man acted as a lookout in front of the store, and a female cashier sustained minor injuries.

Roger Rasmussen of Kailua-Kona was charged in connection with his alleged role as the lookout.

The second suspect was found Thursday at an apartment complex in Kona. He ran but was found about 45 minutes later, hiding in bushes.