Molina Healthcare abruptly notified 19,000 patients that they've been assigned to new physicians after a falling out with South Pasadena, Calif.-based Golden Shore Medical Group, according to The Sacramento Bee.
The 16-clinic medical group, which is owned by ex-Molina Healthcare CEO J. Mario Molina, MD, cared for about 80,000 California Medicaid patients. Golden Shore had planned to shut down after Molina Healthcare decided to let its contract with Golden Shore Medical Group lapse as of Feb. 1.
Dr. Molina said Golden Shore sold and transferred three of its clinics near Sacramento, Calif., to Sacramento-based WellSpace Health Jan. 31. He said he hoped Molina Healthcare would take back its request to transfer patients, as the health insurer does business with WellSpace.
"It's going to be very disruptive and confusing to the patients, but we did successfully transfer ownership of those clinics to WellSpace," Dr. Molina told The Sacramento Bee. "We did what we said we were going to do, and had Molina cooperated, a lot of confusion could have been avoided."
Dr. Molina has also been in discussions with Los Angeles-based AltaMed Health Services to acquire some of Golden Shore's clinics in Southern California; however, discussions collapsed. He added that the Children's Clinic in Long Beach, Calif., will take over two facilities in the area on Feb. 1, and he is in discussions with other providers to acquire other clinics later this month.
Molina Healthcare did not respond to the publication's request for comment.
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