Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies California Medicaid Expansion Risk Corridor In October 2018, we entered into contract amendments with the California Department of Health Care Services that retroactively reinstated the Medicaid Expansion risk corridor requirement for the state fiscal year ended June 2017. This risk corridor mandates a minimum medical loss ratio (MLR) of 85% and a maximum MLR of 95%. The estimated impact of such requirement resulted in a reduction to 2016 and 2017 premium revenue totaling approximately $57 million, which we recognized in the quarter ended September 30, 2018. Regulatory Capital Requirements and Dividend Restrictions Our health plans are subject to state laws and regulations that, among other things, require the maintenance of minimum levels of statutory capital, as defined by each state. Regulators in some states may also attempt to enforce capital requirements that require the retention of net worth in excess of amounts formally required by statute or regulation. Such statutes, regulations, and informal capital requirements also restrict the timing, payment, and amount of dividends and other distributions that may be paid to us as the sole stockholder. To the extent our subsidiaries must comply with these regulations, they may not have the financial flexibility to transfer funds to us. Based on current statutes and regulations, the net assets in these subsidiaries (after intercompany eliminations) which may not be transferable to us in the form of loans, advances, or cash dividends was approximately $2,041 million at September 30, 2018, and $1,691 million at December 31, 2017. Because of the statutory restrictions that inhibit the ability of our health plans to transfer net assets to us, the amount of retained earnings readily available to pay dividends to our stockholders is generally limited to cash, cash equivalents and investments held by the parent company—Molina Healthcare, Inc. As of September 30, 2018, our health plans had aggregate statutory capital and surplus of approximately $2,125 million compared with the estimated required minimum aggregate statutory capital and surplus of approximately $1,138 million. All of our health plans were in compliance with the minimum capital requirements at September 30, 2018. We have the ability, and have committed to provide, additional capital to each of our health plans as necessary to ensure compliance with statutory capital and surplus requirements. Legal Proceedings The health care industry is subject to numerous laws and regulations of federal, state, and local governments. Penalties associated with violations of these laws and regulations include significant fines, exclusion from participating in publicly funded programs, and the repayment of previously collected revenues. In the ordinary course of business we are involved in legal actions, some of which seek monetary damages, including claims for punitive damages, which are not covered by insurance. We have accrued liabilities for certain matters for which we deem the loss to be both probable and reasonably estimable, but the outcome of legal actions is inherently uncertain and our estimates of such losses could change as a result of further developments of these matters. For certain pending matters, accruals have not been established because such matters have not progressed sufficiently through discovery or factual development to enable us to reasonably estimate a range of possible loss. An adverse determination in one or more of these pending matters could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. Steamfitters Local 449 Pension Plan v. Molina Healthcare, Inc., et al. On October 5, 2018, the Steamfitters Local 449 Pension Plan filed its first amended class action securities complaint in the Central District Court of California against the Company and its former executive officers, J. Mario Molina, John C. Molina, Terry P. Bayer, and Rick Hopfer, Case 2:18-cv-03579. The amended complaint purports to seek recovery on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased Molina common stock between October 31, 2014, and August 2, 2017, for alleged violations under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. The plaintiff alleges the defendants misled investors regarding the scalability of the Company’s administrative infrastructure during the identified class period. The Company believes it has meritorious defenses to the alleged claims and intends to defend the matter vigorously. States’ Budgets Nearly all of our premium revenues come from the joint federal and state funding of the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) programs. The states and Commonwealth in which we operate our health plans regularly face significant budgetary pressures.

Commitments and Contingencies

California Medicaid Expansion Risk Corridor

In October 2018, we entered into contract amendments with the California Department of Health Care Services that retroactively reinstated the Medicaid Expansion risk corridor requirement for the state fiscal year ended June 2017. This risk corridor mandates a minimum medical loss ratio (MLR) of 85% and a maximum MLR of 95%. The estimated impact of such requirement resulted in a reduction to 2016 and 2017 premium revenue totaling approximately $57 million, which we recognized in the quarter ended September 30, 2018.

Regulatory Capital Requirements and Dividend Restrictions

Our health plans are subject to state laws and regulations that, among other things, require the maintenance of minimum levels of statutory capital, as defined by each state. Regulators in some states may also attempt to enforce capital requirements that require the retention of net worth in excess of amounts formally required by statute or regulation. Such statutes, regulations, and informal capital requirements also restrict the timing, payment, and amount of dividends and other distributions that may be paid to us as the sole stockholder. To the extent our subsidiaries must comply with these regulations, they may not have the financial flexibility to transfer funds to us. Based on current statutes and regulations, the net assets in these subsidiaries (after intercompany eliminations) which may not be transferable to us in the form of loans, advances, or cash dividends was approximately $2,041 million at September 30, 2018, and $1,691 million at December 31, 2017. Because of the statutory restrictions that inhibit the ability of our health plans to transfer net assets to us, the amount of retained earnings readily available to pay dividends to our stockholders is generally limited to cash, cash equivalents and investments held by the parent company—Molina Healthcare, Inc.

As of September 30, 2018, our health plans had aggregate statutory capital and surplus of approximately $2,125 million compared with the estimated required minimum aggregate statutory capital and surplus of approximately $1,138 million. All of our health plans were in compliance with the minimum capital requirements at September 30, 2018. We have the ability, and have committed to provide, additional capital to each of our health plans as necessary to ensure compliance with statutory capital and surplus requirements.

Legal Proceedings

The health care industry is subject to numerous laws and regulations of federal, state, and local governments. Penalties associated with violations of these laws and regulations include significant fines, exclusion from participating in publicly funded programs, and the repayment of previously collected revenues.

In the ordinary course of business we are involved in legal actions, some of which seek monetary damages, including claims for punitive damages, which are not covered by insurance. We have accrued liabilities for certain matters for which we deem the loss to be both probable and reasonably estimable, but the outcome of legal actions is inherently uncertain and our estimates of such losses could change as a result of further developments of these matters. For certain pending matters, accruals have not been established because such matters have not progressed sufficiently through discovery or factual development to enable us to reasonably estimate a range of possible loss. An adverse determination in one or more of these pending matters could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

Steamfitters Local 449 Pension Plan v. Molina Healthcare, Inc., et al. On October 5, 2018, the Steamfitters Local 449 Pension Plan filed its first amended class action securities complaint in the Central District Court of California against the Company and its former executive officers, J. Mario Molina, John C. Molina, Terry P. Bayer, and Rick Hopfer, Case 2:18-cv-03579. The amended complaint purports to seek recovery on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased Molina common stock between October 31, 2014, and August 2, 2017, for alleged violations under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. The plaintiff alleges the defendants misled investors regarding the scalability of the Company’s administrative infrastructure during the identified class period. The Company believes it has meritorious defenses to the alleged claims and intends to defend the matter vigorously.

States’ Budgets

Nearly all of our premium revenues come from the joint federal and state funding of the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) programs. The states and Commonwealth in which we operate our health plans regularly face significant budgetary pressures.