Centene Corporation’s CNC managed care organization in Michigan, Meridian, recently inked a partnership with Mae, a digital maternal health solution. This collaboration is targeted at addressing the specific needs of Meridian's Medicaid members and enhancing access to doula care during the period of pregnancy and postpartum.
This move bodes well for Centene as it will be able to reduce discrepancies in maternal results and enhance the perinatal health outcomes in Michigan. With Meridian covering nearly 10% of all births in Michigan, this initiative is expected to yield significant benefits, particularly for Black communities where the risk of maternal-related deaths is more than double that of white women. Per The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the involvement of culturally aligned doulas has been shown to reduce costly interventions like C-sections, lower the risk of complications and reduce labor times.
Mae will integrate a risk-tracking platform and digital engagement with doula support to better serve Meridian members. Along with improved maternal health outcomes through evidence-based interventions, CNC can also lower the high costs associated with poor maternal care and disparities.
Additionally, the expected reduction of maternity care deserts in Michigan through doula services aligns with CNC’s mission of enhancing healthcare access, positioning the company to attract more Medicaid beneficiaries in the future. CNC’s Medicaid revenues slipped 8% year over year in the second quarter of 2024.
As healthcare continues to prioritize value-based care, CNC stands to benefit from better health outcomes at reduced costs, reinforcing its market leadership and driving sustainable growth. Moves like these should aid Centene in achieving its 2024 adjusted earnings per share of more than $6.80, up 1.8% year over year.
CNC’s Share Price Performance
Shares of Centene have gained 7.1% in the past year compared with the industry’s 8.8% growth.
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CNC’s Zacks Rank & Key Picks
CNC currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks from the Medical space are DaVita Inc. DVA, Avanos Medical, Inc. AVNS and The Pennant Group, Inc. PNTG. While DaVita sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present, Avanos Medical and Pennant carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
DaVita’s earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 24.24%. The consensus estimate for DVA’s 2024 earnings and revenues indicates an improvement of 18% and 5.4%, respectively, from the 2023 reported figures. The consensus estimate for DaVita’s earnings has moved 3.8% north in the past 60 days.
Avanos Medical’s earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and missed the mark once, the average surprise being 5.69%. The consensus estimate for AVNS’ 2024 earnings implies an improvement of 35% from the 2023 figure. The consensus estimate for Avanos Medical’s earnings has moved 0.7% north in the past 60 days.
Pennant’s earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and matched the mark once, the average surprise being 7.67%. The consensus estimate for PNTG’s 2024 earnings and revenues indicates an improvement of 26% and 24.4%, respectively, from the 2023 reported figures. The consensus estimate for Pennant’s earnings has moved 2.2% north in the past 30 days.
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