ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 2005--Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) announced today that it will present at the Lehman Brothers 8th Annual Global Healthcare Conference, which will be held March 30-April 1, 2005, at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel in Miami, Florida.

Michael F. Neidorff, Centene's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will present on Thursday, March 31, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The presentation will be available at http://customer.talkpoint.com/LEHM002/033005a_cs/default.asp?entity= Centene (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.) 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, St. Louis Investor Relations: Lisa M. Wilson, 212-759-3929 SOURCE: Centene Corporation