Only 8,802 people signed up on Hawaii’s Obamacare exchange as of June 30, the federal government said Tuesday in a report, with 61.4 percent, or 5,404, of those enrolled receiving tax credits. Residents received an average federal tax credit of $195 when purchasing coverage through the Hawaii Health Connector.

However, Jeff Kissel, the Connector’s executive director, said total enrollment on the exchange is actually 35,600. The numbers the feds are reporting are inaccurate because they don’t include enrollment from the state’s largest health insurer, Hawaii Medical Service Association, he said.

“The records are not fully reconciled with HMSA” because of the insurer’s significant delay in reporting, he said.

Overall about 9.9 million people have signed up and paid for health insurance under President Barack Obama’s health care law, the administration said, a slight dip from a previous count but on track toward the administration’s year-end goal of 9.1 million.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said that 84 percent of those, or more than 8.3 million, were receiving tax subsidies to help with the cost. A Supreme Court decision earlier this summer upheld insurance subsidies in all 50 states, a major victory for the White House.

The report was the first update since June on how the health care law’s insurance markets are performing in all 50 states. Enrollment shifts are to be expected as people cancel coverage or newly enroll as their circumstances change. A previous report had put the number at 10.2 million as of the end of March.

Hawaiian Air passenger traffic up 5.2%

Hawaiian Airlines’ passenger traffic rose 5.2 percent in August even though a smaller percentage of seats was filled.

The state’s largest carrier said Tuesday it transported 976,188 people compared with 928,008 in the year-earlier period. Hawaiian’s load factor, or percentage of seats filled, slipped 1.6 percentage points to 83.2 percent from 84.8 percent.

Revenue passenger miles, or one paying passenger transported one mile, rose 1.9 percent to 1.34 million from 1.31 million. Available seat miles, or one seat transported one mile, increased 3.9 percent to 1.61 million from 1.55 million.

Honolulu-bound Pasha ship breaks down

A Pasha container ship headed to Honolulu from Los Angeles will have to be towed about 2,000 miles to Hawaii after breaking down one day into its journey.

The ocean cargo transportation firm informed customers that one of its ships, the Spirit, encountered a problem with its propeller Sunday about 430 miles off California. The ship is anticipated to arrive in Honolulu via tugboat Sept. 22 based on a preliminary estimate.

The Los Angeles-Honolulu trip typically takes four days.

Pasha apologized for the delay to affected customers, and said it will shift a ship from another route next week to provide a weekly departure from Los Angeles to Honolulu following two normal departures this week by other vessels.

“We are making every effort to minimize negative impacts to our scheduled pro formas and will keep you apprised as our recovery plans evolve,” Anthony Kim, a Pasha representative, said in a service bulletin email that was forwarded to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Kim could not be reached for additional comment Tuesday.

The service bulletin said the Spirit, which is one of four ships Pasha acquired earlier this year from Horizon Lines, will be repaired in Hawaii after its cargo is unloaded.

American Savings plans curling fundraiser

American Savings Bank will host its third annual Hawaii Curling Club fundraiser from 3 to 10 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Ice Palace. This year’s beneficiary is Ka Pa‘alana Homeless Family Program.

Curling Olympians Jessica Schultz and Shawn Rojeski, a 2006 bronze medalist, will participate in the event. The fundraiser is an invitation-only event and is sold out.

ON THE MOVE

Servco Pacific has hired Patricia “Patti” Hoe as assistant controller. Her responsibilities are to oversee a staff of 26 team members that make up Servco’s Financial Services and Accounting division, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll and the general ledger departments.

Hawaiian Airlines has appointed Timothy Somerset as director of facilities management. He has more than 25 years of pre-construction and construction management expertise, including serving as director at Cumming Corp. Hawaii and director of pre-construction and estimating at WEST Builders.

Hale Kipa has announced that Gerry Labiste is its communications manager. He has 30 years of business experience, including as a freelance graphic designer as well as a technical support manager with a business forms printing company in Honolulu and as a systems consultant in Hawaii and California.