General	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
General
General	1. General Basis of Presentation The consolidated financial statements of Magellan Health, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Magellan"), include Magellan and its subsidiaries (together with Magellan, the "Company"). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Business Overview The Company is engaged in the healthcare management business, and is focused on managing the fastest growing, most complex areas of health, including special populations, complete pharmacy benefits and other specialty areas of healthcare. The Company develops innovative solutions that combine advanced analytics, agile technology and clinical excellence to drive better decision making, positively impact health outcomes and optimize the cost of care for the members we serve. The Company provides services to health plans and other managed care organizations ("MCOs"), employers, labor unions, various military and governmental agencies and third party administrators ("TPAs"). Effective as of July 1, 2015, the Company reorganized into two business units—Magellan Healthcare and Magellan Rx Management, which are supported by corporate functions. As a result of this business reorganization, the Company concluded that changes to its reportable segments were warranted, with the Healthcare segment ("Healthcare") comprised of the operating segments previously defined as the Commercial, Public Sector and the Specialty Solutions segments. Prior period balances have been reclassified to reflect this change. The Company's business is divided into the following segments, which are differentiated based on the services it provides, as described below. Healthcare Healthcare includes the Company's: (i) management of behavioral healthcare services and employee assistance program ("EAP") services, (ii) management of other specialty areas including diagnostic imaging and musculoskeletal management, and (iii) the integrated management of physical, behavioral and pharmaceutical healthcare for special populations, delivered through Magellan Complete Care ("MCC"). These special populations include individuals with serious mental illness ("SMI"), dual eligibles, long-term services and supports and other populations with unique and often complex healthcare needs. The Company's coordination and management of these healthcare services are provided through its comprehensive network of medical and behavioral health professionals, clinics, hospitals and ancillary service providers. This network of credentialed and privileged providers is integrated with clinical and quality improvement programs to improve access to care and enhance the healthcare experience for individuals in need of care, while at the same time making the cost of these services more affordable for our customers. The Company generally does not directly provide or own any provider of treatment services, although it does employ licensed behavioral health counselors to deliver non-medical counseling under certain government contracts. The Healthcare segment's commercial division serves a variety of customers, with services, inclusive of special population management, provided under contracts with health plans and accountable care organizations for some or all of their commercial, Medicaid and Medicare members, as well as with employers. The government division contracts with local, state and federal governmental agencies to provide services to recipients under Medicaid, Medicare and other government programs. The Company provides its management services primarily through: (i) risk-based products, where the Company assumes all or a substantial portion of the responsibility for the cost of providing treatment services in exchange for a fixed per member per month fee and (ii) administrative services only ("ASO") products, where the Company provides services such as utilization review, claims administration and/or provider network management, but does not assume responsibility for the cost of the treatment services. Pharmacy Management The Pharmacy Management segment ("Pharmacy Management") comprises products and solutions that provide clinical and financial management of pharmaceuticals paid under medical and pharmacy benefit programs. Pharmacy Management's services include: (i) pharmacy benefit management ("PBM") services; (ii) pharmacy benefit administration ("PBA") for state Medicaid and other government sponsored programs; (iii) pharmaceutical dispensing operations; (iv) clinical and formulary management programs; (v) medical pharmacy management programs; and (vi) programs for the integrated management of specialty drugs across both the medical and pharmacy benefit that treat complex conditions, regardless of site of service, method of delivery, or benefit reimbursement. Pharmacy Management's services are provided under contracts with health plans, employers, managed care organizations, state Medicaid programs, Medicare Part D and other government agencies, and encompass risk-based and fee-for-service ("FFS") arrangements. In addition, Pharmacy Management has subcontract arrangements to provide PBM services for certain Healthcare customers. Corporate This segment of the Company is comprised primarily of operational support functions such as sales and marketing and information technology, as well as corporate support functions such as executive, finance, human resources and legal.

1. General

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements of Magellan Health, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Magellan"), include Magellan and its subsidiaries (together with Magellan, the "Company"). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Business Overview

The Company is engaged in the healthcare management business, and is focused on managing the fastest growing, most complex areas of health, including special populations, complete pharmacy benefits and other specialty areas of healthcare. The Company develops innovative solutions that combine advanced analytics, agile technology and clinical excellence to drive better decision making, positively impact health outcomes and optimize the cost of care for the members we serve. The Company provides services to health plans and other managed care organizations ("MCOs"), employers, labor unions, various military and governmental agencies and third party administrators ("TPAs").

Effective as of July 1, 2015, the Company reorganized into two business units—Magellan Healthcare and Magellan Rx Management, which are supported by corporate functions. As a result of this business reorganization, the Company concluded that changes to its reportable segments were warranted, with the Healthcare segment ("Healthcare") comprised of the operating segments previously defined as the Commercial, Public Sector and the Specialty Solutions segments. Prior period balances have been reclassified to reflect this change. The Company's business is divided into the following segments, which are differentiated based on the services it provides, as described below.

Healthcare

Healthcare includes the Company's: (i) management of behavioral healthcare services and employee assistance program ("EAP") services, (ii) management of other specialty areas including diagnostic imaging and musculoskeletal management, and (iii) the integrated management of physical, behavioral and pharmaceutical healthcare for special populations, delivered through Magellan Complete Care ("MCC"). These special populations include individuals with serious mental illness ("SMI"), dual eligibles, long-term services and supports and other populations with unique and often complex healthcare needs.

The Company's coordination and management of these healthcare services are provided through its comprehensive network of medical and behavioral health professionals, clinics, hospitals and ancillary service providers. This network of credentialed and privileged providers is integrated with clinical and quality improvement programs to improve access to care and enhance the healthcare experience for individuals in need of care, while at the same time making the cost of these services more affordable for our customers. The Company generally does not directly provide or own any provider of treatment services, although it does employ licensed behavioral health counselors to deliver non-medical counseling under certain government contracts.

The Healthcare segment's commercial division serves a variety of customers, with services, inclusive of special population management, provided under contracts with health plans and accountable care organizations for some or all of their commercial, Medicaid and Medicare members, as well as with employers. The government division contracts with local, state and federal governmental agencies to provide services to recipients under Medicaid, Medicare and other government programs.

The Company provides its management services primarily through: (i) risk-based products, where the Company assumes all or a substantial portion of the responsibility for the cost of providing treatment services in exchange for a fixed per member per month fee and (ii) administrative services only ("ASO") products, where the Company provides services such as utilization review, claims administration and/or provider network management, but does not assume responsibility for the cost of the treatment services.

Pharmacy Management

The Pharmacy Management segment ("Pharmacy Management") comprises products and solutions that provide clinical and financial management of pharmaceuticals paid under medical and pharmacy benefit programs. Pharmacy Management's services include: (i) pharmacy benefit management ("PBM") services; (ii) pharmacy benefit administration ("PBA") for state Medicaid and other government sponsored programs; (iii) pharmaceutical dispensing operations; (iv) clinical and formulary management programs; (v) medical pharmacy management programs; and (vi) programs for the integrated management of specialty drugs across both the medical and pharmacy benefit that treat complex conditions, regardless of site of service, method of delivery, or benefit reimbursement.

Pharmacy Management's services are provided under contracts with health plans, employers, managed care organizations, state Medicaid programs, Medicare Part D and other government agencies, and encompass risk-based and fee-for-service ("FFS") arrangements. In addition, Pharmacy Management has subcontract arrangements to provide PBM services for certain Healthcare customers.

Corporate

This segment of the Company is comprised primarily of operational support functions such as sales and marketing and information technology, as well as corporate support functions such as executive, finance, human resources and legal.