Molina Healthcare is one of the best health insurance companies, and is our top pick for wellness, offering policies to the residents of 15 U.S. states: California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. It insures around 3.5 million people across America.
It employs over 20,000 people worldwide and has an annual revenue of around $20billion. The company was founded in California in 1980 by Dr David Molina with the aim of providing healthcare to underserved communities such as Hispanic and immigrant communities, looking to provide them with affordable, quality healthcare services rather than these families using the emergency room for general healthcare services.
Within the states where it operates, Molina’s preferred provider network encompasses around a million participating physicians and institutions.
Molina is generally highly regarded by its customers in the states where the company is active, with premiums priced below average and a comprehensive range of services and benefits. However, as with all health insurance providers, experiences can differ regionally and locally, and so it pays to research the options within a specific area for potential new customers.
Most customers will begin the quotation process at Molina's central website, which gives a clear overview of its services and products, and links potential customers to their regional and state-specific providers. The quotation and claims processes stand was comparable to its peers in terms of clarity and straightforward language.
Not in a state in which Molina operates? Try one of our other health insurance provider picks like National General and UnitedHealthcare.
Molina review: How much does it cost?
- Policies quoted were lower than average for the coverage it offered
- Easy-to-understand comparison within the menu of services it offers
- Website and app were both as user-friendly as any on the market
Sample quote for family: A man and a woman aged 35 with two kids aged 3 and 7: $1,070/month
Sample quote for a married couple: Aged 45-50, no pre-existing conditions: $695/month
Sample quote for an individual man or woman: Aged 45-50, no pre-existing conditions: $420/month
Quotes for health insurance policies vary dramatically depending on requirements and geographic locations, but overall, quotes for Molina were lower than the average price of its competitors.
Molina offers an easy-to-understand comparison within the menu of services it offers, and it was clear from its online literature what potential customers could expect for their premiums. Some of the plans are bundled into Minimum, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum plans, with various options within those levels as well.
Both the website and mobile app, Molina HealthinHand were both straightforward and as user-friendly as any on the market.
Molina review: Products
- Individual and Family Health Insurance
- Dental and Vision Insurance
- Nationwide Pharmacy Plans
- Medicare, Medicaid and dual option plans
Molina health insurance plans are widely accepted at hospitals and doctor's offices across their coverage regions and states. Coverage options range largely across the Medicare and Medicaid range, with state-specific variations (such as Medical for California, for instance) and also a dual option Medicare/Medicaid plan called Mediconnect. Molina dental and vision insurance policies include access to a network of approved dentists across their serviced regions.
Molina Members can enjoy access to various resources when they enroll through the website, including eligibility status, covered benefits, viewing the real-time status of any claims made as well as any personal health records. Members can also of course view and pay any bills online.
Molina offers various healthcare packages from the open marketplaces that operate within the HMO network. Even within these levels there are various options – for instance, the Silver level has four options within it, with varying co-pays, deductibles, etc, depending on the requirements of the customer. The Gold and Platinum plans both have zero deductibles.
The Minimum Coverage plan is what’s known as a catastrophic plan where all care is paid out of pocket until the deductible is met, at which point coverage kicks in at 100%.
Molina review: Clinics, wellness plans and support
- Operates a number of physical clinics and health centers
- Offers discounted memberships to various wellness programs
- Runs a smoking cessation program
Molina operates a number of physical clinics and health centers in the states where it operates. It also offers discounted memberships to various wellness programs. For instance, Molina will enroll interested and eligible members into a local Weight Watchers program and provide free vouchers for up to six sessions. It also runs a smoking cessation program and will mail a quit-smoking pack to eligible members and provide access to a smoking cessation counselor.
In some states, Molina operates a dual-option health insurance policy that coordinates the care required so that customers receive both Medicare and MediCal (in California, for example) benefits through a single plan.
Molina review: Usability and user reviews
- Online healthcare portal is clear, concise and intuitive
- Customers are given a good range of policy options
Molina’s online healthcare portal is clear, concise and intuitive. It has pages and section separated by state so that customers can easily see which services and providers are available to them no matter where they live within the network. Customers are given a good range of policy options when submitting a query for a quote, whether it’s within the Medicaid or open-market arenas.
Unsurprisingly, quotes do require a certain amount of personal information to be submitted, but this is nothing more than the industry standard. Its resources are easy to navigate and its mobile application, Molina HealthinHand, is also very simple to use.
Should I choose Molina?
Molina performs well in the states in which it is available and is a popular choice, especially for lower-income families and individual customers. It may have moved away slightly from the altruistic goals of its founder, but it remains a good-value provider with lower than average quotes. The lack of complete nationwide coverage could be a drawback for some people, but it has a good selection of plans at reasonable rates.
As well as our guide to the best health insurance companies, we also look at how to choose a health insurance plan. You might also want to look at something more specific when it comes to health cover, in which case you'll find our guides to the best dental insurance and best vision insurance useful. Looking further ahead and we rate the best life insurance options and best Medicare Part D plans.
