Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation Organization and Operations Molina Healthcare, Inc. provides quality managed health care to people receiving government assistance. We offer cost-effective Medicaid-related solutions to meet the health care needs of low-income families and individuals, and to assist government agencies in their administration of the Medicaid program. We have three reportable segments. These segments consist of our Health Plans segment, which comprises the vast majority of our operations; our Molina Medicaid Solutions segment; and our Other segment. The Health Plans segment consists of health plans in 12 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and includes our direct delivery business. As of March 31, 2017, these health plans served approximately 4.8 million members eligible for Medicaid, Medicare, and other government-sponsored health care programs for low-income families and individuals. This membership includes Affordable Care Act Marketplace (Marketplace) members, most of whom receive government premium subsidies. The health plans are operated by our respective wholly owned subsidiaries in those states, each of which is licensed as a health maintenance organization (HMO). Our direct delivery business consists primarily of the operation of primary care clinics in several states in which we operate. Our health plans’ state Medicaid contracts generally have terms of three to four years. These contracts typically contain renewal options exercisable by the state Medicaid agency, and allow either the state or the health plan to terminate the contract with or without cause. Our health plan subsidiaries have generally been successful in retaining their contracts, but such contracts are subject to risk of loss when a state issues a new request for proposal (RFP) open to competitive bidding by other health plans. If one of our health plans is not a successful responsive bidder to a state RFP, its contract may be subject to non-renewal. In addition to contract renewal, our state Medicaid contracts may be periodically amended to include or exclude certain health benefits (such as pharmacy services, behavioral health services, or long-term care services); populations such as the aged, blind or disabled (ABD); and regions or service areas. The Molina Medicaid Solutions segment provides support to state government agencies in the administration of their Medicaid programs, including business processing, information technology development and administrative services. The Other segment includes primarily our Pathways behavioral health and social services provider, and corporate amounts not allocated to other reportable segments. Health Plans Segment Recent Developments Proposed Medicare Acquisition. In August 2016, we entered into agreements with each of Aetna Inc. and Humana Inc. to acquire certain membership and assets related to their Medicare Advantage business (the Proposed Medicare Acquisition). The Proposed Medicare Acquisition was subject to closing conditions including the completion of the proposed acquisition of Humana by Aetna (the Aetna-Humana Merger). In January 2017, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted the request made by the U.S. Department of Justice in its civil antitrust lawsuit against Aetna and Humana, to prohibit the Aetna-Humana Merger. In February 2017, the Proposed Medicare Acquisition was terminated by the parties pursuant to the terms of the transaction. Under the termination agreement, we received an aggregate termination fee of $75 million from Aetna and Humana in the first quarter of 2017, which was recorded as other income. New York Health Plan. On August 1, 2016, we closed on our acquisition of the outstanding equity interests of Today’s Options of New York, Inc., which now operates as Molina Healthcare of New York, Inc. The purchase price allocation was completed, and the final purchase price adjustments were recorded in the first quarter of 2017. Such adjustments were insignificant, and the final purchase price was $38 million. Consolidation and Interim Financial Information The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Molina Healthcare, Inc., its subsidiaries, and variable interest entities (VIEs) in which Molina Healthcare, Inc. is considered to be the primary beneficiary. Such VIEs are insignificant to our consolidated financial position and results of operations. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results as of the date and for the interim periods presented have been included; such adjustments consist of normal recurring adjustments. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. The consolidated results of operations for the current interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire year ending December 31, 2017. The unaudited consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared under the assumption that users of the interim financial data have either read or have access to our audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016. Accordingly, certain disclosures that would substantially duplicate the disclosures contained in the December 31, 2016 audited consolidated financial statements have been omitted. These unaudited consolidated interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with our December 31, 2016 audited consolidated financial statements.

Basis of Presentation

Organization and Operations

Molina Healthcare, Inc. provides quality managed health care to people receiving government assistance. We offer cost-effective Medicaid-related solutions to meet the health care needs of low-income families and individuals, and to assist government agencies in their administration of the Medicaid program. We have three reportable segments. These segments consist of our Health Plans segment, which comprises the vast majority of our operations; our Molina Medicaid Solutions segment; and our Other segment.

The Health Plans segment consists of health plans in 12 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and includes our direct delivery business. As of March 31, 2017, these health plans served approximately 4.8 million members eligible for Medicaid, Medicare, and other government-sponsored health care programs for low-income families and individuals. This membership includes Affordable Care Act Marketplace (Marketplace) members, most of whom receive government premium subsidies. The health plans are operated by our respective wholly owned subsidiaries in those states, each of which is licensed as a health maintenance organization (HMO). Our direct delivery business consists primarily of the operation of primary care clinics in several states in which we operate.

Our health plans’ state Medicaid contracts generally have terms of three to four years. These contracts typically contain renewal options exercisable by the state Medicaid agency, and allow either the state or the health plan to terminate the contract with or without cause. Our health plan subsidiaries have generally been successful in retaining their contracts, but such contracts are subject to risk of loss when a state issues a new request for proposal (RFP) open to competitive bidding by other health plans. If one of our health plans is not a successful responsive bidder to a state RFP, its contract may be subject to non-renewal.

In addition to contract renewal, our state Medicaid contracts may be periodically amended to include or exclude certain health benefits (such as pharmacy services, behavioral health services, or long-term care services); populations such as the aged, blind or disabled (ABD); and regions or service areas.

The Molina Medicaid Solutions segment provides support to state government agencies in the administration of their Medicaid programs, including business processing, information technology development and administrative services.

The Other segment includes primarily our Pathways behavioral health and social services provider, and corporate amounts not allocated to other reportable segments.

Health Plans Segment Recent Developments

Proposed Medicare Acquisition. In August 2016, we entered into agreements with each of Aetna Inc. and Humana Inc. to acquire certain membership and assets related to their Medicare Advantage business (the Proposed Medicare Acquisition). The Proposed Medicare Acquisition was subject to closing conditions including the completion of the proposed acquisition of Humana by Aetna (the Aetna-Humana Merger). In January 2017, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted the request made by the U.S. Department of Justice in its civil antitrust lawsuit against Aetna and Humana, to prohibit the Aetna-Humana Merger. In February 2017, the Proposed Medicare Acquisition was terminated by the parties pursuant to the terms of the transaction. Under the termination agreement, we received an aggregate termination fee of $75 million from Aetna and Humana in the first quarter of 2017, which was recorded as other income.

New York Health Plan. On August 1, 2016, we closed on our acquisition of the outstanding equity interests of Today’s Options of New York, Inc., which now operates as Molina Healthcare of New York, Inc. The purchase price allocation was completed, and the final purchase price adjustments were recorded in the first quarter of 2017. Such adjustments were insignificant, and the final purchase price was $38 million.

Consolidation and Interim Financial Information

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Molina Healthcare, Inc., its subsidiaries, and variable interest entities (VIEs) in which Molina Healthcare, Inc. is considered to be the primary beneficiary. Such VIEs are insignificant to our consolidated financial position and results of operations. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results as of the date and for the interim periods presented have been included; such adjustments consist of normal recurring adjustments. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. The consolidated results of operations for the current interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire year ending December 31, 2017.

The unaudited consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared under the assumption that users of the interim financial data have either read or have access to our audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016. Accordingly, certain disclosures that would substantially duplicate the disclosures contained in the December 31, 2016 audited consolidated financial statements have been omitted. These unaudited consolidated interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with our December 31, 2016 audited consolidated financial statements.