Texas HHSC awards new contracts to Centene's Superior HealthPlan

Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) today announced its Superior HealthPlan, Inc. and its Superior HealthPlan Network (collectively, "Superior") have been tentatively awarded new contracts by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).  Superior retained its existing service areas and products, including:

• Austin (STAR and CHIP)
• Corpus Christi (STAR, STAR+PLUS and CHIP)
• El Paso (STAR and CHIP)
• Lubbock (STAR and CHIP)
• San Antonio (STAR, STAR+PLUS and CHIP)

Superior's statewide Foster Care and CHIP Rural Service Area (RSA) products, as well as its Dallas STAR+PLUS program, will continue under contracts that were previously awarded as part of earlier bid processes.  Superior's total membership in Texas as of June 30, 2011 was 470,400.

In addition, the new contract award expands Superior's STAR, STAR+PLUS and CHIP product offerings as follows:

• The new 10 county Hidalgo Service Area (STAR and STAR+PLUS)
• Medicaid RSA West Texas
• Medicaid RSA Central Texas
• Medicaid RSA North-East Texas
• Lubbock (STAR+PLUS)

The total eligible population for Superior's newly awarded service areas and products is expected to exceed 800,000.  The new Texas contract is expected to commence late in the first quarter of 2012.

All of these service areas and products will now include the management of the pharmacy benefit for Superior's members.  In addition, the state has added inpatient facility services to the managed care structure for the STAR+PLUS program.

Tom Wise, President and Chief Executive Officer of Superior said, "We look forward to continuing to serve the state, our members and our provider network while expanding into additional areas of Texas and delivering quality healthcare programs."

"Centene is pleased to extend our distinctive and personalized healthcare model to this larger population," said Michael Neidorff, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Centene, "while ensuring access and continuing to save the state money. Centene has a long and successful history in Texas and we take great pride in expanding our relationship with the state."    

"We continue to be pleased with our success on competitive RFPs, particularly our reprocurement expansions in Arizona, Massachusetts and now Texas, as well as recent awards in Kentucky and Louisiana," added Jesse Hunter, Centene's Executive Vice President for Corporate Development and Operating Committee Chair.