Molina Healthcare, Inc.

Managed Care and Health InsuranceFounded 1980- HQ today: Long Beach, California, United States

Founders

Who Founded Molina Healthcare?

C. David Molina · Founded 1980 · HQ today: Long Beach, California, United States

Who founded Molina Healthcare?

Molina Healthcare was founded by C. David Molina in 1980 in Long Beach, California, United States. It is now led by Joseph M. Zubretsky.

Founders: C. David Molina
Founded: 1980
Headquarters: Long Beach, California, United States
Number of founders: 1
Current CEO: Joseph M. Zubretsky (since 2017)

Where was Molina Healthcare founded?: Molina Healthcare was founded in Long Beach, California, United States in 1980. en.wikipedia.org
When was Molina Healthcare founded?: Molina Healthcare was founded in 1980.
Who started Molina Healthcare?: Molina Healthcare was founded by C. David Molina.
How old is Molina Healthcare?: Molina Healthcare is 46 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

Dr. C. David Molina, an emergency physician in Long Beach, opened a clinic in 1980 for low-income patients who had trouble finding doctors willing to accept Medi-Cal. The clinic network later became the base for a health plan that managed government-funded coverage. After his death in 1996, his son Dr. J. Mario Molina led the company, which went public on the NYSE in 2003.

C. David Molina

Co-founder 1980

Background

Emergency room physician in Long Beach, California, who saw low-income patients struggling to find primary care.

Role at Molina Healthcare, Inc.

Dr. C. David Molina founded Molina Healthcare in 1980 by opening a clinic in Long Beach for patients covered by Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program. The clinics became the foundation for a health plan that managed government-funded care. He died in 1996, and his son Dr. J. Mario Molina succeeded him as CEO. C. David Molina was born in 1926.

Molina Healthcare, Inc.: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

Mark Keim

Chief Financial Officer

2018 – Present

Serving as CFO, he steered the massive capital deployment strategy, orchestrating highly strategic acquisitions of smaller, struggling Medicare and Medicaid plans across the US.

Joseph M. Zubretsky

President and Chief Executive Officer

2017 – Present

Took over after the 2017 losses and returned Molina to profit in 2018. Revenue grew from about $19B in 2018 to $45.4B in 2025, though 2025 net income fell to $472M amid medical cost pressure.

J. Mario Molina

President and Chief Executive Officer

1996 – 2017

As the son of the founder, he served as CEO for over two decades, growing a small California clinic network into a massive Fortune 500 managed care behemoth.

C. David Molina

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

1980 – 1996

He built a network of clinics and a health plan for low-income patients. He died in 1996 and his son J. Mario Molina succeeded him.

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Who Founded Molina Healthcare? FAQ

Who founded Molina Healthcare?

Dr. C. David Molina, a Long Beach emergency physician, founded the company in 1980 with a clinic for low-income patients.

Who led Molina after the founder?

After Dr. C. David Molina died in 1996, his son Dr. J. Mario Molina became CEO and took the company public in 2003; his brother John Molina served as CFO.

Is C. David Molina's family still running Molina?

No. The board removed Mario and John Molina in 2017.

What motivated Dr. C. David Molina to start Molina Healthcare?

Working as an emergency department director at Pacific Hospital in Long Beach, Dr. C. David Molina saw Medicaid patients sitting for hours in waiting rooms for simple ear infections, fever, and asthma because private doctors turned them away. Mortgaging his home, he opened storefront clinics staffed by Spanish-speaking nurses, establishing a model that proved compassionate, localized care for the underserved could be sustainable.

How did Dr. C. David Molina finance his first Medicaid clinic in 1980?

Dr. C. David Molina mortgaged his family home to secure the startup capital needed to open his first community medical clinic on Pine Avenue in Long Beach. Facing widespread skepticism from other physicians who claimed treating Medicaid patients was financially impossible, Dr. Molina proved that high-volume, compassionate care could be self-sustaining.

What was the community legacy of the Molina family in Southern California?

Beyond establishing healthcare clinics, the Molina family became prominent philanthropists in Long Beach and Southern California, donating millions to community clinics, medical education, and arts institutions, cementing a reputation for expanding medical access to marginalized immigrant communities.

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Who founded Molina Healthcare?

Founding Story

C. David Molina

Background

Role at Molina Healthcare, Inc.

Molina Healthcare, Inc.: CEO & Leadership History

Keep researching Molina Healthcare

Who Founded Molina Healthcare? FAQ

Who founded Molina Healthcare?

Who led Molina after the founder?

Is C. David Molina's family still running Molina?

What motivated Dr. C. David Molina to start Molina Healthcare?

How did Dr. C. David Molina finance his first Medicaid clinic in 1980?

What was the community legacy of the Molina family in Southern California?

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