Enterprise Engagement Lead Analyst

Centene expects to break even in its Medicare business this year, a target it had not planned to hit until 2027. The St. Louis-based insurer cut Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plan costs in the third quarter. It raised its full-year outlook for the third time this year. Adjusted earnings per share are now forecast at "greater than" $5.20, up from "greater than" $4.80. Third-quarter revenue rose 2% to $50.6 billion. The net loss narrowed to $71 million from $6.6 billion a year earlier, when Centene took a large impairment charge. Headcount fell from 59,800 to 53,900 after layoffs and a voluntary separation program. Severance cost almost $280 million, but executives expect the cuts to help margins in 2027.

The 52-week-high list: 23 Mid Cap names on Tuesday. October 21st, 2026 · by Trefis Team SPYYTD+14.0% SPYYTD+14.0% QQQYTD+18.3% As of Tuesday, October 20, there are 23 Mid Cap US and Canada-listed stocks in the Trefis coverage universe trading at their 52-week highs. Mid Cap here means a market value between $10 billion and $40 billion, the upper figure excluded. At about $35.9 billion in market value, Biogen (BIIB) is the largest company on the list; its stock is up 11.0% over the past month and up 70.0% over the past year. Health Care contributed the most names, 7 of the 23. For context, the S&P 500 is down 0.6% over the past month, including dividends. The 10 Largest, By Market Cap The table below shows the 10 largest of the 23 names, sorted by market capitalization, with returns over four windows: | Tickers | Market Cap | 1D Return | 1W Return | 1M Return | 1Y Return | | BIIB | $35.9 Bil | 4.1% | 6.2% | 11.0% | 70.0% | | CNC | $35.0 Bil | 3.2% | 2.8% | 9.0% | 100.8% | | WSM | $29.9 Bil | 1.8% | 6.2% | 12.1% | 38.9% | | SN | $28.1 Bil | 5.2% | 5.3% | 18.6% | 111.6% | | WST | $27.5 Bil | 1.3% | 4.6% | 7.5% | 44.1% | | CHD | $25.1 Bil | 1.8% | 5.8% | 11.0% | 21.3% | | IFF | $23.3 Bil | 0.3% | 3.4% | 9.1% | 46.3% | | PR | $20.8 Bil | 0.2% | 2.4% | 13.1% | 109.1% | | OVV | $19.7 Bil | 0.4% | 5.4% | 16.8% | 99.9% | | APA | $17.6 Bil | 0.3% | 3.9% | 13.9% | 129.3% | The Businesses Behind The Largest New Highs Biogen (BIIB) grew revenue 0.3% over the last twelve months and earned an operating margin of 19.3%. Centene (CNC) grew revenue 13.9% over the last twelve months and earned an operating margin of 0.8%. Across the list, one-month moves range from +6.4% for American Financial (AFG) to +24.9% for Hasbro (HAS). The median stock on the list is up 46.7% over the past year. 9 of the 23 names are also S&P 500 members. A new high tells you what the market already believes. The harder question is which of these runs management itself is underwriting. Our Guidance Momentum screen tracks exactly that: stocks where the company raised its own forward numbers. Strength Is A Clue. It Is Not A Plan A stock at its 52-week high has momentum on its side, and momentum is a real force. It is also the most crowded signal in the market, and what separates a run that lasts from one that tops is usually the business underneath. Checking that business, across thousands of names, is how the Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio is assembled: roughly 30 companies that pass the quality screens, rebalanced on rules. It has a track record of outpacing a benchmark that combines the S&P 500, the S&P MidCap 400, and the Russell 2000. Let the highs point; let the discipline decide.

Centene joins insurers waiving prior authorizations for top providers. Jacqueline LaPointe Wed, October 14, 2026 at 7:50 AM PDT Dive brief: * Centene announced on Tuesday that it will launch a gold card program next month as the healthcare industry works to reform the prior authorization process. * The program exempts high-performing providers from routine prior authorization requirements for specific medical services, procedures or prescriptions. * More than 160,000 providers nationwide will immediately have access to the program based on their approval history with the insurer, documentation quality and compliance with plans' medical policies and regulatory requirements, the insurer said. Dive insight: The program, called the National Performance-Based Gold Card Program, will only apply to certain outpatient services first, with Centene expecting to expand the scope of services and number of eligible providers over time. Qualifying providers must submit a pre-notification before rendering services, but they'll be able to give care without waiting for the insurer's approval, according to the announcement. Healthcare providers have lauded gold card programs because they remove significant administrative barriers to completing prior authorizations. The programs also enable faster patient care, bypassing lengthy wait times for insurance approval. Historically, insurers haven't been eager to adopt gold card programs voluntarily, fearing they will lead to over-utilization of expensive, unnecessary care. However, nearly a dozen states have passed legislation mandating that insurers implement similar programs to mitigate delays in patient care and address physician burnout. More states, including New York, are also considering similar legislation. Scrutiny on prior authorization has also come from the federal level, with the Trump administration securing voluntary pledges from major insurers last year to cut down on the processes. In April, insurers said they had cut 11% of prior authorizations so far. Some health insurers are reading the writing on the wall and standing up their own gold card programs. Humana launched a program this year that waives prior authorization requirements for certain items and services for eligible providers. UnitedHealthcare also expanded its program earlier this month, allowing more provider groups to qualify for so-called prior authorization fast passes. The company said the number of provider groups eligible for the well-liked program has increased by 80% since its start two years ago. Still, provider groups and patients continue to decry prior authorizations. Providers say reforms have yet to meaningfully affect their prior authorization workloads, while patients continue to wait on approvals before getting the care they need. Provider groups continue to push insurers to implement gold card programs, which were not explicitly part of the pledge's commitments to simplify prior authorizations. Recommended Reading