Molina Healthcare is deepening its Long Beach roots, which were planted over 40 years ago, by bringing hundreds of additional jobs to its headquarters in Downtown.
During an event Thursday, Mayor Rex Richardson announced that the company is bringing 550 jobs to its Ocean Boulevard office, which will “bolster foot traffic and the vitality of our Downtown.”
In a statement Friday, the health insurance company confirmed it is hiring more than 500 workers, but noted that the company’s remote work policy means they won’t be in the Downtown offices full-time.
“Those employees will support our California health plan and will train, convene, and collaborate at our Long Beach headquarters as appropriate in Molina’s post-Covid remote work environment,” a spokesperson for the health plan said in a statement.
The hiring spree comes as Molina Healthcare is expected to double its number of Medi-Cal enrollees from 600,000 to 1.2 million on Jan. 1, 2024, as a result of an increased contract from the California Department of Health Care Services.
On June 30, Molina also announced the acquisition of Bright HealthCare’s California Medicare business for $510 million. The deal, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024, will add approximately 125,000 members to Molina’s California plan.
Richardson’s announcement was part of his inaugural “Grow Long Beach” event, which highlighted various industries and improvements throughout the city, such as developments, business expansions and more.
Richardson noted that this is the second big job gain in the health insurance sphere for the city this year. On Sept. 13, Blue Shield of California celebrated the opening of its new Long Beach office, which now employs more than 1,000 people.
“Health care is an important part of Long Beach’s future,” Richardson said. “And we need to continue to invest in it and continue to make sure that health care is a driving force as we grow Long Beach.”