Centene Corporation announced the launch of a new initiative to encourage Centene health plan members, as well as all Americans, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Effort will include public service announcement, call campaign focused on reaching its 25 million members
ST. LOUIS, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) announced today the launch of a new initiative to encourage Centene health plan members, as well as all Americans, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This week, Centene will begin working with network physicians to deploy a call campaign to its health plan members nationwide. The call will ask recipients whether they have been vaccinated, and will help those who have not to arrange an appointment. The top 100 providers with the highest increase in vaccination rates as a result of this initiative will each receive a $5,000 grant for medical equipment.
In addition, Centene will be launching a new public service announcement (PSA) focused on the importance of getting vaccinated for the benefit of an individual’s family and other loved ones. The PSA will remind people to get vaccinated for their loved ones: their grandparents, their parents, and their friends, all whom they would rather visit, than go to a visitation.
“Uncertainty around the COVID-19 vaccine could lead some people to avoid or delay receiving the shot. We continue to be concerned that this could have significant consequences for their health and the health of their families,” said Michael Neidorff, Chairman, President and CEO of Centene. “Through these two new initiatives, as well as other previously announced campaigns, we want to continue to empower people to actively contribute to their health and well-being by informing them about the benefits of the vaccine.”
This announcement builds on numerous previous efforts to educate individuals about the COVID-19 vaccine and overcome vaccine hesitancy. Over the past several months, Centene and its health plans have already been reaching out individually to members, especially those at high risk, to encourage them to get vaccinated. Health plans have also arranged transportation where appropriate and provided assistance in scheduling appointments.
In March, Centene announced a partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame on a PSA campaign featuring Hall of Famers Anthony Muños, Darrell Green, Aeneas Williams, Drew Pearson, Jerome Bettis, Derrick Brooks, Richard Dent, Ty Law, Emmitt Smith, Hall of Fame Selector and TV broadcaster Lisa Salters, and friends of the Hall Dawn Staley, a three-time Olympic gold medal winner and coach of the 2017 national champion University of South Carolina women’s basketball team, and Iman McFarland, Chief Operating Officer for 21st Century Expo Group and an ambassador for the Hall and Centene’s joint “Strong Youth Strong Communities” programming.
More than 160 TV stations across the country agreed to air the 30-second spots, in which Hall members highlight the people in their lives who are counting on them to get vaccinated. Centene and its health plans also have been running the PSAs across their social media channels. Meanwhile, Louisiana Healthcare Connections, SilverSummit, Sunshine and Superior Health Plans have all held in-person events with featured Hall of Famers to encourage vaccinations.
Centene’s local health plans have also partnered on numerous vaccination efforts across the country, including recent events and initiatives in Kentucky, New Mexico and California.
About Centene Corporation
Centene Corporation, a Fortune 25 company, is a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. The Company takes a local approach – with local brands and local teams – to provide fully integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services to government sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Centene offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members (including Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace, the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. The Company also serves several international markets, and contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide a variety of specialty services focused on treating the whole person. Centene focuses on long-term growth and the development of its people, systems and capabilities so that it can better serve its members, providers, local communities, and government partners.
Centene uses its investor relations website to publish important information about the Company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Centene is routinely posted and is accessible on Centene’s investor relations website, http://investors.centene.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
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In particular, these statements include, without limitation, statements about our future operating or financial performance, market opportunity, growth strategy, competition, expected activities in completed and future acquisitions, including statements about the impact of our proposed acquisition of Magellan Health (the Magellan Acquisition), our recently completed acquisition of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (WellCare and such acquisition, the WellCare Acquisition), other recent and future acquisitions, investments and the adequacy of our available cash resources. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on numerous assumptions and assessments made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, business strategies, operating environments, future developments and other factors we believe appropriate. 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Except as may be otherwise required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date hereof. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, as actual results may differ materially from projections, estimates, or other forward-looking statements due to a variety of important factors, variables and events including, but not limited to: the impact of COVID-19 on global markets, economic conditions, the healthcare industry and our results of operations and the response by governments and other third parties to COVID-19; the risk that regulatory or other approvals required for the Magellan Acquisition may be delayed or not obtained or are subject to unanticipated conditions that could require the exertion of management’s time and our resources or otherwise have an adverse effect on us; the possibility that certain conditions to the consummation of the Magellan Acquisition will not be satisfied or completed on a timely basis and accordingly the Magellan Acquisition may not be consummated on a timely basis or at all; uncertainty as to the expected financial performance of the combined company following completion of the Magellan Acquisition; the possibility that the expected synergies and value creation from the Magellan Acquisition or the WellCare Acquisition will not be realized, or will not be realized within the respective expected time periods; the risk that unexpected costs will be incurred in connection with the completion and/or integration of the Magellan Acquisition or that the integration of Magellan Health will be more difficult or time consuming than expected; the risk that potential litigation in connection with the Magellan Acquisition may affect the timing or occurrence of the Magellan Acquisition or result in significant costs of defense, indemnification and liability; a downgrade of the credit rating of our indebtedness, which could give rise to an obligation to redeem existing indebtedness; the inability to retain key personnel; disruption from the announcement, pendency, completion and/or integration of the Magellan Acquisition or from the integration of the WellCare Acquisition, or similar risks from other acquisitions we may announce or complete from time to time, including potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships with customers, employees, suppliers or regulators, making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; our ability to accurately predict and effectively manage health benefits and other operating expenses and reserves, including fluctuations in medical utilization rates due to the impact of COVID-19; competition; membership and revenue declines or unexpected trends; changes in healthcare practices, new technologies and advances in medicine; increased healthcare costs; changes in economic, political or market conditions; changes in federal or state laws or regulations, including changes with respect to income tax reform or government healthcare programs as well as changes with respect to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act (collectively referred to as the ACA) and any regulations enacted thereunder that may result from changing political conditions, the new administration or judicial actions, including the ultimate outcome in “Texas v. United States of America” regarding the constitutionality of the ACA; rate cuts or other payment reductions or delays by governmental payors and other risks and uncertainties affecting our government businesses; our ability to adequately price products; tax matters; disasters or major epidemics; changes in expected contract start dates; provider, state, federal, foreign and other contract changes and timing of regulatory approval of contracts; the expiration, suspension, or termination of our contracts with federal or state governments (including, but not limited to, Medicaid, Medicare, TRICARE or other customers); the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of pending or future legal and regulatory proceedings or government investigations; challenges to our contract awards; cyber-attacks or other privacy or data security incidents; the possibility that the expected synergies and value creation from acquired businesses, including businesses we may acquire in the future, will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; the exertion of management’s time and our resources, and other expenses incurred and business changes required in connection with complying with the undertakings in connection with any regulatory, governmental or third party consents or approvals for acquisitions, including the Magellan acquisition; disruption caused by significant completed and pending acquisitions making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; the risk that unexpected costs will be incurred in connection with the completion and/or integration of acquisition transactions; changes in expected closing dates, estimated purchase price and accretion for acquisitions; the risk that acquired businesses will not be integrated successfully; restrictions and limitations in connection with our indebtedness; our ability to maintain or achieve improvement in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Star ratings and maintain or achieve improvement in other quality scores in each case that can impact revenue and future growth; availability of debt and equity financing, on terms that are favorable to us; inflation; foreign currency fluctuations and risks and uncertainties discussed in the reports that Centene has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This list of important factors is not intended to be exhaustive. We discuss certain of these matters more fully, as well as certain other factors that may affect our business operations, financial condition and results of operations, in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Due to these important factors and risks, we cannot give assurances with respect to our future performance, including without limitation our ability to maintain adequate premium levels or our ability to control our future medical and selling, general and administrative costs.
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SOURCE Centene Corporation
Company Codes: NYSE:CNC
