ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 10, 2004-- Bruce Weiss, M.D., M.P.H. Appointed President and CEO, Kathleen Crampton Appointed to Chairman, of Managed Health Services

Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) today announced key management appointments at Managed Health Services (MHS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, MHS is the state's largest Medicaid health plan serving approximately 167,000 members.

Bruce Weiss, M.D., M.P.H., was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer and assumes the position previously held by Kathleen Crampton, who has been appointed as Chairman of the Board. Ms. Crampton had served as MHS's President and Chief Executive Officer for the past four years.

Dr. Weiss' extensive career spans over 20 years in the managed care industry in increasingly senior positions. He most recently served as President of Weiss Consultants, a multi-disciplinary healthcare consulting firm specializing in assisting regulators and healthcare organizations to address medical management issues, such as disease management, resource utilization, managed care contracting and product development. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of AvMed, a 375,000-member managed care organization, where he directed medical services, as well as pharmacy and quality improvement activities. In addition, he planned and implemented major revisions in utilization management, staffing and processes, which resulted in lower inpatient utilization and reduced pharmacy costs.

Michael F. Neidorff, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Centene Corporation, stated, "The appointments of Dr. Weiss and Ms. Crampton will enable MHS to expand our geographic reach and the scope of our programs. Dr. Weiss will manage the day-to-day operations, focusing on the MHS coordinated care model while Ms. Crampton will be responsible for maintaining MHS's relationships with legislators, as well as all other external constituencies."

Dr. Weiss is a board-certified physician. He conducted his post-graduate training at the University of California, Los Angeles, as a resident in Preventive Medicine. He also was a resident in Internal Medicine at the St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, California, and a Preventive Medicine resident at the Harvard University School of Public Health. Dr. Weiss is the author of several publications and has conducted numerous presentations and provided testimony on managed care in the United States and Canada.

About Centene Corporation

Centene Corporation provides multi-line managed care programs and related services to individuals receiving benefits under Medicaid, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The Company operates health plans in Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin. In addition, the Company contracts with other healthcare organizations to provide specialty services including behavioral health, nurse triage and pharmacy compliance. Information regarding Centene is available via the Internet at www.centene.com.

CONTACT: Centene Corporation, St. Louis Lisa Wilson, 212-759-3929 www.centene.com

SOURCE: Centene Corporation