ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI (March 21, 2005) — Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) announced today that it will present at the Smith Barney Citigroup 2005 Healthcare Conference, which will be held March 29-31, 2005, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Michael F. Neidorff, Centene's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will present on Wednesday, March 30, at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The presentation will be available at http://www.veracast.com/webcasts/sbcitigroup/hc05/84211471.cfm as a live audio webcast, then archived for 15 days.

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 State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The Company operates health plans in Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, 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
Lisa M. Wilson, 212-759-3929

SOURCE: Centene Corporation