News Briefs: Longtime Centene CEO Neidorff Dies

April 8

Former Centene Corp. CEO and Chairman Michael Neidorff died on April 7, just weeks after he ended his 26-year tenure at the helm of the nation’s largest Medicaid and individual market insurer. Neidorff stepped down from his role leading Centene on Feb. 24 for undisclosed medical reasons, and the insurer’s board appointed a prominent Neidorff deputy, former Optum executive Sarah London, as his successor on March 22. During his marathon tenure, Neidorff transformed Centene from a regional carrier into a publicly traded firm ranked No. 25 on 2021’s Fortune 500. Industry insiders also credit Neidorff with being the first executive to see both Medicaid managed care and the Affordable Care Act exchanges as lucrative businesses.