ST. LOUIS, Feb. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) ("Centene" or the "Company") announced today that it has priced its previously announced underwritten public offering of $2,200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 2.50% senior notes due 2031 (the "Notes"). The offering is expected to close on or about February 17, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions.

Centene intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the Notes, together with cash on hand, to (1) fund the purchase price for the Company's 4.75% Senior Notes due 2025 (the "2025 Notes") accepted for purchase by the Company in its concurrent cash tender offer (the "Tender Offer") for any and all $2,200,000,000 outstanding aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes, (2) redeem any remaining 2025 Notes not validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer, in accordance with the indentures governing the 2025 Notes, and (3) pay all premiums, accrued interest and expenses related to the foregoing. Pending the application of any of the net proceeds of the offering for the foregoing purposes, net proceeds may be temporarily used by the Company for general corporate purposes.

The Notes will be senior unsecured obligations of the Company and will be equal in right of payment with all of the Company's existing and future senior indebtedness and will be senior in right of payment to all of the Company's existing and future subordinated debt. The Notes will not be guaranteed by any of the Company's subsidiaries.

BofA Securities and Barclays are acting as joint active book-running managers and J.P. Morgan Securities, Truist Securities and Wells Fargo Securities are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering of the Notes.

This offering is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement and prospectus and a related preliminary prospectus supplement filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Before you invest, you should read the prospectus and the related preliminary prospectus supplement, the registration statement and other documents that Centene has filed with the SEC for more complete information about Centene and this offering.

Copies of the prospectus supplement and related prospectuses for this offering can be obtained from BofA Securities, NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd floor, Charlotte, NC 28255-0001, Attn: Prospectus Department or by email at [email protected]; from Barclays Capital Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by email at [email protected], or by calling (888) 603-5847; from J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 or by calling +1 (866) 803-9204; from Truist Securities by email at [email protected]; and from Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, 550 S. Tryon Street, 5th Floor, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, Attention: Leveraged Syndicate.

The Company has delivered a notice of conditional redemption in respect of the 2025 Notes, which provides that any remaining 2025 Notes not validity tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer will, conditional upon the closing of the above-described offering, be redeemed by the Company on March 12, 2021, in accordance with the indenture governing such notes.

This press release is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities including the 2025 Notes, and it does not constitute a notice of redemption under the indentures governing the 2025 Notes. The Tender Offer is being made only by and pursuant to the terms of an offer to purchase. There shall not be any sale of the securities described herein in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

About Centene Corporation

Centene Corporation, a Fortune 50 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.

Cautionary Statements on Forward-Looking Statements of Centene Corporation

All statements, other than statements of current or historical fact, contained in this communication are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, forward-looking statements often use words such as "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "seek," "target," "goal," "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "can," "continue" and other similar words or expressions (and the negative thereof). Centene Corporation and its subsidiaries (the "Company", "our", or "we") intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe-harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and we are including this statement for purposes of complying with these safe-harbor provisions. In particular, these statements include, without limitation, statements about Centene's intended use of proceeds from this offering, including in connection with the redemption of the 2025 Notes, future operating or financial performance, market opportunity, growth strategy, competition, expected activities in completed and future acquisitions, including statements about the impact of Centene's proposed acquisition of Magellan Health Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Magellan Health," and such proposed acquisition, the "Magellan Acquisition"), Centene's recently completed acquisition of WellCare Health Plans, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company ("WellCare," and such acquisition, the "WellCare Acquisition"), other recent and future acquisitions, investments and the adequacy of Centene's available cash resources.

These forward-looking statements reflect Centene's current views with respect to future events and are based on numerous assumptions and assessments made by Centene in light of Centene's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, business strategies, operating environments, future developments and other factors Centene believes appropriate. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are subject to change because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future, including economic, regulatory, competitive and other factors that may cause Centene's or its industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. All forward-looking statements included in this communication are based on information available to Centene on the date of this communication. Except as may be otherwise required by law, Centene undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements included in this communication, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this communication. 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 the novel strain of coronavirus ("COVID-19") on global markets, economic conditions, the healthcare industry and Centene's results of operations and the response by governments and other third parties; the risk that regulatory or other approvals required for the Magellan Acquisition may be delayed or not obtained or are obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated that could require the exertion of management's time and our resources or otherwise have an adverse effect on Centene; the risk that Magellan Health's stockholders do not approve the definitive merger agreement; 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 applicable expected time periods; the exertion of management's time and Centene's 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 the Magellan Acquisition; 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 possibility that competing offers will be made to acquire Magellan Health; the inability to retain key personnel; disruption from the announcement, pendency, completion and/or integration of the Magellan Acquisition or 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; Centene's 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 ("ACA") 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 Centene's government businesses; Centene's 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 Centene's 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 Centene's 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 Centene 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 Centene's 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; 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 Centene's indebtedness; Centene's 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 SEC. This list of important factors is not intended to be exhaustive. Centene discusses certain of these matters more fully, as well as certain other factors that may affect Centene's business operations, financial condition and results of operations, in Centene's prospectus supplement for the offering described herein and filings with the SEC, including Centene's 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, Centene cannot give assurances with respect to Centene's future performance, including without limitation Centene's ability to maintain adequate premium levels or Centene's ability to control its future medical and selling, general and administrative costs.

SOURCE Centene Corporation

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