Centene (CNC) 10-Q 28 Jul 15 2015 Q2 Quarterly report Financial data

Document And Entity Information

Document And Entity Information - shares	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jul. 17, 2015
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	CENTENE CORP
Entity Central Index Key	1,071,739
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2015
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		119,090,635

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,967	$ 1,610
Premium and related receivables	1,248	912
Short term investments	140	177
Other current assets	483	335
Total current assets	3,838	3,034
Long term investments	1,541	1,280
Restricted deposits	101	100
Property, software and equipment, net	462	445
Goodwill	811	754
Intangible assets, net	148	120
Other long term assets	121	91
Total assets	7,022	5,824
Current liabilities:
Medical claims liability	2,092	1,723
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	1,004	768
Return of premium payable	289	236
Unearned revenue	68	168
Current portion of long term debt	5	5
Total current liabilities	3,458	2,900
Long term debt	1,139	874
Other long term liabilities	330	159
Total liabilities	$ 4,927	$ 3,933
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	$ 155	$ 148
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; authorized 10,000,000 shares; no shares issued or outstanding at June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014	0	0
Common stock, $.001 par value; authorized 200,000,000 shares; 124,812,343 issued and 119,087,944 outstanding at June 30, 2015, and 124,274,864 issued and 118,433,416 outstanding at December 31, 2014	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	891	840
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(4)	(1)
Retained earnings	1,154	1,003
Treasury stock, at cost (5,724,399 and 5,841,448 shares, respectively)	(101)	(98)
Total Centene stockholders’ equity	1,940	1,744
Noncontrolling interest	0	(1)
Total stockholders’ equity	1,940	1,743
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ 7,022	$ 5,824

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Stockholders' equity
Preferred stock, par value (in dollar per share)	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares)	10,000,000	10,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued (in shares)	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	0	0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	200,000,000	200,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	124,812,343	124,274,864
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	119,087,944	118,433,416
Treasury stock, at cost (in shares)	5,724,399	5,841,448

Consolidated Statements Of Oper

Consolidated Statements Of Operations - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Revenues:
Premium	$ 4,692	$ 3,331	$ 8,991	$ 6,402
Service	492	410	954	691
Premium and service revenues	5,184	3,741	9,945	7,093
Premium tax and health insurer fee	322	283	692	391
Total revenues	5,506	4,024	10,637	7,484
Expenses:
Medical costs	4,181	2,960	8,042	5,703
Cost of services	419	366	821	608
General and administrative expenses	442	321	845	616
Premium tax expense	239	253	520	331
Health insurer fee expense	52	31	107	63
Total operating expenses	5,333	3,931	10,335	7,321
Earnings from operations	173	93	302	163
Other income (expense):
Investment and other income	10	7	19	12
Interest expense	(11)	(9)	(21)	(16)
Earnings from continuing operations, before income tax expense	172	91	300	159
Income tax expense	84	45	147	79
Earnings from continuing operations, net of income tax expense	88	46	153	80
Discontinued operations, net of income tax expense (benefit) of $0, $1, $(1), and $1, respectively	0	2	(1)	1
Net earnings	88	48	152	81
(Earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	1	(1)	1
Net earnings attributable to Centene Corporation	88	49	151	82
Earnings from continuing operations, net of income tax expense	$ 88	$ 47	$ 152	$ 81
Basic:
Continuing operations	$ 0.74	$ 0.41	$ 1.28	$ 0.70
Discontinued operations	0	0.01	(0.01)	0.01
Basic earnings per common share	0.74	0.42	1.27	0.71
Diluted:
Continuing operations	0.72	0.39	1.24	0.68
Discontinued operations	0	0.02	(0.01)	0.01
Diluted earnings per common share	$ 0.72	$ 0.41	$ 1.23	$ 0.69
Weighted Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding (in shares)
Basic	119,003,569	115,517,366	118,894,269	115,244,078
Diluted	122,965,011	119,434,516	122,785,459	119,094,840

Consolidated Statements Of Ope5

Consolidated Statements Of Operations Consolidated Statements of Operations (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Income Statement [Abstract]
Discontinued operations, income tax expense (benefit)	$ 0	$ 1	$ (1)	$ 1

Consolidated Statement Of Compr

Consolidated Statement Of Comprehensive Earnings - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net earnings	$ 88	$ 48	$ 152	$ 81
Reclassification adjustment, net of tax	0	0	0	(1)
Change in unrealized gain on investments, net of tax	(4)	3	1	6
Foreign currency translation adjustments	1	0	(4)	0
Other comprehensive earnings	(3)	3	(3)	5
Comprehensive earnings	85	51	149	86
Comprehensive (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	1	(1)	1
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Centene Corporation	$ 85	$ 52	$ 148	$ 87

Consolidated Statement Of Stock

Consolidated Statement Of Stockholders' Equity - 6 months ended Jun. 30, 2015 - USD ($) $ in Millions	Total	Centene Stockholders' Equity - Common Stock [Member]	Centene Stockholders' Equity - Additional Paid-In Capital [Member]	Centene Stockholders' Equity - Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Centene Stockholders' Equity - Retained Earnings [Member]	Centene Stockholders' Equity - Treasury Stock [Member]	Centene Stockholders' Equity - Non Controlling Interest [Member]
Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 1,743	$ 0	$ 840	$ (1)	$ 1,003	$ (98)	$ (1)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014	118,433,416	124,274,864				5,841,448
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net earnings	$ 151				151		0
Comprehensive Earnings:
Change in unrealized gain on investments, net of tax	(1)			(1)
Foreign currency translation	(4)			(4)
Total comprehensive earnings	148
Common stock issued for acquisition	13	$ 0	9			$ 4
Common stock issued for acquisition (in shares)		0				(247,580)
Common stock issued for employee benefit plans	3	$ 0	3
Common stock issued for employee benefit plans (in shares)		537,479
Common stock repurchases	(7)					$ (7)
Common stock repurchases (in shares)						130,531
Stock compensation expense	33		33
Excess tax benefits from stock compensation	6		6
Reclassification to redeemable noncontrolling interest	1						1
Balance at Jun. 30, 2015	$ 1,940	$ 0	$ 891	$ (4)	$ 1,154	$ (101)	$ 0
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2015	119,087,944	124,812,343				5,724,399

Consolidated Statements Of Cash

Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net earnings	$ 152	$ 81
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
Depreciation and amortization	53	42
Stock compensation expense	33	23
Deferred income taxes	(13)	(11)
Gain on settlement of contingent consideration	(10)	0
Changes in assets and liabilities
Premium and related receivables	(341)	(161)
Other current assets	(28)	29
Other assets	(30)	(29)
Medical claims liabilities	366	284
Unearned revenue	(102)	(18)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	166	160
Other long term liabilities	144	10
Other operating activities	5	2
Net cash provided by operating activities	395	412
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(58)	(42)
Purchases of investments	(513)	(475)
Sales and maturities of investments	276	221
Proceeds from asset sale	7	0
Investments in acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(11)	(94)
Net cash used in investing activities	(299)	(390)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	3	4
Proceeds from borrowings	750	1,145
Payment of long term debt	(479)	(945)
Excess tax benefits from stock compensation	6	1
Common stock repurchases	(7)	(5)
Contribution from noncontrolling interest	0	5
Debt issue costs	(4)	(6)
Payment of contingent consideration obligation	(8)	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	261	199
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	357	221
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	1,610	1,038
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	1,967	1,259
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:
Interest paid	27	16
Income taxes paid	145	110
Equity issued in connection with acquisitions	$ 13	$ 132

Basis Of Presentation

Basis Of Presentation	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis Of Presentation	Basis of Presentation Basis of Presentation The accompanying interim financial statements have been prepared under the presumption that users of the interim financial information have either read or have access to the audited financial statements included in the Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 . The unaudited interim financial statements herein have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, footnote disclosures which would substantially duplicate the disclosures contained in the December 31, 2014 audited financial statements have been omitted from these interim financial statements where appropriate. In the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, which are necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim periods presented. Certain 2014 amounts in the notes to the consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the 2015 presentation. These reclassifications have no effect on net earnings or stockholders’ equity as previously reported. On February 2, 2015, the Board of Directors declared a two-for-one split of Centene's common stock in the form of a 100% stock dividend distributed February 19, 2015 to stockholders of record on February 12, 2015. All share and per share information presented in this Form 10-Q has been adjusted for the two-for-one stock split. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an Accounting Standards Update (ASU) which supersedes existing revenue recognition standards with a single model unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards (e.g., an insurance entity's insurance contracts). Under the new standard, recognition of revenue occurs when a customer obtains control of promised goods or services in an amount that reflects the consideration which the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. In addition, the standard requires disclosure of the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. In July 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of the new revenue standard by one year. The new effective date is for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of the new revenue recognition guidance. In April 2015, the FASB issued an ASU which changes the presentation of debt issuance costs in financial statements. Under the new standard, debt issuance costs are presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction of the related debt liability rather than as an asset. Amortization of the cost is reported as interest expense. The new standard is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and early adoption is permitted. The Company elected to adopt this guidance beginning in the first quarter of 2015 and has applied the new standard retrospectively to all prior periods. The reclassification of debt issuance costs impacted the Consolidated Balance Sheets by decreasing both Other Long Term Assets and Long Term Debt by $14 million at December 31, 2014 and $16 million at June 30, 2015 . These reclassifications have no effect on net earnings or stockholders' equity as previously reported. In May 2015, the FASB issued an ASU which expands the disclosure requirements for insurance companies that issue short-duration contracts. The new standard will increase the level of disclosure around the Company's Medical Claims Liability to include the following: claims development by year; claim frequency; a rollforward of the claims liability; and a description of methods and assumptions used for determining the liability. It is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of the new disclosure requirements.

Acquisitions and Redeemable Non

Acquisitions and Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions and Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	Acquisitions and Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest Acquisitions Community Health Solutions of America, Inc. In July 2014, the Company completed a transaction whereby Community Health Solutions of America, Inc. assigned its contract with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals under the Bayou Health Shared Savings Program to the Company's subsidiary, Louisiana Healthcare Connections (LHC). The fair value of consideration transferred included the present value of the estimated contingent consideration, subject to membership retained by LHC in the first quarter of 2015. The fair value of contingent consideration was $18 million at December 31, 2014. During the first quarter of 2015, the Company determined the amount of the actual contingent consideration to be $8 million . A gain of $10 million related to the settlement of the obligation was recorded in General and Administrative expense. LiveHealthier, Inc. In January 2015, the Company acquired the remaining 79% of LiveHealthier, Inc. (LiveHealthier) for $28 million , bringing its total ownership to 100% . LiveHealthier is a provider of technology and service-based health management solutions. The fair value of consideration of $28 million consists of cash paid of $11 million , Centene common stock issued at closing of $13 million , and the present value of contingent consideration of $4 million to be paid in cash over a three year period. The contingent consideration will not exceed $9 million . The Company's allocation of fair value resulted in goodwill of $26 million and other identifiable intangible assets of $15 million . The goodwill is not deductible for income tax purposes. The acquisition is recorded in the Managed Care segment. Fidelis SecureCare of Michigan, Inc. In May 2015, the Company acquired 100% of Fidelis SecureCare of Michigan, Inc. (Fidelis) a subsidiary of Concerto Healthcare, for $57 million . Fidelis was previously selected by the Michigan Department of Community Health to provide integrated healthcare services to members who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid in Macomb and Wayne counties. The fair value of consideration of $57 million consists of initial cash consideration of $7 million , the conversion of $16 million of notes funded prior to closing and the present value of the remaining contingent consideration payments of $34 million . The contingent consideration is based on duals membership and revenue per member during the first year of the contract, including reconciliation payments . The contingent consideration fair value is estimated based on expected membership during the first year of the contract as well as estimated revenue per member reflecting both member mix and risk adjustment. The Company's preliminary allocation of fair vale resulted in goodwill of $28 million and other identifiable intangible assets of $24 million . The Company has not finalized the allocation of the fair value of assets and liabilities. 100% of the goodwill is deductible for income tax purposes. The acquisition is recorded in the Managed Care segment. Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest In January 2015, the Company sold 25% of its ownership in Celtic Insurance Company for $7 million . No gain or loss was recognized on the sale of the ownership interest. Celtic Insurance Company is included in the Managed Care segment. In connection with the sale of the ownership interest, the Company entered into a put agreement with the noncontrolling interest holder, allowing the noncontrolling interest holder to put its interest back to the Company beginning in 2022. As a result of put option agreements, the noncontrolling interest is considered redeemable and is classified in the Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest section of the consolidated balance sheets. A reconciliation of the changes in the Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests is as follows ($ in millions): Balance, December 31, 2014 $ 148 Fair value of redeemable noncontrolling interest sold 7 Reclassification to redeemable noncontrolling interest (1 ) Net earnings attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interests 1 Balance, June 30, 2015 $ 155

Short-Term And Long-Term Invest

Short-Term And Long-Term Investments And Restricted Deposits	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Short term and Long term Investments, Restricted Deposits	Short term and Long term Investments, Restricted Deposits Short term and long term investments and restricted deposits by investment type consist of the following ($ in millions): June 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies $ 451 $ 1 $ (1 ) $ 451 $ 393 $ 1 $ (2 ) $ 392 Corporate securities 632 2 (2 ) 632 556 2 (2 ) 556 Restricted certificates of deposit 6 — — 6 6 — — 6 Restricted cash equivalents 80 — — 80 79 — — 79 Municipal securities: General obligation 96 — — 96 54 — — 54 Pre-refunded 4 — — 4 5 — — 5 Revenue 161 1 (1 ) 161 101 1 — 102 Variable rate demand notes 28 — — 28 14 — — 14 Asset backed securities 162 — — 162 180 — — 180 Mortgage backed securities 77 1 — 78 84 1 — 85 Cost and equity method investments 68 — — 68 68 — — 68 Life insurance contracts 16 — — 16 16 — — 16 Total $ 1,781 $ 5 $ (4 ) $ 1,782 $ 1,556 $ 5 $ (4 ) $ 1,557 The Company’s investments are classified as available-for-sale with the exception of life insurance contracts and certain cost and equity method investments. The Company’s investment policies are designed to provide liquidity, preserve capital and maximize total return on invested assets with the focus on high credit quality securities. The Company limits the size of investment in any single issuer other than U.S. treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies. The Company's mortgage backed securities are issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association and carry guarantees by the U.S. government. As of June 30, 2015 , 48% of the Company’s investments in securities recorded at fair value that carry a rating by S&P or Moody’s were rated AAA/Aaa, 66% were rated AA-/Aa3 or higher, and 90% were rated A-/A3 or higher. At June 30, 2015 , the Company held certificates of deposit, life insurance contracts and cost and equity method investments which did not carry a credit rating. The fair value of available-for-sale investments with gross unrealized losses by investment type and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position were as follows ($ in millions): June 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 Less Than 12 Months 12 Months or More Less Than 12 Months 12 Months or More Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies $ (1 ) $ 162 $ — $ 16 $ — $ 72 $ (2 ) $ 180 Corporate securities (2 ) 286 — 31 (2 ) 311 — 1 Municipal securities: General obligation — 51 — 3 — 4 — 3 Revenue (1 ) 52 — 5 — 16 — 3 Pre-refunded — — — — — — — 1 Asset backed securities — 37 — 15 — 70 — 10 Mortgage backed securities — 37 — — — 18 — — Total $ (4 ) $ 625 $ — $ 70 $ (2 ) $ 491 $ (2 ) $ 198 As of June 30, 2015 , the gross unrealized losses were generated from 122 positions out of a total of 357 positions. The change in fair value of fixed income securities is a result of movement in interest rates subsequent to the purchase of the security. For each security in an unrealized loss position, the Company assesses whether it intends to sell the security or if it is more likely than not the Company will be required to sell the security before recovery of the amortized cost basis for reasons such as liquidity, contractual or regulatory purposes. If the security meets this criterion, the decline in fair value is other-than-temporary and is recorded in earnings. The Company does not intend to sell these securities prior to maturity and it is not likely that the Company will be required to sell these securities prior to maturity; therefore, there is no indication of other-than-temporary impairment for these securities. During the six months ended June 30, 2015 , the Company recognized $4 million of income from equity method investments. The contractual maturities of short term and long term investments and restricted deposits are as follows ($ in millions): June 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 Investments Restricted Deposits Investments Restricted Deposits Amortized Cost Fair Value Amortized Cost Fair Value Amortized Cost Fair Value Amortized Cost Fair Value One year or less $ 140 $ 140 $ 99 $ 99 $ 176 $ 177 $ 92 $ 92 One year through five years 1,325 1,326 2 2 1,121 1,121 8 8 Five years through ten years 135 135 — — 121 120 — — Greater than ten years 80 80 — — 38 39 — — Total $ 1,680 $ 1,681 $ 101 $ 101 $ 1,456 $ 1,457 $ 100 $ 100 Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities due to call or prepayment options. Asset backed and mortgage backed securities are included in the one year through five years category, while cost and equity method investments and life insurance contracts are included in the five years through ten years category. The Company has an option to redeem at amortized cost substantially all of the securities included in the greater than ten years category listed above. The Company continuously monitors investments for other-than-temporary impairment. Certain investments have experienced a decline in fair value due to changes in credit quality, market interest rates and/or general economic conditions. The Company recognizes an impairment loss for cost and equity method investments when evidence demonstrates that it is other-than-temporarily impaired. Evidence of a loss in value that is other-than-temporary may include the absence of an ability to recover the carrying amount of the investment or the inability of the investee to sustain a level of earnings that would justify the carrying amount of the investment.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	Fair Value Measurements Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value in the consolidated balance sheets are categorized based upon observable or unobservable inputs used to estimate fair value. Level inputs are as follows: Level Input: Input Definition: Level I Inputs are unadjusted, quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets at the measurement date. Level II Inputs other than quoted prices included in Level I that are observable for the asset or liability through corroboration with market data at the measurement date. Level III Unobservable inputs that reflect management’s best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. The following table summarizes fair value measurements by level at June 30, 2015 , for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis ($ in millions): Level I Level II Level III Total Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,967 $ — $ — $ 1,967 Investments available for sale: U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies $ 433 $ 3 $ — $ 436 Corporate securities — 632 — 632 Municipal securities: General obligation — 96 — 96 Pre-refunded — 4 — 4 Revenue — 161 — 161 Variable rate demand notes — 28 — 28 Asset backed securities — 162 — 162 Mortgage backed securities — 78 — 78 Total investments $ 433 $ 1,164 $ — $ 1,597 Restricted deposits available for sale: Cash and cash equivalents $ 80 $ — $ — $ 80 Certificates of deposit 6 — — 6 U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies 15 — — 15 Total restricted deposits $ 101 $ — $ — $ 101 Other long term assets: Interest rate swap agreements $ — $ 10 $ — $ 10 Total assets at fair value $ 2,501 $ 1,174 $ — $ 3,675 Liabilities Other long term liabilities: Interest rate swap agreements $ — $ 5 $ — $ 5 Total liabilities at fair value $ — $ 5 $ — $ 5 The following table summarizes fair value measurements by level at December 31, 2014 , for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis ($ in millions): Level I Level II Level III Total Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,610 $ — $ — $ 1,610 Investments available for sale: U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies $ 360 $ 17 $ — $ 377 Corporate securities — 556 — 556 Municipal securities: General obligation — 54 — 54 Pre-refunded — 5 — 5 Revenue — 102 — 102 Variable rate demand notes — 14 — 14 Asset backed securities — 180 — 180 Mortgage backed securities — 85 — 85 Total investments $ 360 $ 1,013 $ — $ 1,373 Restricted deposits available for sale: Cash and cash equivalents $ 79 $ — $ — $ 79 Certificates of deposit 6 — — 6 U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies 15 — — 15 Total restricted deposits $ 100 $ — $ — $ 100 Other long term assets: Interest rate swap agreements $ — $ 11 $ — $ 11 Total assets at fair value $ 2,070 $ 1,024 $ — $ 3,094 The Company periodically transfers U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies between Level I and Level II fair value measurements dependent upon the level of trading activity for the specific securities at the measurement date. The Company’s policy regarding the timing of transfers between Level I and Level II is to measure and record the transfers at the end of the reporting period. At June 30, 2015 , there were less than $1 million of transfers from Level I to Level II and $14 million of transfers from Level II to Level I. The Company utilizes matrix pricing services to estimate fair value for securities which are not actively traded on the measurement date. The Company designates these securities as Level II fair value measurements. The aggregate carrying amount of the Company’s life insurance contracts and other non-majority owned investments, which approximates fair value, was $84 million and $84 million as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 , respectively.

Health Insurance Marketplace

Health Insurance Marketplace	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Health Insurance Marketplace [Abstract]
Health Insurance Marketplace	Health Insurance Marketplace The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established risk spreading premium stabilization programs effective January 1, 2014 for the Health Insurance Marketplace product. These programs, commonly referred to as the “three Rs,” include a permanent risk adjustment program, a transitional reinsurance program, and a temporary risk corridor program. Additionally, the ACA established a minimum annual medical loss ratio for the Health Insurance Marketplace. Each of the three R programs are taken into consideration to determine if the Company’s estimated annual medical costs are less than the minimum loss ratio and require an adjustment to Premium revenue to meet the minimum medical loss ratio. In June 2015, CMS released final results on reinsurance and risk-adjustment for the 2014 plan year. These final results had an insignificant impact to the Company for the 2014 plan year. The Company's receivables (payables) for each of these programs are as follows ($ in millions): June 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 Risk adjustment $ (99 ) $ (44 ) Reinsurance 20 11 Risk corridor (29 ) (9 ) Minimum medical loss ratio (18 ) (6 )

Debt

Debt	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	Debt Debt consists of the following ($ in millions): June 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 $425 million 5.75% Senior notes, due June 1, 2017 $ 429 $ 429 $500 million 4.75% Senior notes, due May 15, 2022 500 300 Fair value of interest rate swap agreements 5 11 Senior notes 934 740 Revolving credit agreement 150 75 Mortgage notes payable 69 70 Capital leases 7 8 Debt issuance costs (16 ) (14 ) Total debt 1,144 879 Less current portion (5 ) (5 ) Long term debt $ 1,139 $ 874 Senior Notes In January 2015, the Company issued an additional $200 million of 4.75% Senior Notes ( $200 Million Add-on Notes) at par. The $200 Million Add-on Notes were offered as additional debt securities under the indenture governing the $300 million of 4.75% Senior Notes issued in April 2014. In connection with the January 2015 issuance, the Company entered into interest rate swap agreements for a notional amount of $200 million at a floating rate of interest based on the three month LIBOR plus 2.88% . Gains and losses due to changes in the fair value of the interest rate swap completely offset changes in the fair value of the hedged portion of the underlying debt and are recorded as an adjustment to the $200 Million Add-on Notes. The indentures governing both the $425 million notes due 2017 and the $500 million notes due 2022 contain non-financial and financial covenants, including requirements of a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio. Interest Rate Swaps The Company uses interest rate swap agreements to convert a portion of its interest rate exposure from fixed rates to floating rates to more closely align interest expense with interest income received on its cash equivalent and variable rate investment balances. The Company has $750 million of notional amount of interest rate swap agreements consisting of $250 million which are scheduled to expire on June 1, 2017 and $500 million that are scheduled to expire May 15, 2022 . Under the Swap Agreements, the Company receives a fixed rate of interest and pays an average variable rate of the three month LIBOR plus 2.85% adjusted quarterly. At June 30, 2015 , the weighted average rate was 3.12% . The Swap Agreements are formally designated and qualify as fair value hedges and are recorded at fair value in the Consolidated Balance Sheet in other assets or other liabilities. Gains and losses due to changes in fair value of the interest rate swap agreements completely offset changes in the fair value of the hedged portion of the underlying debt. Therefore, no gain or loss has been recognized due to hedge ineffectiveness. Offsetting changes in fair value of both the interest rate swaps and the hedged portion of the underlying debt both were recognized in interest expense in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. The Company does not hold or issue any derivative instrument for trading or speculative purposes. Revolving Credit Agreement The Company has an unsecured $500 million revolving credit facility. Borrowings under the agreement bear interest based upon LIBOR rates, the Federal Funds Rate or the Prime Rate. The agreement has a maturity date of June 1, 2018 , provided it will mature 90 days prior to the maturity date of the Company's 5.75% Senior Notes due 2017 if such notes are not refinanced (or extended), certain financial conditions are not met, or the Company does not carry $100 million of unrestricted cash. As of June 30, 2015 , the Company had $150 million of borrowings outstanding under the agreement with a weighted average interest rate of 3.75% . The agreement contains non-financial and financial covenants, including requirements of minimum fixed charge coverage ratios, maximum debt-to-EBITDA ratios and minimum tangible net worth. The Company is required to not exceed a maximum debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 3.0 to 1.0. As of June 30, 2015 , there were no limitations on the availability under the revolving credit agreement as a result of the debt-to-EBITDA ratio. Letters of Credit & Surety Bonds The Company had outstanding letters of credit of $47 million as of June 30, 2015 , which were not part of the revolving credit facility. The Company also had letters of credit for $53 million (valued at June 30, 2015 conversion rate), or €48 million , representing its proportional share of the letters of credit issued to support Ribera Salud’s outstanding debt, which are a part of the revolving credit facility. Collectively, the letters of credit bore interest at 1.64% as of June 30, 2015 . The Company had outstanding surety bonds of $260 million as of June 30, 2015 .

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	Earnings Per Share The following table sets forth the calculation of basic and diluted net earnings per common share ($ in millions, except per share data): Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2015 2014 2015 2014 Earnings attributable to Centene Corporation: Earnings from continuing operations, net of tax $ 88 $ 47 $ 152 $ 81 Discontinued operations, net of tax — 2 (1 ) 1 Net earnings $ 88 $ 49 $ 151 $ 82 Shares used in computing per share amounts: Weighted average number of common shares outstanding 119,003,569 115,517,366 118,894,269 115,244,078 Common stock equivalents (as determined by applying the treasury stock method) 3,961,442 3,917,150 3,891,190 3,850,762 Weighted average number of common shares and potential dilutive common shares outstanding 122,965,011 119,434,516 122,785,459 119,094,840 Net earnings (loss) per common share attributable to Centene Corporation: Basic: Continuing operations $ 0.74 $ 0.41 $ 1.28 $ 0.70 Discontinued operations — 0.01 (0.01 ) 0.01 Basic earnings per common share $ 0.74 $ 0.42 $ 1.27 $ 0.71 Diluted: Continuing operations $ 0.72 $ 0.39 $ 1.24 $ 0.68 Discontinued operations — 0.02 (0.01 ) 0.01 Diluted earnings per common share $ 0.72 $ 0.41 $ 1.23 $ 0.69 The calculation of diluted earnings per common share for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 excludes the impact of 49,754 and 59,828 shares, respectively, related to anti-dilutive stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units. The calculation of diluted earnings per common share for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 excludes the impact of 103,710 shares and 111,088 shares, respectively, related to anti-dilutive stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units.

Segment Information

Segment Information	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	Segment Information Centene operates in two segments: Managed Care and Specialty Services. The Managed Care segment consists of Centene’s health plans including all of the functions needed to operate them. The Specialty Services segment consists of Centene’s specialty companies offering auxiliary healthcare services and products. Segment information for the three months ended June 30, 2015 , follows ($ in millions): Managed Care Specialty Services Eliminations Consolidated Total Premium and service revenues from external customers $ 4,647 $ 537 $ — $ 5,184 Premium and service revenues from internal customers 25 1,176 (1,201 ) — Total premium and service revenues $ 4,672 $ 1,713 $ (1,201 ) $ 5,184 Earnings from operations $ 125 $ 48 $ — $ 173 Segment information for the three months ended June 30, 2014 , follows ($ in millions): Managed Care Specialty Services Eliminations Consolidated Total Premium and service revenues from external customers $ 3,225 $ 516 $ — $ 3,741 Premium and service revenues from internal customers 13 676 (689 ) — Total premium and service revenues $ 3,238 $ 1,192 $ (689 ) $ 3,741 Earnings from operations $ 64 $ 29 $ — $ 93 Segment information for the six months ended June 30, 2015 , follows ($ in millions): Managed Care Specialty Services Eliminations Consolidated Total Premium and service revenues from external customers $ 8,890 $ 1,055 $ — $ 9,945 Premium and service revenues from internal customers 49 2,251 (2,300 ) — Total premium and service revenues $ 8,939 $ 3,306 $ (2,300 ) $ 9,945 Earnings from operations $ 220 $ 82 $ — $ 302 Segment information for the six months ended June 30, 2014 , follows ($ in millions): Managed Care Specialty Services Eliminations Consolidated Total Premium and service revenues from external customers $ 6,195 $ 898 $ — $ 7,093 Premium and service revenues from internal customers 26 1,315 (1,341 ) — Total premium and service revenues $ 6,221 $ 2,213 $ (1,341 ) $ 7,093 Earnings from operations $ 108 $ 55 $ — $ 163

Contingencies

Contingencies	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Contingencies	Contingencies On July 5, 2013, the Company's subsidiary, Kentucky Spirit Health Plan, Inc. (Kentucky Spirit), terminated its contract with the Commonwealth of Kentucky (the Commonwealth). Kentucky Spirit believes it had a contractual right to terminate the contract and filed a lawsuit in Franklin Circuit Court seeking a declaration of this right. The Commonwealth has alleged that Kentucky Spirit's exit constitutes a material breach of contract. The Commonwealth seeks to recover substantial damages and to enforce its rights under Kentucky Spirit's $25 million performance bond. The Commonwealth's attorneys have asserted that the Commonwealth's expenditures due to Kentucky Spirit's departure range from $28 million to $40 million plus interest, and that the associated CMS expenditures range from $92 million to $134 million . Kentucky Spirit disputes the Commonwealth's alleged damages, and is pursuing its own litigation claims for damages against the Commonwealth. On February 6, 2015, the Kentucky Court of Appeals affirmed a Franklin Circuit Court ruling that Kentucky Spirit does not have a contractual right to terminate the contract early. The Court of Appeals also found that the contract’s liquidated damages provision “is applicable in the event of a premature termination of the Contract term.” Kentucky Spirit intends to seek Kentucky Supreme Court review of the finding that its departure constituted a breach of contract. The Commonwealth may seek review of the ruling that the liquidated damages provision is applicable in the event of a premature termination. Kentucky Spirit also filed a lawsuit in April 2013, amended in October 2014, in Franklin Circuit Court seeking damages against the Commonwealth for losses sustained due to the Commonwealth's alleged breaches. On December 9, 2014, the Franklin Circuit Court denied the Commonwealth's motion for partial summary judgment on Kentucky Spirit's damages claims. On March 15, 2015, the Franklin Circuit Court denied the Commonwealth's motion to stay discovery and ordered that discovery proceed on those claims. On March 9, 2015, the Secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) issued a determination letter finding that Kentucky Spirit owed the Commonwealth $40 million in actual damages plus prejudgment interest at 8 percent. On March 18, 2015, in a letter to the Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet, Kentucky Spirit contested CHFS' jurisdiction to make such a determination. Depending on the response from the Finance and Administration Cabinet, Kentucky Spirit may bring the matter to the Franklin Circuit Court. The resolution of the Kentucky litigation matters may result in a range of possible outcomes. If Kentucky Spirit prevails on its claims, it would be entitled to damages. If the Commonwealth prevails, a liability to the Commonwealth could be recorded. The Company is unable to estimate the ultimate outcome resulting from the Kentucky litigation. As a result, the Company has not recorded any receivable or any liability for potential damages under the contract as of June 30, 2015. While uncertain, the ultimate resolution of the pending litigation could have a material effect on the financial position, cash flow or results of operations of the Company in the period it is resolved or becomes known. Excluding the Kentucky matters discussed above, the Company is also routinely subjected to legal proceedings in the normal course of business. While the ultimate resolution of such matters in the normal course of business is uncertain, the Company does not expect the results of any of these matters individually, or in the aggregate, to have a material effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Subsequent Events

Subsequent Events	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	Subsequent Events On July 2, 2015, the Company announced that the Company and two direct, newly formed subsidiaries of the Company had entered into a definitive merger agreement with Health Net, Inc. (Health Net) under which Centene will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Health Net. Under the terms of the agreement, at the closing of the transaction, Health Net stockholders (with limited exceptions) would receive 0.622 of a validly issued, fully paid, non-assessable share of Centene common stock and $28.25 in cash for each share of Health Net common stock. The transaction is valued at approximately $6.8 billion ( based on the Centene closing stock price on July 1, 2015 ), including the assumption of debt. The transaction is expected to close in early 2016 and is subject to approval by Centene and Health Net stockholders, the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting periods under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, approvals by relevant state insurance and healthcare regulators and other customary closing conditions. The Company expects to fund the cash portion of the acquisition through a combination of existing cash on hand and debt financing.

Basis Of Presentation Basis of

Basis Of Presentation Basis of Presentation (Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy	Recent Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an Accounting Standards Update (ASU) which supersedes existing revenue recognition standards with a single model unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards (e.g., an insurance entity's insurance contracts). Under the new standard, recognition of revenue occurs when a customer obtains control of promised goods or services in an amount that reflects the consideration which the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. In addition, the standard requires disclosure of the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. In July 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of the new revenue standard by one year. The new effective date is for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of the new revenue recognition guidance. In April 2015, the FASB issued an ASU which changes the presentation of debt issuance costs in financial statements. Under the new standard, debt issuance costs are presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction of the related debt liability rather than as an asset. Amortization of the cost is reported as interest expense. The new standard is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and early adoption is permitted. The Company elected to adopt this guidance beginning in the first quarter of 2015 and has applied the new standard retrospectively to all prior periods. The reclassification of debt issuance costs impacted the Consolidated Balance Sheets by decreasing both Other Long Term Assets and Long Term Debt by $14 million at December 31, 2014 and $16 million at June 30, 2015 . These reclassifications have no effect on net earnings or stockholders' equity as previously reported. In May 2015, the FASB issued an ASU which expands the disclosure requirements for insurance companies that issue short-duration contracts. The new standard will increase the level of disclosure around the Company's Medical Claims Liability to include the following: claims development by year; claim frequency; a rollforward of the claims liability; and a description of methods and assumptions used for determining the liability. It is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of the new disclosure requirements.

Acquisitions and Redeemable N20

Acquisitions and Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest Acquisitions and Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	A reconciliation of the changes in the Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests is as follows ($ in millions): Balance, December 31, 2014 $ 148 Fair value of redeemable noncontrolling interest sold 7 Reclassification to redeemable noncontrolling interest (1 ) Net earnings attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interests 1 Balance, June 30, 2015 $ 155

Short-Term And Long-Term Inve21

Short-Term And Long-Term Investments And Restricted Deposits (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Short-Term And Long-Term Investments And Restricted Deposits By Investment Type	Short term and long term investments and restricted deposits by investment type consist of the following ($ in millions): June 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies $ 451 $ 1 $ (1 ) $ 451 $ 393 $ 1 $ (2 ) $ 392 Corporate securities 632 2 (2 ) 632 556 2 (2 ) 556 Restricted certificates of deposit 6 — — 6 6 — — 6 Restricted cash equivalents 80 — — 80 79 — — 79 Municipal securities: General obligation 96 — — 96 54 — — 54 Pre-refunded 4 — — 4 5 — — 5 Revenue 161 1 (1 ) 161 101 1 — 102 Variable rate demand notes 28 — — 28 14 — — 14 Asset backed securities 162 — — 162 180 — — 180 Mortgage backed securities 77 1 — 78 84 1 — 85 Cost and equity method investments 68 — — 68 68 — — 68 Life insurance contracts 16 — — 16 16 — — 16 Total $ 1,781 $ 5 $ (4 ) $ 1,782 $ 1,556 $ 5 $ (4 ) $ 1,557
Fair Value Of Available-For-Sale Investments With Gross Unrealized Losses By Investment Type And Length Of Time	The fair value of available-for-sale investments with gross unrealized losses by investment type and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position were as follows ($ in millions): June 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 Less Than 12 Months 12 Months or More Less Than 12 Months 12 Months or More Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies $ (1 ) $ 162 $ — $ 16 $ — $ 72 $ (2 ) $ 180 Corporate securities (2 ) 286 — 31 (2 ) 311 — 1 Municipal securities: General obligation — 51 — 3 — 4 — 3 Revenue (1 ) 52 — 5 — 16 — 3 Pre-refunded — — — — — — — 1 Asset backed securities — 37 — 15 — 70 — 10 Mortgage backed securities — 37 — — — 18 — — Total $ (4 ) $ 625 $ — $ 70 $ (2 ) $ 491 $ (2 ) $ 198
Contractual Maturities Of Short-Term And Long-Term Investments And Restricted Deposits	The contractual maturities of short term and long term investments and restricted deposits are as follows ($ in millions): June 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 Investments Restricted Deposits Investments Restricted Deposits Amortized Cost Fair Value Amortized Cost Fair Value Amortized Cost Fair Value Amortized Cost Fair Value One year or less $ 140 $ 140 $ 99 $ 99 $ 176 $ 177 $ 92 $ 92 One year through five years 1,325 1,326 2 2 1,121 1,121 8 8 Five years through ten years 135 135 — — 121 120 — — Greater than ten years 80 80 — — 38 39 — — Total $ 1,680 $ 1,681 $ 101 $ 101 $ 1,456 $ 1,457 $ 100 $ 100

Fair Value Measurements (Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements By Level For Assets And Liabilities Measured At Fair Value On A Recurring Basis	The following table summarizes fair value measurements by level at June 30, 2015 , for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis ($ in millions): Level I Level II Level III Total Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,967 $ — $ — $ 1,967 Investments available for sale: U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies $ 433 $ 3 $ — $ 436 Corporate securities — 632 — 632 Municipal securities: General obligation — 96 — 96 Pre-refunded — 4 — 4 Revenue — 161 — 161 Variable rate demand notes — 28 — 28 Asset backed securities — 162 — 162 Mortgage backed securities — 78 — 78 Total investments $ 433 $ 1,164 $ — $ 1,597 Restricted deposits available for sale: Cash and cash equivalents $ 80 $ — $ — $ 80 Certificates of deposit 6 — — 6 U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies 15 — — 15 Total restricted deposits $ 101 $ — $ — $ 101 Other long term assets: Interest rate swap agreements $ — $ 10 $ — $ 10 Total assets at fair value $ 2,501 $ 1,174 $ — $ 3,675 Liabilities Other long term liabilities: Interest rate swap agreements $ — $ 5 $ — $ 5 Total liabilities at fair value $ — $ 5 $ — $ 5 The following table summarizes fair value measurements by level at December 31, 2014 , for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis ($ in millions): Level I Level II Level III Total Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,610 $ — $ — $ 1,610 Investments available for sale: U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies $ 360 $ 17 $ — $ 377 Corporate securities — 556 — 556 Municipal securities: General obligation — 54 — 54 Pre-refunded — 5 — 5 Revenue — 102 — 102 Variable rate demand notes — 14 — 14 Asset backed securities — 180 — 180 Mortgage backed securities — 85 — 85 Total investments $ 360 $ 1,013 $ — $ 1,373 Restricted deposits available for sale: Cash and cash equivalents $ 79 $ — $ — $ 79 Certificates of deposit 6 — — 6 U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies 15 — — 15 Total restricted deposits $ 100 $ — $ — $ 100 Other long term assets: Interest rate swap agreements $ — $ 11 $ — $ 11 Total assets at fair value $ 2,070 $ 1,024 $ — $ 3,094

Health Insurance Marketplace He

Health Insurance Marketplace Health Insurance Marketplace (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Health Insurance Marketplace [Abstract]
Schedule of receivables (payables) related to the Health Insurance Marketplace programs	The Company's receivables (payables) for each of these programs are as follows ($ in millions): June 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 Risk adjustment $ (99 ) $ (44 ) Reinsurance 20 11 Risk corridor (29 ) (9 ) Minimum medical loss ratio (18 ) (6 )

Debt (Tables)

Debt (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule Of Debt	Debt consists of the following ($ in millions): June 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 $425 million 5.75% Senior notes, due June 1, 2017 $ 429 $ 429 $500 million 4.75% Senior notes, due May 15, 2022 500 300 Fair value of interest rate swap agreements 5 11 Senior notes 934 740 Revolving credit agreement 150 75 Mortgage notes payable 69 70 Capital leases 7 8 Debt issuance costs (16 ) (14 ) Total debt 1,144 879 Less current portion (5 ) (5 ) Long term debt $ 1,139 $ 874

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Calculation Of Basic And Diluted Net Earnings Per Common Share	The following table sets forth the calculation of basic and diluted net earnings per common share ($ in millions, except per share data): Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2015 2014 2015 2014 Earnings attributable to Centene Corporation: Earnings from continuing operations, net of tax $ 88 $ 47 $ 152 $ 81 Discontinued operations, net of tax — 2 (1 ) 1 Net earnings $ 88 $ 49 $ 151 $ 82 Shares used in computing per share amounts: Weighted average number of common shares outstanding 119,003,569 115,517,366 118,894,269 115,244,078 Common stock equivalents (as determined by applying the treasury stock method) 3,961,442 3,917,150 3,891,190 3,850,762 Weighted average number of common shares and potential dilutive common shares outstanding 122,965,011 119,434,516 122,785,459 119,094,840 Net earnings (loss) per common share attributable to Centene Corporation: Basic: Continuing operations $ 0.74 $ 0.41 $ 1.28 $ 0.70 Discontinued operations — 0.01 (0.01 ) 0.01 Basic earnings per common share $ 0.74 $ 0.42 $ 1.27 $ 0.71 Diluted: Continuing operations $ 0.72 $ 0.39 $ 1.24 $ 0.68 Discontinued operations — 0.02 (0.01 ) 0.01 Diluted earnings per common share $ 0.72 $ 0.41 $ 1.23 $ 0.69

Segment Information (Tables)

Segment Information (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	Segment information for the three months ended June 30, 2015 , follows ($ in millions): Managed Care Specialty Services Eliminations Consolidated Total Premium and service revenues from external customers $ 4,647 $ 537 $ — $ 5,184 Premium and service revenues from internal customers 25 1,176 (1,201 ) — Total premium and service revenues $ 4,672 $ 1,713 $ (1,201 ) $ 5,184 Earnings from operations $ 125 $ 48 $ — $ 173 Segment information for the three months ended June 30, 2014 , follows ($ in millions): Managed Care Specialty Services Eliminations Consolidated Total Premium and service revenues from external customers $ 3,225 $ 516 $ — $ 3,741 Premium and service revenues from internal customers 13 676 (689 ) — Total premium and service revenues $ 3,238 $ 1,192 $ (689 ) $ 3,741 Earnings from operations $ 64 $ 29 $ — $ 93 Segment information for the six months ended June 30, 2015 , follows ($ in millions): Managed Care Specialty Services Eliminations Consolidated Total Premium and service revenues from external customers $ 8,890 $ 1,055 $ — $ 9,945 Premium and service revenues from internal customers 49 2,251 (2,300 ) — Total premium and service revenues $ 8,939 $ 3,306 $ (2,300 ) $ 9,945 Earnings from operations $ 220 $ 82 $ — $ 302 Segment information for the six months ended June 30, 2014 , follows ($ in millions): Managed Care Specialty Services Eliminations Consolidated Total Premium and service revenues from external customers $ 6,195 $ 898 $ — $ 7,093 Premium and service revenues from internal customers 26 1,315 (1,341 ) — Total premium and service revenues $ 6,221 $ 2,213 $ (1,341 ) $ 7,093 Earnings from operations $ 108 $ 55 $ — $ 163

Basis Of Presentation (Details)

Basis Of Presentation (Details) $ in Millions	Feb. 19, 2015	Feb. 02, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Stock split conversion ratio		2
Percentage of common stock distributed as dividends	100.00%
New Accounting Pronouncement, Effect of adoption on balance sheet			$ 16	$ 14

Acquisitions and Redeemable N28

Acquisitions and Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest Acquisitions and Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	May. 31, 2015	Jan. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payment of contingent consideration obligation				$ 8	$ 0
Gain on settlement of contingent consideration				(10)	$ 0
Goodwill				$ 811		$ 754
LiveHealthier, Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value of contingent consideration		$ 4
Percentage of acquisition		79.00%
Consideration transferred		$ 28
Total percentage of ownership after the acquisition		100.00%
Payments to acquire business		$ 11
Common stock issued for acquisition		$ 13
Contingent consideration, period of payout		3 years
Maximum contingent consideration		$ 9
Goodwill		26
Intangibles acquired		$ 15
Celtic Insurance Company [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership percentage sold by parent, percentage		25.00%
Proceeds from divestiture of businesses		$ 7
Community Health Solutions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value of contingent consideration						$ 18
Payment of contingent consideration obligation			$ 8
Gain on settlement of contingent consideration			$ (10)
Fidelis [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value of contingent consideration	$ 34
Percentage of acquisition	100.00%
Consideration transferred	$ 57
Payments to acquire business	7
Goodwill	28
Intangibles acquired	$ 24
Goodwill deductible for income tax , percentage	100.00%
Liabilities incurred	$ 16
Description of contingent consideration arrangement	duals membership and revenue per member during the first year of the contract, including reconciliation payments

Acquisitions and Redeemable N29

Acquisitions and Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest (Details) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015USD ($)
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Roll Forward]
Opening balance	$ 148
Fair value of redeemable noncontrolling interest sold	7
Reclassification to redeemable noncontrolling interest	(1)
Net earnings attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interests	1
Closing balance	$ 155

Short-Term And Long-Term Inve30

Short-Term And Long-Term Investments And Restricted Deposits (Narrative) (Details) - Jun. 30, 2015 $ in Millions	USD ($)positions
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Percentage of investments in securities recorded at fair value that carry a rating by Moody's or S&P of AAA/Aaa	48.00%
Percentage of investments in securities recorded at fair value that carry a rating by Moody's or S&P of AA-/Aa3 or higher	66.00%
Percentage of investments in securities recorded at fair value that carry a rating by Moody's or S&P of A-/A3 or higher	90.00%
Positions from which gross unrealized losses were generated	122
Total unrealized investment positions	357
Income from equity method investments | $	$ 4

Short-Term And Long-Term Inve31

Short-Term And Long-Term Investments And Restricted Deposits (By Investment Type) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule Of Investments And Restricted Deposits By Type [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	$ 1,781	$ 1,556
Gross Unrealized Gains	5	5
Gross Unrealized Losses	(4)	(4)
Fair Value	1,782	1,557
U.S. Treasury Securities And Obligations Of U.S. Government Corporations And Agencies [Member]
Schedule Of Investments And Restricted Deposits By Type [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	451	393
Gross Unrealized Gains	1	1
Gross Unrealized Losses	(1)	(2)
Fair Value	451	392
Corporate Securities [Member]
Schedule Of Investments And Restricted Deposits By Type [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	632	556
Gross Unrealized Gains	2	2
Gross Unrealized Losses	(2)	(2)
Fair Value	632	556
Restricted Certificates Of Deposit [Member]
Schedule Of Investments And Restricted Deposits By Type [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	6	6
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	6	6
Restricted Cash Equivalents [Member]
Schedule Of Investments And Restricted Deposits By Type [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	80	79
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	80	79
Municipal Securities, General Obligation [Member]
Schedule Of Investments And Restricted Deposits By Type [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	96	54
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	96	54
Municipal Securities, Pre-Refunded [Member]
Schedule Of Investments And Restricted Deposits By Type [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	4	5
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	4	5
Municipal Securities, Revenue [Member]
Schedule Of Investments And Restricted Deposits By Type [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	161	101
Gross Unrealized Gains	1	1
Gross Unrealized Losses	(1)	0
Fair Value	161	102
Municipal Securities, Variable Rate Demand Notes [Member]
Schedule Of Investments And Restricted Deposits By Type [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	28	14
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	28	14
Asset Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule Of Investments And Restricted Deposits By Type [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	162	180
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	162	180
Mortgage-backed Securities, Issued by US Government Sponsored Enterprises [Member]
Schedule Of Investments And Restricted Deposits By Type [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	77	84
Gross Unrealized Gains	1	1
Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	78	85
Cost And Equity Method Investments [Member]
Schedule Of Investments And Restricted Deposits By Type [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	68	68
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	68	68
Life Insurance Contracts [Member]
Schedule Of Investments And Restricted Deposits By Type [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	16	16
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	$ 16	$ 16

Short-Term And Long-Term Inve32

Short-Term And Long-Term Investments And Restricted Deposits (Fair Value Of Available-For-Sale Investments With Gross Unrealized Losses By Investment Type And Length Of Time) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Less Than12 Months Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	$ (4)	$ (2)
Less Than 12 Months, Fair Value	625	491
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position 12 Months Or Longer Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	0	(2)
12 Months or More, Fair Value	70	198
U.S. Treasury Securities And Obligations Of U.S. Government Corporations And Agencies [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Less Than12 Months Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	(1)	0
Less Than 12 Months, Fair Value	162	72
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position 12 Months Or Longer Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	0	(2)
12 Months or More, Fair Value	16	180
Corporate Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Less Than12 Months Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	(2)	(2)
Less Than 12 Months, Fair Value	286	311
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position 12 Months Or Longer Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	0	0
12 Months or More, Fair Value	31	1
Municipal Securities, General Obligation [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Less Than12 Months Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	0	0
Less Than 12 Months, Fair Value	51	4
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position 12 Months Or Longer Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	0	0
12 Months or More, Fair Value	3	3
Municipal Securities, Revenue [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Less Than12 Months Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	(1)	0
Less Than 12 Months, Fair Value	52	16
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position 12 Months Or Longer Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	0	0
12 Months or More, Fair Value	5	3
Municipal Securities Pre Refunded [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Less Than12 Months Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	0	0
Less Than 12 Months, Fair Value	0	0
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position 12 Months Or Longer Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	0	0
12 Months or More, Fair Value	0	1
Asset Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Less Than12 Months Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	0	0
Less Than 12 Months, Fair Value	37	70
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position 12 Months Or Longer Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	0	0
12 Months or More, Fair Value	15	10
Mortgage-backed Securities, Issued by US Government Sponsored Enterprises [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position Less Than12 Months Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	0	0
Less Than 12 Months, Fair Value	37	18
Available For Sale Securities Continuous Unrealized Loss Position 12 Months Or Longer Aggregate Losses Accumulated In Investments	0	0
12 Months or More, Fair Value	$ 0	$ 0

Short-Term And Long-Term Inve33

Short-Term And Long-Term Investments And Restricted Deposits (Contractual Maturities Of Short-Term And Long-Term Investments And Restricted Deposits) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
One year or less, Amortized Cost	$ 140	$ 176
One year through five years, Amortized Cost	1,325	1,121
Five years through ten years, Amortized Cost	135	121
Greater than ten years, Amortized Cost	80	38
Total, Amortized Cost	1,680	1,456
One year or less, Fair Value	140	177
One year through five years, Fair Value	1,326	1,121
Five years through ten years, Fair Value	135	120
Greater than ten years, Fair Value	80	39
Total, Fair Value	1,681	1,457
Restricted Deposits [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
One year or less, Amortized Cost	99	92
One year through five years, Amortized Cost	2	8
Five years through ten years, Amortized Cost	0	0
Greater than ten years, Amortized Cost	0	0
Total, Amortized Cost	101	100
One year or less, Fair Value	99	92
One year through five years, Fair Value	2	8
Five years through ten years, Fair Value	0	0
Greater than ten years, Fair Value	0	0
Total, Fair Value	$ 101	$ 100

Fair Value Measurements (Fair V

Fair Value Measurements (Fair Value Measurements By Level For Assets And Liabilities Measured At Fair Value On A Recurring Basis) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,967	$ 1,610
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies	436	377
Corporate securities	632	556
Municipal securities, General obligation	96	54
Municipal securities, Pre-refunded	4	5
Municipal securities, Revenue	161	102
Municipal securities, Variable rate demand notes	28	14
Asset backed securities	162	180
Mortgage backed securities	78	85
Total investments	1,597	1,373
Cash and cash equivalents	80	79
Certificates of deposit	6	6
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies	15	15
Total restricted deposits	101	100
Other long term assets: Interest rate swap agreements	10	11
Total assets at fair value	3,675	3,094
Other long term liabilities: Interest rate swap agreements	5
Total liabilities at fair value	5
Level I [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	1,967	1,610
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies	433	360
Corporate securities	0	0
Municipal securities, General obligation	0	0
Municipal securities, Pre-refunded	0	0
Municipal securities, Revenue	0	0
Municipal securities, Variable rate demand notes	0	0
Asset backed securities	0	0
Mortgage backed securities	0	0
Total investments	433	360
Cash and cash equivalents	80	79
Certificates of deposit	6	6
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies	15	15
Total restricted deposits	101	100
Other long term assets: Interest rate swap agreements	0	0
Total assets at fair value	2,501	2,070
Other long term liabilities: Interest rate swap agreements	0
Total liabilities at fair value	0
Level II [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies	3	17
Corporate securities	632	556
Municipal securities, General obligation	96	54
Municipal securities, Pre-refunded	4	5
Municipal securities, Revenue	161	102
Municipal securities, Variable rate demand notes	28	14
Asset backed securities	162	180
Mortgage backed securities	78	85
Total investments	1,164	1,013
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Certificates of deposit	0	0
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies	0	0
Total restricted deposits	0	0
Other long term assets: Interest rate swap agreements	10	11
Total assets at fair value	1,174	1,024
Other long term liabilities: Interest rate swap agreements	5
Total liabilities at fair value	5
Level III [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies	0	0
Corporate securities	0	0
Municipal securities, General obligation	0	0
Municipal securities, Pre-refunded	0	0
Municipal securities, Revenue	0	0
Municipal securities, Variable rate demand notes	0	0
Asset backed securities	0	0
Mortgage backed securities	0	0
Total investments	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Certificates of deposit	0	0
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies	0	0
Total restricted deposits	0	0
Other long term assets: Interest rate swap agreements	0	0
Total assets at fair value	0	$ 0
Other long term liabilities: Interest rate swap agreements	0
Total liabilities at fair value	$ 0

Fair Value Measurements (Narrat

Fair Value Measurements (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Transfers from Level I to Level II	$ 1
Transfers from Level II to Level I	14
Life insurance contracts and other non-majority owned investments, fair value	$ 84	$ 84

Health Insurance Marketplace (D

Health Insurance Marketplace (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Health Insurance Marketplace [Abstract]
Risk adjustment	$ (99)	$ (44)
Reinsurance	20	11
Risk corridor	(29)	(9)
Minimum medical loss ratio	$ (18)	$ (6)

Debt (Schedule Of Debt) (Detail

Debt (Schedule Of Debt) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Fair value of interest rate swap agreements	$ 5	$ 11
Senior notes	934	740
Revolving credit agreement	150	75
Mortgage notes payable	69	70
Capital leases	7	8
Debt issuance costs	(16)	(14)
Total debt	1,144	879
Less current portion	(5)	(5)
Long term debt	1,139	874
5.75% Senior Notes, Due June 1, 2017 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
$425 million 5.75% Senior notes, due June 1, 2017	429	429
Debt, face amount	$ 425
Interest rate, stated	5.75%
4.75% Senior Notes, Due on May 15, 2022 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
$500 million 4.75% Senior notes, due May 15, 2022	$ 500	$ 300
Debt, face amount	$ 500
Interest rate, stated	4.75%

Debt (Narrative) (Details)

Debt (Narrative) (Details) € in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015EUR (€)	Jan. 31, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2014USD ($)	May. 31, 2011USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount				$ 200
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 500	$ 500
Revolving credit facility, due date		Jun. 1, 2018
Line of credit, minimum carrying amount of unrestricted cash	100	$ 100
Revolving credit agreement	$ 150	$ 150			$ 75
Line of credit facility, covenant terms		The agreement contains non-financial and financial covenants, including requirements of minimum fixed charge coverage ratios, maximum debt-to-EBITDA ratios and minimum tangible net worth. The Company is required to not exceed a maximum debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 3.0 to 1.0.
Ratio of debt to EBITDA		3
Weighted average interest rate	3.75%	3.75%	3.75%
Senior notes, effective yield	1.64%	1.64%	1.64%
Maximum exposure, undiscounted	$ 260	$ 260
4.75% Add-on Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes, at par				$ 200		$ 300
Interest rate, stated				4.75%		4.75%
5.75% Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes, at par							$ 425
4.75% Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes, at par	500	500
Ribera Salud [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letters of credit outstanding, amount	53	53	€ 48
Non Revolver Letter of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letters of credit outstanding, amount	$ 47	$ 47
$200 Million Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Variable rate of swap, percentage	2.88%	2.88%	2.88%
Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount	$ 750	$ 750
Variable rate of swap, percentage	2.85%	2.85%	2.85%
Weighted average interest rate, interest rate swap agreements	3.12%	3.12%	3.12%
June 1, 2017 Expiration [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount	$ 250	$ 250
Interest rate swap agreements expire date	June 1, 2017
May 15, 2022 Expiration [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount	$ 500	$ 500
Interest rate swap agreements expire date	May 15, 2022
5.75% Senior Notes, Due June 1, 2017 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, stated	5.75%	5.75%	5.75%

Earnings Per Share (Details)

Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings from continuing operations, net of tax	$ 88	$ 47	$ 152	$ 81
Discontinued operations, net of tax	0	2	(1)	1
Net earnings	$ 88	$ 49	$ 151	$ 82
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (in shares)	119,003,569	115,517,366	118,894,269	115,244,078
Common stock equivalents (as determined by applying the treasury stock method) (in shares)	3,961,442	3,917,150	3,891,190	3,850,762
Weighted average number of common shares and potential dilutive common shares outstanding (in shares)	122,965,011	119,434,516	122,785,459	119,094,840
Basic (usd per share)
Continuing operations	$ 0.74	$ 0.41	$ 1.28	$ 0.70
Discontinued operations	0	0.01	(0.01)	0.01
Basic earnings per common share	0.74	0.42	1.27	0.71
Diluted (usd per share)
Continuing operations	0.72	0.39	1.24	0.68
Discontinued operations	0	0.02	(0.01)	0.01
Diluted earnings per common share	$ 0.72	$ 0.41	$ 1.23	$ 0.69
Anti-dilutive stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per common share ( in shares)	49,754	103,710	59,828	111,088

Segment Information (Details)

Segment Information (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015USD ($)segment	Jun. 30, 2014USD ($)
Number of reportable segments | segment			2
Revenues	$ 5,506	$ 4,024	$ 10,637	$ 7,484
Premium and service revenues	5,184	3,741	9,945	7,093
Earnings from operations	173	93	302	163
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Premium and service revenues	(1,201)	(689)	(2,300)	(1,341)
Earnings from operations	0	0	0	0
Operating Segments [Member] | Medicaid Managed Care [Member]
Premium and service revenues	4,672	3,238	8,939	6,221
Earnings from operations	125	64	220	108
Operating Segments [Member] | Specialty Services [Member]
Premium and service revenues	1,713	1,192	3,306	2,213
Earnings from operations	48	29	82	55
Internal Customer [Member]
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Internal Customer [Member] | Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Revenues	(1,201)	(689)	(2,300)	(1,341)
Internal Customer [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] | Medicaid Managed Care [Member]
Revenues	25	13	49	26
Internal Customer [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] | Specialty Services [Member]
Revenues	1,176	676	2,251	1,315
External Customer [Member]
Revenues	5,184	3,741	9,945	7,093
External Customer [Member] | Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Revenues	0	0	0	0
External Customer [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] | Medicaid Managed Care [Member]
Revenues	4,647	3,225	8,890	6,195
External Customer [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] | Specialty Services [Member]
Revenues	$ 537	$ 516	$ 1,055	$ 898

Contingencies (Details)

Contingencies (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 09, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Kentucky Spirit performance bond	$ 25
Commonwealth of Kentucky alleged increased program costs - low end of range	28
Commonwealth of Kentucky alleged increased program costs - high end of range	40
Commonwealth of Kentucky alleged associated CMS expenditures - low end of range	92
Commonwealth of Kentucky alleged associated CMS expenditures - high end of range	$ 134
Secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services determination letter damages		$ 40
Secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services determination letter damages prejudgment interest rate		8.00%
Loss contingency, allegations	On July 5, 2013, the Company's subsidiary, Kentucky Spirit Health Plan, Inc. (Kentucky Spirit), terminated its contract with the Commonwealth of Kentucky (the Commonwealth). Kentucky Spirit believes it had a contractual right to terminate the contract and filed a lawsuit in Franklin Circuit Court seeking a declaration of this right. The Commonwealth has alleged that Kentucky Spirit's exit constitutes a material breach of contract.  The Commonwealth seeks to recover substantial damages and to enforce its rights under Kentucky Spirit's $25 million performance bond. The Commonwealth's attorneys have asserted that the Commonwealth's expenditures due to Kentucky Spirit's departure range from $28 million to $40 million plus interest, and that the associated CMS expenditures range from $92 million to $134 million. Kentucky Spirit disputes the Commonwealth's alleged damages, and is pursuing its own litigation claims for damages against the Commonwealth. On February 6, 2015, the Kentucky Court of Appeals affirmed a Franklin Circuit Court ruling that Kentucky Spirit does not have a contractual right to terminate the contract early. The Court of Appeals also found that the contract’s liquidated damages provision “is applicable in the event of a premature termination of the Contract term.” Kentucky Spirit intends to seek Kentucky Supreme Court review of the finding that its departure constituted a breach of contract. The Commonwealth may seek review of the ruling that the liquidated damages provision is applicable in the event of a premature termination. Kentucky Spirit also filed a lawsuit in April 2013, amended in October 2014, in Franklin Circuit Court seeking damages against the Commonwealth for losses sustained due to the Commonwealth's alleged breaches. On December 9, 2014, the Franklin Circuit Court denied the Commonwealth's motion for partial summary judgment on Kentucky Spirit's damages claims. On March 15, 2015, the Franklin Circuit Court denied the Commonwealth's motion to stay discovery and ordered that discovery proceed on those claims.
Inestimable loss	The resolution of the Kentucky litigation matters may result in a range of possible outcomes.  If Kentucky Spirit prevails on its claims, it would be entitled to damages.  If the Commonwealth prevails, a liability to the Commonwealth could be recorded.  The Company is unable to estimate the ultimate outcome resulting from the Kentucky litigation.  As a result, the Company has not recorded any receivable or any liability for potential damages under the contract as of June 30, 2015.  While uncertain, the ultimate resolution of the pending litigation could have a material effect on the financial position, cash flow or results of operations of the Company in the period it is resolved or becomes known.

Subsequent Events (Details)

Subsequent Events (Details) - Jul. 02, 2015 - Health Net, Inc. [Member] - Subsequent Event [Member] $ / shares in Units, $ in Billions	USD ($)subsidiary$ / shares
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Newly formed subsidiaries of Centene	2
Share exchange, per share	0.622
Cash to be paid, per share | $ / shares	$ 28.25
Consideration to be paid per agreement | $	$ 6.8

Uncategorized Items - cnc-20150

Label	Element	Value
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	us-gaap_ProfitLoss	$ 48
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	us-gaap_ProfitLoss	$ 88