Centene Corporation CNC recently unveiled that its Illinois subsidiary, Meridian Health Plan of Illinois, Inc., has been chosen by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to continue providing enhanced managed care services to 77,000 dually eligible residents via a Fully Integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP). 

This program will provide comprehensive care and support across the state for individuals who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, including those enrolled in Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS), under a unified managed care organization. 

The new D-SNP contract is likely to take effect on Jan. 1, 2026, and will run until Dec. 31, 2029. The state retains the option to extend the contract in intervals ranging from six months to five and a half years, allowing for a maximum duration of up to 10 years. Under the new contract, Meridian will take a holistic approach to member care by eliminating healthcare barriers and enhancing behavioral health services. 

An intensified focus on locally tailored and culturally sensitive care enables Meridian to offer better whole-person care and bring improved health outcomes for the dually eligible individuals of Illinois.

A Stronger Presence in Illinois

Meridian boasts a solid foothold across Illinois as it has been providing healthcare services across the state for nearly two decades now. It is one of the four health plans selected by HFS to offer managed care services through the new D-SNP contract and the recent move is likely to further solidify the presence of Meridian’s parent company, Centene, in Illinois. Starting in 2027, the plan will expand to include 60,000 dually eligible MLTSS members. 

Meridian caters to more than 13,000 Medicaid-Medicare members and more than 11,000 dually eligible MLTSS members through the Illinois HealthChoice Medicaid program as of February 2025.

Benefits of Contract Wins to Centene

Contract wins similar to the latest one provide an opportunity for health insurers to attract new members as well as retain existing ones within their plans and Centene is no exception to the trend. A growing customer base brings higher premiums, which usually account for a major chunk of a health insurer’s top line. 

Its total membership was 28.6 million as of Dec. 31, 2024, which improved 4.1% year over year. Meanwhile, premiums rose 4.9% year over year in 2024. CNC makes steadfast efforts to upgrade its health plans from time to time either with the help of provider collaborations or significant investments. 

In addition to the latest contract, Centene’s other subsidiaries, including Meridian Health Plan of Michigan, Inc. and Buckeye Health Plan in Ohio, have recently been selected to offer integrated healthcare services for dually eligible individuals in their respective states.

CNC’s Share Price Performance & Zacks Rank

Shares of Centene have risen 2.8% in the past month against the industry’s 0.5% decline. CNC currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

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Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks from the Medical space are Option Care Health, Inc. OPCH, ADMA Biologics, Inc. ADMA and Bioventus Inc. BVS. While Option Care sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present, ADMA Biologics and Bioventus carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Option Care’s earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 15.91%. The consensus estimate for OPCH’s 2025 earnings and revenues indicates an improvement of 37.4% and 8.9%, respectively, from the 2024 figures.  

The consensus estimate for Option Care’s earnings has moved 34.1% north in the past 30 days. Shares of OPCH have gained 5.5% in the past month. 

ADMA Biologics’ earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and missed the mark once, the average surprise being 32.80%. The consensus estimate for ADMA’s 2025 earnings and revenues implies an improvement of 42.9% and 16.3% from the respective 2024 figures. 

The consensus estimate for ADMA Biologics’ 2025 earnings has moved 1.4% north in the past 30 days. Shares of ADMA have gained 16.8% in the past month.   

Bioventus’ earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and matched the mark once, the average surprise being 119.53%. The consensus estimate for BVS’ 2025 earnings indicates an improvement of 34.7% from the 2024 figure.   

The consensus estimate for Bioventus’ 2025 earnings has moved 43.5% north in the past seven days. Shares of BVS have declined 4.4% in the past month.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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