Ousted Molina CEO: Insurers want return to pre-ACA exclusions for pre-existing conditions
Supporting the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is one possible explanation J. Mario Molina has for being unexpectedly fired as president and CEO of the managed care company his father founded, Molina Healthcare.
Molina was let go on May 2 along with brother, John, the company’s CFO. The board cited “disappointing financial performance” for the change in leadership, but Molina told POLITICO other factors may have been in play, from his outspoken criticism of ACA replacement efforts to a potential sale of the company to a larger insurer.
“I’m not aware that anyone is trying to acquire the company,” Molina said. “Certainly with John and I out of the way, it would make it easier.”
He didn’t back off from criticisms of current healthcare reform efforts in the interview, even suggesting other health plans are staying quiet because they want to see ACA regulations eliminated.
“They don’t like the health insurance tax and they would like to return to a time when they could exclude people with pre-existing conditions,” Molina said. “For them it would be a good thing to go back to the old way of doing things.”
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John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.