ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 2, 2006--Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) today announced that it will present at the 24th Annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference, which will be held January 9-12, 2006, at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, CA.

Michael F. Neidorff, Centene's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will present on Monday, January 9, at 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time. The presentation will be available as a live audio webcast by logging on to http://equityconferences.jpmorgan.com and selecting the "JPMorgan Healthcare Conference" webcast link; it then will be 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, disease management, nurse triage and pharmacy compliance. Information regarding Centene is available via the Internet at www.centene.com.

CONTACT: Centene Corporation Lisa Wilson, 212-759-3929

SOURCE: Centene Corporation