Deal allows Molina to serve Medi-Cal patients. (Molina Medical Centers)

Molina Medical Centers has reached a deal with Maxicare Health Plans Inc. that allows Molina to retain its MediCal patients in Sacramento, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Regulators had threatened to pull Molina's contracts because the health plan doesn't have the patient mix required by federal law.

Under the deal, Molina will hand over its Medi-Cal contracts to Maxicare in the three counties on July 1, but will continue to provide the healthcare services.

The deal will allow Long Beach-based Molina to continue caring for some 70,000 members in the three counties - including 28,697 in Sacramento - while giving Maxicare an entry into the MediCal market in these areas.

Based in Los Angeles, Maxicare hasn't been a big player in Sacramento. The health plan has about 7,000 non-government members in this area.

Molina's patient mix failed to …