ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI (March 13, 2006) — Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) today announced that it will present at the Citigroup 2006 Small and Mid-Cap Conference, which will be held March 14-16, 2006, at The Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Michael F. Neidorff, Centene's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will present on Thursday, March 16, at 10:45 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. The presentation will also be available as a live audio webcast by accessing the following link: http://www.veracast.com/webcasts/citigroup/small-mid06/58305174.cfm; 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, pharmacy benefit management and treatment 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