Centene Corporation Announces Winners of the 2009 Physician Summit Award

ST. LOUIS--(Business Wire)--
Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), in collaboration with the Centene Foundation
for Quality Healthcare, today recognized 16 physicians with 2009 Physician
Summit Awards. The annual award program acknowledges physicians for providing
quality care and clinical excellence to Centene`s health plan members.

"Centene is pleased to continue this award program for a second year," said Mary
Mason, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Centene. "The
program is just one way we can show our appreciation to the physicians we
partner with for the exceptional care they provide our members throughout the
country."

Kathy Bradley-Wells, President, Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare,
stated, "We are proud to support a program that recognizes the important role
our physicians play in providing access to quality care and improving health
outcomes for our members."

The winners of the annual Physician Summit Awards demonstrate exemplary
performance in the following areas: follow up after emergency room visits,
routine preventive and well care services for both adults and children, and
establishing a "medical home" for new enrollees by promoting the member-primary
care physician relationship. Centene recognizes one physician per service region
for each of its health plans.

Following are the 2009 Physician Summit Award winners:

Buckeye Community Health Plan-Ohio:

- Laura H Waldron, MD, Private Practice; North West Region

- Lisa Marie Schroeder, MD, Barberton Area Family Practice; East Central Region

Managed Health Services-Indiana:

- Ashraf H Hanna, MD, Private Practice; North East Region

- Steven Farmer, MD, Private Practice; East Central Region

- William Sutton, MD, Private Practice; South West Region

Managed Health Services-Wisconsin:

- Mohammad Qasim Khan, MD, Southside Pediatric Associates/Family Medical Clinic;
Milwaukee County

- Gina Everson, MD, Fond Du Lac Regional Clinic; Fond Du Lac County

- Carey Cameron, MD, West Bend Clinic; Washington County

Peach State Health Plan-Georgia:

- Vijay Arora, MD, Lilburn Pediatrics; Atlanta Region

- Robyn Mann Johnson, MD, Private Practice; Central Region

- Eugene Kallay II, MD, Primary Pediatrics of Macon; South West Region

Superior HealthPlan-Texas:

- Harry Hernandez, DO, Alamo Osteopathic Physician & Sgn; Bexar Region

- Arturo C Casillas, MD, Pediatric Group of El Paso; El Paso Region

- Francisco O Cuya, MD, Private Practice; Nueces Region

- Michael Ward, MD, Austin Regional Clinic; Travis Region

University Health Plans-New Jersey:

- John Bucek, MD, Somerset Family Practice

Centene`s newer health plans in Arizona, Florida and South Carolina did not
participate in the 2009 Physician Summit Awards, as sufficient provider data was
not available to meet the selection criteria.

About Centene Corporation

Centene Corporation is a leading multi-line healthcare enterprise that provides
programs and related services to individuals receiving benefits under Medicaid,
including the Children`s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), as well as Aged,
Blind, or Disabled (ABD), Foster Care, Long-Term Care and Medicare (Special
Needs Plans). The Company operates local health plans and offers a wide range of
health insurance solutions to individuals and the rising number of uninsured
Americans. It also contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations
to provide specialty services including behavioral health, life and health
management, managed vision, telehealth services, pharmacy benefits management
and medication adherence. Information regarding Centene is available via the
Internet at www.centene.com.

About The Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare

The Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare is a non-profit private foundation
dedicated to improving the quality of healthcare in the United States. The
Foundation serves as a resource to identify and support innovative approaches to
improving and increasing the quality of and access to healthcare for low-income
individuals and families. This is accomplished through an inspired philanthropic
giving plan that seeks to promote efforts and activities that identify and
address core causes of unequal access and treatment in healthcare. For
additional information, please visit www.centenefoundation.org.

Centene Corporation
Sandy McBride, 314-725-4477
Senior Director, Corporate Communications

Copyright Business Wire 2009