Our History
Transforming the Health of Communities for 40 Years
Centene is committed to helping people live healthier lives. Since our founding in 1984, our company has believed that our local approach – with employees who not only live in the communities we serve, but also reflect the diversity of our members – is the best way to provide accessible, high-quality, culturally sensitive healthcare coverage to our more than 28 million members.
From our start as a nonprofit Medicaid plan in Milwaukee, to establishing headquarters in St. Louis, to now having local health plans in communities across the U.S., Centene now provides healthcare products and solutions to more than 1 in 15 individuals nationwide.
Humble Beginnings
When our company was founded as a nonprofit Medicaid plan in 1984, we were Family Hospital Physician Associates (FHPA), named for the hospital in Milwaukee that housed our first offices. Our founder, Elizabeth “Betty” Brinn, the hospital’s former bookkeeper, launched the company to help low-income people access quality healthcare.
Growing up in a children’s home gave Brinn firsthand insight into the challenges of accessing adequate healthcare coverage, inspiring her to leverage managed care to enhance health outcomes for Medicaid recipients. FHPA, which eventually became Managed Health Services, Inc. (MHS) in 1995, laid the foundation that Centene continues to build upon. Brinn’s experiences and beliefs remain central to our continued commitment of serving our nation’s most vulnerable populations.
A New Leader, a New Name and Unprecedented Growth
After Brinn passed away in 1992, the company sought a new leader who could steer FHPA towards the new millennium while preserving and honoring its foundation. In 1995, Michael Neidorff was named President and Chief Executive Officer, and he heralded a period of significant growth.
Changing the company’s name to Centene Corporation (Centene) in 1997, moving corporate headquarters to St. Louis that same year and establishing Centene as a publicly traded company just four years later, Neidorff grew Centene from a local health plan to a national healthcare leader. Since 2001, Centene has expanded through organic growth and strategic acquisitions, which led to delivering services in all 50 states.
While primarily focused on three main products – Medicaid, Medicare and the Health Insurance Marketplace — Neidorff led Centene’s development of specialty solutions, such as behavioral healthcare and healthcare education, all while maintaining our company’s commitment to serving under-insured and uninsured individuals.
In 2004, Centene expanded its impact by establishing The Centene Charitable Foundation, now known as the Centene Foundation — the philanthropic arm of our company and a private nonprofit focused on investing in economically challenged communities. The Foundation supports projects and initiatives strategically aligned with Centene’s mission-driven culture and enhances the work Centene is doing to remove the barriers to wellness that underserved and low-income populations face. The Foundation is committed to addressing social drivers of health and improving health equity in three distinct areas of focus: healthcare access, social services and education.
Shaping the Future of Healthcare
After 40 years and with a new Chief Executive Officer, Sarah M. London, at the helm since 2022, Centene has re-focused its efforts on three core lines of business: Medicaid, Medicare and the Health Insurance Marketplace. Centene remains the largest Medicaid managed care organization in the country, the largest and longest-running carrier in the Health Insurance Marketplace and a national leader in managed long-term services and support. Our work with the healthcare programs of the Department of Defense also makes us one of the nation’s largest providers of managed care services for military families and veterans.
Today, Centene is focused on the development of our people, systems and capabilities so that we can be the best for our members, providers and the communities we serve.
Honoring Michael F. Neidorff: A Business and Community Leader
Michael F. Neidorff served as Centene’s President and CEO for nearly 25 years, helping build our company into a national healthcare leader. Hear from colleagues, friends and Centene health plan members who share their memories of Michael and detail his impact on our communities.
Timeline
1984 – Founded as a Medicaid plan called Family Hospital Physician Associates, the company is established by hospital bookkeeper Elizabeth "Betty" Brinn in Wisconsin.
1995 – 1997 – Healthcare executive Michael Neidorff is named President and Chief Executive Officer. The company is renamed Centene Corporation, and its corporate office is established in St. Louis, Missouri.
2001 – With three health plans, $327 million in revenue, and 235,000 members, Centene becomes a publicly traded company.
2012 – 2013 – More than a decade of steady growth sees Centene expand to 20 states nationwide, $10 billion in revenue and 2.7 million members.
2014 – Centene increases its presence on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
2016 – 2017 – Centene significantly grows its managed care services including serving Medicare Advantage members in 12 states.
2020 – Centene goes nationwide, serving nearly 24 million members across all 50 states in the U.S.
2022 – Sarah M. London is appointed Chief Executive Officer, ushering in the current era for Centene.
2024 – Centene serves more than 28 million members across 50 states.
