Variable Interest Entities (VIEs)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Variable Interest Entities (VIEs)	Variable Interest Entities (VIEs) Joseph M. Molina M.D., Professional Corporations The Joseph M. Molina, M.D. Professional Corporations (JMMPC) were created to further advance our direct delivery business. JMMPC’s primary shareholder is Dr. J. Mario Molina, our chief executive officer, president, and chairman of the board of directors. Dr. Molina is paid no salary and receives no dividends in connection with his work for, or ownership of, JMMPC. JMMPC provides primary care medical services through its employed physicians and other medical professionals. JMMPC also provides certain specialty referral services to our California health plan members through a contracted provider network. Substantially all of the individuals served by JMMPC are members of our health plans. JMMPC does not have agreements to provide professional medical services with any other entities. Our wholly owned subsidiary, Molina Medical Management, Inc. (MMM), has entered into services agreements with JMMPC to provide clinic facilities, clinic administrative support staff, patient scheduling services and medical supplies to JMMPC. The services agreements were designed such that JMMPC will operate at break even, ensuring the availability of quality care and access for our health plan members. The services agreements provide that the administrative fees charged to JMMPC by MMM are reviewed annually to assure the achievement of this goal. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, JMMPC paid $55 million, $69 million and $11 million, respectively, to MMM for clinic administrative services provided by MMM to JMMPC. Separately, our California, Florida, New Mexico, Utah and Washington health plans have entered into primary care services agreements with JMMPC. These agreements direct our health plans to either fund JMMPC’s operating deficits, or receive JMMPC’s operating surpluses, such that JMMPC will derive no profit or loss. Because the MMM services agreements described above mitigate the likelihood of significant operating deficits or surpluses, such amounts either paid to JMMPC or received by the health plans are generally insignificant. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, our health plans paid $122 million, $117 million and $32 million, respectively, to JMMPC for health care services provided by JMMPC to the health plans’ members. We have determined that JMMPC is a VIE, and that we are its primary beneficiary. We have reached this conclusion under the power and benefits criterion model according to GAAP. Specifically, we have the power to direct the activities (excluding clinical decisions) that most significantly affect JMMPC’s economic performance, and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that are potentially significant to the VIE, under the agreements described above. Because we are its primary beneficiary, we have consolidated JMMPC. JMMPC’s assets may be used to settle only JMMPC’s obligations, and JMMPC’s creditors have no recourse to the general credit of Molina Healthcare, Inc. As of December 31, 2016, JMMPC had total assets of $18 million, and total liabilities of $18 million. As of December 31, 2015, JMMPC had total assets of $17 million, and total liabilities of $17 million. Our maximum exposure to loss as a result of our involvement with JMMPC is generally limited to the amounts needed to fund JMMPC’s ongoing payroll, employee benefits and medical care costs associated with JMMPC’s specialty referral activities. We believe that such loss exposures will be insignificant to our consolidated operating results and cash flows for the foreseeable future. New Markets Tax Credit In 2011, our New Mexico data center subsidiary entered into a financing transaction with Wells Fargo Community Investment Holdings, LLC (Wells Fargo), its wholly owned subsidiary New Mexico Healthcare Data Center Investment Fund, LLC (Investment Fund), and certain of Wells Fargo’s affiliated Community Development Entities (CDEs), in connection with our participation in the federal government’s New Markets Tax Credit Program (NMTC). The credit amounts to 39% of the original investment amount and is claimed over a period of seven years (five percent for each of the first three years, and six percent for each of the remaining four years). The investment in the CDE cannot be redeemed before the end of the seven-year period. As a result of a series of simultaneous financing transactions, Wells Fargo contributed capital of $6 million to the Investment Fund, and Molina Healthcare, Inc. loaned the principal amount of $16 million to the Investment Fund. The Investment Fund then contributed the proceeds to certain CDEs, which, in turn, loaned the proceeds of $21 million to our New Mexico data center subsidiary. We have determined that the financing arrangement with Investment Fund and CDEs is a VIE, that we are the primary beneficiary of the VIE, and we have included it in our consolidated financial statements. Wells Fargo’s contribution of $6 million is included in cash at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 and the offsetting amount of Wells Fargo’s interest in the financing arrangement is included in other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Variable Interest Entities (VIEs)

Joseph M. Molina M.D., Professional Corporations

The Joseph M. Molina, M.D. Professional Corporations (JMMPC) were created to further advance our direct delivery business. JMMPC’s primary shareholder is Dr. J. Mario Molina, our chief executive officer, president, and chairman of the board of directors. Dr. Molina is paid no salary and receives no dividends in connection with his work for, or ownership of, JMMPC. JMMPC provides primary care medical services through its employed physicians and other medical professionals. JMMPC also provides certain specialty referral services to our California health plan members through a contracted provider network. Substantially all of the individuals served by JMMPC are members of our health plans. JMMPC does not have agreements to provide professional medical services with any other entities.

Our wholly owned subsidiary, Molina Medical Management, Inc. (MMM), has entered into services agreements with JMMPC to provide clinic facilities, clinic administrative support staff, patient scheduling services and medical supplies to JMMPC. The services agreements were designed such that JMMPC will operate at break even, ensuring the availability of quality care and access for our health plan members. The services agreements provide that the administrative fees charged to JMMPC by MMM are reviewed annually to assure the achievement of this goal. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, JMMPC paid $55 million, $69 million and $11 million, respectively, to MMM for clinic administrative services provided by MMM to JMMPC.

Separately, our California, Florida, New Mexico, Utah and Washington health plans have entered into primary care services agreements with JMMPC. These agreements direct our health plans to either fund JMMPC’s operating deficits, or receive JMMPC’s operating surpluses, such that JMMPC will derive no profit or loss. Because the MMM services agreements described above mitigate the likelihood of significant operating deficits or surpluses, such amounts either paid to JMMPC or received by the health plans are generally insignificant. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, our health plans paid $122 million, $117 million and $32 million, respectively, to JMMPC for health care services provided by JMMPC to the health plans’ members.

We have determined that JMMPC is a VIE, and that we are its primary beneficiary. We have reached this conclusion under the power and benefits criterion model according to GAAP. Specifically, we have the power to direct the activities (excluding clinical decisions) that most significantly affect JMMPC’s economic performance, and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that are potentially significant to the VIE, under the agreements described above. Because we are its primary beneficiary, we have consolidated JMMPC. JMMPC’s assets may be used to settle only JMMPC’s obligations, and JMMPC’s creditors have no recourse to the general credit of Molina Healthcare, Inc. As of December 31, 2016, JMMPC had total assets of $18 million, and total liabilities of $18 million. As of December 31, 2015, JMMPC had total assets of $17 million, and total liabilities of $17 million.

Our maximum exposure to loss as a result of our involvement with JMMPC is generally limited to the amounts needed to fund JMMPC’s ongoing payroll, employee benefits and medical care costs associated with JMMPC’s specialty referral activities. We believe that such loss exposures will be insignificant to our consolidated operating results and cash flows for the foreseeable future.

New Markets Tax Credit

In 2011, our New Mexico data center subsidiary entered into a financing transaction with Wells Fargo Community Investment Holdings, LLC (Wells Fargo), its wholly owned subsidiary New Mexico Healthcare Data Center Investment Fund, LLC (Investment Fund), and certain of Wells Fargo’s affiliated Community Development Entities (CDEs), in connection with our participation in the federal government’s New Markets Tax Credit Program (NMTC). The credit amounts to 39% of the original investment amount and is claimed over a period of seven years (five percent for each of the first three years, and six percent for each of the remaining four years). The investment in the CDE cannot be redeemed before the end of the seven-year period.

As a result of a series of simultaneous financing transactions, Wells Fargo contributed capital of $6 million to the Investment Fund, and Molina Healthcare, Inc. loaned the principal amount of $16 million to the Investment Fund. The Investment Fund then contributed the proceeds to certain CDEs, which, in turn, loaned the proceeds of $21 million to our New Mexico data center subsidiary.

We have determined that the financing arrangement with Investment Fund and CDEs is a VIE, that we are the primary beneficiary of the VIE, and we have included it in our consolidated financial statements. Wells Fargo’s contribution of $6 million is included in cash at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 and the offsetting amount of Wells Fargo’s interest in the financing arrangement is included in other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.