Ratings
October 31, 2019How likely to recommend?
About Centene
Health Insurance Policies Offered:
- Health insurance marketplace plans
- Medicaid
- Medicare Advantage
- Medicaid-Medicare dual-eligible plans
Best Health Insurance Companies 2020: How Centene Stacks Up
Centene had a stellar showing and claimed a high mark of 89.32 this year in the annual consumer Best Health Insurance Company survey, landing in the top spot in health insurance company rankings. In fact, Centene had an outstanding showing in all rating factors and claimed 1st place in claims, value for price, customer service and ease of use for website and mobile apps. Ninety-four percent of those surveyed said they planned to renew with Centene and 89% they would recommend Centene.
Gauging an insurance company
Before buying with a company, it is wise to check on a company's financial strength and complaint record. The A.M. Best rating listed above would give you an idea of Centene's financial strength to pay claims. A complaint ratio can be found on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) site. The median complaint ratio from the NAIC is always 1.00. This means half of the insurers have a complaint ratio of under 1.00 and half have a ratio above. Basically, numbers lower than 1.00 are better with fewer complaints than the median and a number higher than 1.00 has more complaints than the median. For health insurance, Centene (NAIC# 66141) had a complaint ratio of 16.6% for individual health insurance and 6.67% for group health insurance for 2018. Please note: 2019 complaint numbers will be available in 2020.
Company Background
Focusing on the under-insured and uninsured, and expanding into the marketplace
A former hospital bookkeeper, Elizabeth "Betty" Brinn founded the company in 1984 as a nonprofit Medicaid plan. Originally Centene was operated in the basement of Family Hospital in Milwaukee, guided by Brinn's experiences of growing up in an orphanage in that area.
Centene has been operating government-sponsored programs for more than three decades and is the largest Medicaid managed care organization in the country. It’s also the largest carrier on the health insurance marketplace. The company focuses on bringing services to the under-insured and uninsured.
The healthcare company has expanded its offerings in the health insurance marketplace, expanding its footprint in the Affordable Care Act. Its offerings in the marketplace in 2020 expands to 10 more markets: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. As of June 30, 2019, Centene served approximately 1.9 million exchange members across 20 states.
In October 2019, Centene announced that the insurance departments of Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Ohio and Texas approved Centene's pending acquisition of WellCare, bringing the total number of states to approve the transaction to 24.
With more than 15 million managed-care members, Centene delivers a full spectrum of care, from physical health to emotional wellness. Centene's Specialty Services also offers a range of services to state programs, healthcare organizations, correctional facilities and employer groups.
Contact information
Corporate Headquarters
Centene Corporation,
Centene Plaza
7700 Forsyth Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63105
Life insurance customer service: 314-725-4477
What are customers saying about Centene company?
Our survey asked policyholders to share experiences or give feedback that they would like to share with others looking to potentially buy from their current insurance company. Here's what they had to say:
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