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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
Regulatory Capital Requirements and Dividend Restrictions
Our health plans, which are operated by our respective wholly owned subsidiaries in those states, are subject to state laws and regulations that, among other things, require the maintenance of minimum levels of statutory capital, as defined by each state. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”), has adopted rules which, if implemented by the states, set minimum capitalization requirements for insurance companies, HMOs, and other entities bearing risk for health care coverage. The requirements take the form of risk-based capital (“RBC”) rules which may vary from state to state. All of the states in which our health plans operate, except California, Florida and New York, have adopted these rules. Such requirements, if adopted by California, Florida and New York, may increase the minimum capital required for those states. Regulators in some states may also enforce capital requirements that require the retention of net worth in excess of amounts formally required by statute or regulation. As of December 31, 2019, our health plans had aggregate statutory capital and surplus of approximately $1,852 million compared with the required minimum aggregate statutory capital and surplus of approximately $1,110 million. All of our health plans were in compliance with the minimum capital requirements at December 31, 2019. We have the ability and commitment to provide additional capital to each of our health plans when necessary to ensure that statutory capital and surplus continue to meet regulatory requirements.
Such statutes, regulations and informal capital requirements also restrict the timing, payment, and amount of dividends and other distributions that may be paid to us as the sole stockholder. To the extent our subsidiaries must comply with these regulations, they may not have the financial flexibility to transfer funds to us. Based on current statutes and regulations, the net assets in these subsidiaries (after intercompany eliminations) which may not be transferable to us in the form of loans, advances, or cash dividends was approximately $1,811 million at December 31, 2019, and $2,262 million at December 31, 2018. Because of the statutory restrictions that inhibit the ability of our health plans to transfer net assets to us, the amount of retained earnings readily available to pay dividends to our stockholders is generally limited to cash, cash equivalents and investments held by the parent company – Molina Healthcare, Inc. Such cash, cash equivalents and investments amounted to $997 million and $170 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Legal Proceedings
The healthcare industry is subject to numerous laws and regulations of federal, state, and local governments. Compliance with these laws and regulations can be subject to government review and interpretation, as well as regulatory actions unknown and unasserted at this time. Penalties associated with violations of these laws and regulations include significant fines and penalties, exclusion from participating in publicly funded programs, and the repayment of previously billed and collected revenues.
We are involved in legal actions in the ordinary course of business including, but not limited to, various employment claims, vendor disputes and provider claims. Some of these legal actions seek monetary damages, including claims for punitive damages, which may not be covered by insurance. We review legal matters and update our estimates of reasonably possible losses and related disclosures, as necessary. We have accrued liabilities for legal matters for which we deem the loss to be both probable and reasonably estimable. These liability estimates could change as a result of further developments of the matters. The outcome of legal actions is inherently uncertain. An adverse determination in one or more of these pending matters could have an adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. 
Professional Liability Insurance
We carry medical professional liability insurance for health care services rendered in the primary care institutions that we manage. In addition, we also carry errors and omissions insurance for all Molina entities.