Molina vs. Aetna Insurance

Which health insurance company is the best option for you and your family? Compare Molina and Aetna side by side.

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Molina vs. Aetna: What You Need to Know

Molina Healthcare was founded in 1980 by C. David Molina, an emergency room physician in Long Beach, CA. After seeing that patients were being turned away because the hospital would not accept Medi-Cal, he established his first primary care clinic in Wilmington, California in 1980. His goal was to treat the lowest-income patients. For 20 years, his son and fellow physician, J. Mario Molina, ran the company while he served as president and CEO. His younger son, John, was the CFO of Molina Healthcare. The two sons took over the company after their father’s death in 1996.

In 1850, Aetna Insurance Company created a fund to sell life insurance. In 1953 the life and health divisions of Aetna separated. The company’s first president was Eliphalet A. Bulkeley. The name “Aetna” was taken from an 11,000-foot volcano in Sicily, Italy, which was also the most active volcano in Europe.

To learn more about each company, you can check out the Molina Overview and Aetna Overview.

What is Molina and Aetna Insurance Rating?

Which health insurance company is better? We've made it easy to compare companies side by side. See how Molina and Aetna ranked among the industry ratings.

Comparison Molina Aetna
Year Founded 1980 1853
Medicare Star Rating 3.5 stars (out of 5)  
BBB Rating F A+
NAIC Complaint Index   6.27 for individual health insurance
Market Share Percentage   4.53%
Financial Strength   Excellent

Pros & Cons of Molina or Aetna

Pros

Molina
  • Affordable coverage for underserved communities, like Medicaid and Medicare recipients.
  • Affordable marketplace plans for people who do not qualify for Medicaid or Medicare.
  • Popular mobile app makes it easy to stay on top of your account.
Aetna
  • Aetna is one of the largest insurance carriers and has a vast network of providers.

Cons

Molina
  • Molina Healthcare only offers Medicaid plans in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Aetna
  • It’s not very easy to buy Aetna Insurance unless it’s offered by an employer.

Molina and Aetna Mobile Apps Options

The Molina app allows users to find doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies, view claims, and pay your bill.

The Aetna Health app allows you to find a doctor in your area and see estimates of what certain procedures may cost. You can also view your benefits, review account balances, and manage your claims. The App is available on ios and Android.

Molina Mobile App
iOS      4.6 1.6K users
Android      2.9 351 users
Aetna Mobile App
iOS      4.5 29.3K users
Android      3.4 2,316 users

Molina and Aetna Enrollment Process

Molina

Molina offers plans through the health insurance marketplace. You can begin searching plans here or you can get several free health insurance quotes.

Each state has their own marketplace. If you’re not sure where to begin, visit https://www.healthcare.gov/.

Aetna

Aetna is available through participating employers. You can also buy an individual or family plan directly from Aetna, the health insurance marketplace or you can get several free quotes with SmartFinancial.

At this time, Aetna offers Medicare, Medicaid, student health insurance and international insurance. For individual and family plans, they offer plans through eHealth, which compares rates from several companies for Affordable Care Act plans, short-term plans and medical indemnity plans.

How to File a Claim with Molina and Aetna Insurance

Molina

To submit claims for reimbursement, contact member services at 1-888-898-7969. You can only inquire about 3 or fewer claims per call. You can also submit claim to: Molina Healthcare, P.O. Box 22668, Long Beach, CA 90801. You must make timely submissions of your claims or else you may forfeit your right to payment. For filing limits and instructions about electronic claims submissions with Molina Healthcare visit here.

Aetna

If you use a network doctor or hospital, your claims will be submitted by that provider. If you see an out-of-network provider, you need to submit the claim yourself. You must submit a completed claim form or alternative documentation via fax or mailing address. As an alternative to sending a claim form, supply a description of services, a bill of charges from the provider and any medical documents you received from your provider.

Common Questions About Aetna and Molina Insurance

Molina

Is health insurance from Molina healthcare good?

While complaints are common on BBB, Molina offers a competitive managed care option for Medicaid and Medicare recipients. It is generally well regarded by the underserved and lower-income communities who use it.

What are Molina’s dual options?

Molina Dual Options is a health plan that contracts with both Medicare and Medi-Cal to provide benefits of both programs to members. This plan is also called Cal MediConnect in California.

Does Walgreens accept Molina’s insurance?

As of January 1, 2017, Molina’s Medicaid pharmacy network no longer accepts Walgreens. Molina Medicare members, however, may continue using Walgreens. Walgreens does not participate in the Molina Marketplace pharmacy network.

Which dentists take Molina insurance?

Molina Healthcare covers dental services including oral surgery, x-rays, sealants, fillings, crowns (caps), root canals, dentures and extractions. It also covers a dental exam and one cleaning every six months. To find a provider, visit here and at the top of the page pick your state. At the bottom of the page you’ll be directed to an online provider directory.

Check out our full list of common questions about Molina.

 

Aetna

What type of health plans does Aetna offer?

Aetna offers Aetna Medicare, Aetna Medicaid, student health insurance and international insurance. They offer Affordable Care Act plans, short-term plans and medical indemnity plans through e-Health, which compares insurance partners’ rates for you. Or, you can just visit here for free health insurance quotes.

What pharmacy accepts Aetna insurance?

Medicare Part D plans have a network of participating pharmacies you can find here. For all other types of plans, visit here to find a pharmacy.

Does Aetna insurance cover hearing aids?

Most Aetna plans exclude coverage for hearing aids. Any applicable benefit plan exclusions and limitations for coverage of hearing aids would apply to air conduction hearing aids, implantable hearing aids and semi-implantable hearing aids.

Is Aetna insurance Medicaid?

Aetna offers Medicaid plans, which vary according to individual state Medicaid programs and has a different name in each state.

Check out our full list of common questions about Aetna.

Molina and Aetna Insurance Contact Info

Molina Contact Info
Address 200 Oceangate, Suite 100, Long Beach, CA 90802
Phone 1 (562) 435-3666
Website https://www.molinahealthcare.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/Molinaheathcare/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/MolinaHealthcare
Twitter https://twitter.com/molinahealth
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/molina-healthcare/
Aetna Contact Info
Address 151 Farmington Ave., Hartford, CT 06156
Phone 1 (800)-872-3862
Website https://www.aetna.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aetna/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/aetna
Twitter https://twitter.com/Aetna
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/aetna/

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