8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 15, 2004

CENTENE CORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Delaware	000-33395	42-1406317
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

7711 Carondelet Avenue, Suite 800 St. Louis, Missouri	63105
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (314) 725-4477

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 5.03. Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year

On December 15, 2004, we filed a Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware designating an additional 60,000 shares of our Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share, or Series A preferred. This designation had the effect of increasing the number of authorized shares of Series A preferred from 40,000 to 100,000. The Series A preferred is reserved for issuance in accordance with our rights agreement dated August 30, 2002 with Mellon Investor Services LLC, as rights agent, and no shares of Series A preferred have been issued or are outstanding. We increased the number of authorized shares of Series A preferred in order to ensure that a sufficient number of shares were reserved under our rights agreement, after giving effect to a two-for-one stock split in the form of a 100% stock dividend that is payable on December 17, 2004 to stockholders of record on November 24, 2003.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c) Exhibits

Exhibit No.	Description
3.1	Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, as filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on August 30, 2002.
3.2	Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, as filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on December 15, 2004.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	CENTENE CORPORATION
Date: December 17, 2004	By:	/s/ Michael F. Neidorff
		Michael F. Neidorff Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.	Description
3.1	Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, as filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on August 30, 2002.
3.2	Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, as filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on December 15, 2004.

EX-3.1

Exhibit 3.1

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS

OF

SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

OF

CENTENE CORPORATION

CENTENE CORPORATION, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (hereinafter called the “Corporation”), hereby certifies that the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation at a meeting duly called and held on August 26, 2002:

RESOLVED: That pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the Board of Directors of the Corporation (hereinafter called the “Board”) in accordance with the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, the Board hereby creates a series of Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Preferred Stock”), of the Corporation and hereby states the designation and number of shares, and fixes the relative rights, preferences and limitations thereof as follows:

Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock:

1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares constituting the Series A Preferred Stock shall be 40,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board prior to issuance; provided, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation convertible into Series A Preferred Stock.

2. Dividends and Distributions.

(A) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock (or any similar stock) ranking prior and superior to the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Corporation, and of any other junior stock, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board out of funds of the Corporation legally available for the payment of dividends, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the last day of each fiscal quarter of the Corporation in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $10 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 1000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of

Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Series A Preferred Stock payable in shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Series A Preferred Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the first sentence of this Section 2(A) shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding immediately after such event.

(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this Section immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock) and the Corporation shall pay such dividend or distribution on the Series A Preferred Stock before the dividend or distribution declared on the Common Stock is paid or set apart; provided that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $10 per share on the Series A Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.

(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total

amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Series A Preferred Stock payable in shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Series A Preferred Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding immediately after such event.

(B) Except as otherwise provided herein, in the Certificate of Incorporation or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Corporation having general voting rights shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.

(C) In addition:

(i) If at any time dividends on any Series A Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal to six quarterly dividends thereon, the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate series from all other series of Preferred Stock and classes of capital stock, shall be entitled to elect two members of the Board in addition to any Directors elected by any other series, class or

classes of securities and the authorized number of Directors will automatically be increased by two. Promptly thereafter, the Board shall, as soon as may be practicable, call a special meeting of holders of Series A Preferred Stock for the purpose of electing such members of the Board. Such special meeting shall in any event be held within 45 days of the occurrence of such arrearage.

(ii) During any period when the holders of Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate series, shall be entitled and shall have exercised their right to elect two Directors, then, and during such time as such right continues, (a) the then authorized number of Directors shall be increased by two, and the holders of Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate series, shall be entitled to elect the additional Directors so provided for, and (b) each such additional Director shall not be a member of any existing class of the Board, but shall serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders for the election of Directors, or until his successor shall be elected and shall qualify, or until his right to hold such office terminates pursuant to the provisions of this Section 3(C).

(iii) A Director elected pursuant to the terms hereof may be removed with or without cause by the holders of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to vote in an election of such Director.

(iv) If, during any interval between annual meetings of stockholders for the election of Directors and while the holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to elect two Directors, there is no such Director in office by reason of resignation, death or removal, then, promptly thereafter, the Board shall call a special meeting of the holders of Series A Preferred Stock for the purpose of filling such vacancy and such vacancy shall be filled at such special meeting. Such special meeting shall in any event be held within 45 days of the occurrence of such vacancy.

(v) At such time as the arrearage is fully cured, and all dividends accumulated and unpaid on any shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding are paid, and, in addition thereto, at least one regular dividend has been paid subsequent to curing such arrearage, the term of office of any Director elected pursuant to this Section 3(C), or his successor, shall automatically terminate, and the authorized number of Directors shall automatically decrease by two, the rights of the holders of the shares of the Series A Preferred Stock to vote as provided in this Section 3(C) shall cease, subject to renewal from time to time upon the same terms and conditions, and the holders of shares of the Series A Preferred Stock shall have only the limited voting rights elsewhere herein set forth.

(D) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by law, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.

4. Certain Restrictions.

(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:

(i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;

(ii) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;

(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock; or

(iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.

(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.

5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Certificate of Incorporation, or in any other Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock or as otherwise required by law.

6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.

(A) Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made (1) to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have received $1000 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, provided that the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1000 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of Common Stock, or (2) to the holders of shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except distributions made ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up.

(B) Neither the consolidation, merger or other business combination of the Corporation with or into any other corporation nor the sale, lease, exchange or conveyance of all or any part of the property, assets or business of the Corporation shall be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation for purposes of this Section 6.

(C) In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (1) of paragraph (A) of this Section 6 shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Series A Preferred Stock payable in shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Series A Preferred Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (1) of paragraph (A) of this Section 6 shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding immediately after such event.

7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, in case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Series A Preferred Stock payable in shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Series A Preferred Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the first sentence of this Section 7 with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding immediately after such event.

8. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.

9. Rank. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank, with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, junior to all series of any other class of the Preferred Stock issued either before or after the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.

10. Amendment. At such time as any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, of the Corporation shall not be amended in any manner that would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class.

11. Fractional Shares. Series A Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share that shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series A Preferred Stock.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Designations is executed on behalf of the Corporation by its Chief Executive Officer this 30 day of August, 2002.

CENTENE CORPORATION
By:	/s/ Michael F. Neidorff
	Michael F. Neidorff
	President and Chief Executive Officer

EX-3.2

Exhibit 3.2

CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT

OF

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS

OF

SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

OF

CENTENE CORPORATION

CENTENE CORPORATION, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (hereinafter called the “Corporation”), hereby certifies that the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation at a meeting duly called and held on December 8, 2004:

RESOLVED: That pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the Board of Directors of the Corporation (hereinafter called the “Board of Directors”) and in accordance with the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as amended, the Board of Directors hereby (1) designates an additional 60,000 shares of Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share, of the Corporation as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” bringing the total number of authorized shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock to 100,000 and (2) amends the Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the Corporation, filed on August 30, 2002, by deleting the number “40,000” in the first sentence of paragraph 1 of the and replacing it with the number “100,000.”

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Designations is executed on behalf of the Corporation by its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer as of December 15, 2004.

CENTENE CORPORATION
By:	/s/ Michael F. Neidorff
	Michael F. Neidorff
	Chairman and Chief Executive Officer