ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 31, 2002--Centene Corporation (Nasdaq:CNTE) announced today that it will present at the JPMorgan H&Q 21st Annual Healthcare Conference.

The conference will be held at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. Michael F. Neidorff, Centene's President and Chief Executive Officer, will present on Thursday, January 9, 2002 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time. The presentation will be webcast live, then archived for on-demand viewing for 90 days. The webcast will be available at http://www.mapdigital.com/jpmorgan/healthcare03/welcome.html.

Centene Corporation provides managed care programs and related services to individuals receiving benefits under Medicaid, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Centene now operates health plans in Wisconsin, Indiana, Texas and New Jersey. Information regarding Centene is available via the Internet at www.centene.com.

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