Centene Posts $50.6 Billion in Q3 Revenue, Raises 2026 Guidance as Medicare Advantage Reaches Breakeven a Year Early
Centene Corporation, the largest U.S. manager of government-sponsored health plans, reported third-quarter 2026 results on October 27: total revenues of $50.647 billion, up 1.9% year over year. The company raised its full-year earnings guidance and said its Medicare Advantage business is on track to reach breakeven in 2026, one year ahead of its multi-year turnaround plan.
Premium and service revenues were $45.105 billion for the quarter. GAAP diluted loss per share was $0.14, compared with a loss of $13.50 a year earlier, when results included a $6.72 billion goodwill impairment; adjusted diluted earnings per share were $0.58, up from $0.50. The net loss attributable to Centene was $71 million, versus a $6.6 billion loss a year ago. The consolidated health benefits ratio was 92.7%, with Medicaid at 93.6%, Medicare at 93.8%, and Commercial (including Marketplace) at 89.0%.
Centene raised its 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance by $0.40 to greater than $5.20 and its GAAP diluted EPS guidance to greater than $3.46, and lifted total revenue guidance to between $196.5 billion and $200.5 billion. Debt fell by $1.1 billion since June 30 to $15.0 billion, including the full redemption of its 2027 senior notes in October. By segment, Medicare premium and service revenues rose 20% to $11.263 billion, Medicaid rose 4% to $24.039 billion, and Commercial fell 21% to $8.7 billion. Medicaid membership stood at 11.9 million, down 5% since the start of the year, and total headcount was 53,900, down from 60,900 a year earlier.
Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Centene is the nation's largest Medicaid managed-care company; it also sells individual Marketplace plans under the Ambetter brand and Medicare Advantage plans under Wellcare. CEO Sarah London said solid underlying fundamentals in the company's core businesses have powered a faster recovery in its earnings trajectory than previously anticipated. (Source: Centene Corporation third-quarter 2026 results release, October 27, 2026)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：圣路易斯市政厅外景（资料图）。MARELBU 摄，CC BY 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / St. Louis City Hall (file photo). Photo by MARELBU, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
