Wellcare Announces Legendary Quarterback Joe Montana to Serve as Brand Ambassador

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Sep 15, 2021, 07:00 ET

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wellcare, a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, announced today that Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana has signed a multi-year agreement to serve as the company's brand ambassador.ⁱMontana will collaborate with Wellcare on TV commercials, digital ads, social media, and other communications.

Wellcare Announces Legendary NFL Quarterback Joe Montana to Serve as Brand Ambassador

"As a leading Medicare Advantage plan whose national footprint continues to grow, we are focused on creating one national brand that aligns with our mission and better serves our 1.1 million Medicare Advantage members across the country," said Rich Fisher, SVP and CEO of Medicare for Centene, Wellcare's parent company. "A key part of that goal is helping seniors understand their Medicare options during the Annual Enrollment Period, so we are pleased to announce our partnership with legendary quarterback Joe Montana to help communicate these options to Medicare-eligible adults around the country."

"Joe is an inspiring, legendary athlete who personifies the Wellcare brand with his commitment to his personal health, wellbeing, and straightforward, no-nonsense approach," said Suzy DePrizio, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer for Centene. "We're proud to have him join our team and look forward to partnering with him to introduce new members to Wellcare."

Montana led the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowl victories and was named the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times. In 2021, Montana became Medicare-eligible and selected Wellcare for his Medicare Advantage plan.

"As a former athlete, my health has always been a top priority," said Montana. "When I turned 65, I knew I wanted a quality Medicare plan that was reliable and hassle-free. That's why I selected Wellcare and look forward to sharing my experience with others."

In September, Wellcare announced a refreshed corporate Medicare Advantage brand to better align with the company's mission and strategy to build stronger brand awareness and engage directly with its members. The brand will take a more straightforward approach in tone and voice to deliver on its brand promise to offer an easy, hassle-free experience, so members can focus on staying healthy, not on their health insurance.

To learn more about Medicare options with Wellcare, visit www.meetwellcare.com.

About Wellcare
For more than 20 years, Wellcare has offered a range of Medicare products, including Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (PDP), which offer affordable coverage beyond Original Medicare. Today, the company offers benefits with every Medicare beneficiary in mind, such as dental, hearing and vision services; Flex Cards to assist with co-pays; transportation services; telehealth visits; wellness and fitness programs; in-home support services; and special supplemental benefits for the chronically ill. Wellcare is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise committed to transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, Centene's Medicare brands, including Allwell, Health Net, Fidelis Care, Trillium Advantage, 'Ohana Health Plan, and TexanPlus will transition to the Wellcare brand. For more information about Wellcare, visit www.wellcare.com and follow them on Facebook.

About Centene
Centene Corporation, a Fortune 25 company, is a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. The Company takes a local approach – with local brands and local teams – to provide fully integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services to government-sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Centene offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members (including Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace, the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. The Company also serves several international markets, and contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide a variety of specialty services focused on treating the whole person. Centene focuses on long-term growth and the development of its people, systems and capabilities so that it can better serve its members, providers, local communities, and government partners.

Forward-Looking Statements
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In particular, these statements include, without limitation, statements about our future operating or financial performance, market opportunity, growth strategy, competition, expected activities in completed and future acquisitions, including statements about the impact of our proposed acquisition of Magellan Health (the Magellan Acquisition), our completed acquisition of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (WellCare and such acquisition, the WellCare Acquisition), other recent and future acquisitions, investments, the adequacy of our available cash resources and our settlements with Ohio and Mississippi to resolve claims and/or allegations made by those states with regard to past practices at Envolve Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. (Envolve), as our pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) subsidiary, and other possible future claims and settlements related to the past practices at Envolve and our ability to settle claims with other states within the reserve estimate we have recorded and on other acceptable terms, or at all. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on numerous assumptions and assessments made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, business strategies, operating environments, future developments and other factors we believe appropriate. 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Except as may be otherwise required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date hereof. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, as actual results may differ materially from projections, estimates, or other forward-looking statements due to a variety of important factors, variables and events including, but not limited to: the impact of COVID-19 on global markets, economic conditions, the healthcare industry and our results of operations and the response by governments and other third parties; the risk that regulatory or other approvals required for the Magellan Acquisition may be delayed or not obtained or are subject to unanticipated conditions that could require the exertion of management's time and our resources or otherwise have an adverse effect on us; the possibility that certain conditions to the consummation of the Magellan Acquisition will not be satisfied or completed on a timely basis and accordingly, the Magellan Acquisition may not be consummated on a timely basis or at all; uncertainty as to the expected financial performance of the combined company following completion of the Magellan Acquisition; the possibility that the expected synergies and value creation from the Magellan Acquisition or the WellCare Acquisition (or other acquired businesses) will not be realized, or will not be realized within the respective expected time periods; the risk that unexpected costs will be incurred in connection with the completion and/or integration of the Magellan Acquisition or that the integration of Magellan Health will be more difficult or time consuming than expected; the risk that potential litigation in connection with the Magellan Acquisition may affect the timing or occurrence of the Magellan Acquisition or result in significant costs of defense, indemnification and liability; a downgrade of the credit rating of our indebtedness; the inability to retain key personnel; disruption from the announcement, pendency, completion and/or integration of the Magellan Acquisition or from the integration of the WellCare Acquisition, or similar risks from other acquisitions we may announce or complete from time to time, including potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships with customers, employees, suppliers or regulators, making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; our ability to accurately predict and effectively manage health benefits and other operating expenses and reserves, including fluctuations in medical utilization rates due to the impact of COVID-19; competition; membership and revenue declines or unexpected trends; changes in healthcare practices, new technologies and advances in medicine; increased healthcare costs; changes in economic, political or market conditions; changes in federal or state laws or regulations, including changes with respect to income tax reform or government healthcare programs as well as changes with respect to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act (collectively referred to as the ACA) and any regulations enacted thereunder that may result from changing political conditions, the new administration or judicial actions; rate cuts or other payment reductions or delays by governmental payors and other risks and uncertainties affecting our government businesses; our ability to adequately price products; tax matters; disasters or major epidemics; changes in expected contract start dates; provider, state, federal, foreign and other contract changes and timing of regulatory approval of contracts; the expiration, suspension, or termination of our contracts with federal or state governments (including, but not limited to, Medicaid, Medicare, TRICARE or other customers); the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of legal or regulatory proceedings or matters, including claims against our PBM business or whether additional claims, reviews or investigations relating to our PBM business will be brought by states, the federal government or shareholder litigants, or government investigations; challenges to our contract awards; cyber-attacks or other privacy or data security incidents; the exertion of management's time and our resources, and other expenses incurred and business changes required in connection with complying with the undertakings in connection with any regulatory, governmental or third party consents or approvals for acquisitions, including the Magellan Acquisition; 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This list of important factors is not intended to be exhaustive. We discuss certain of these matters more fully, as well as certain other factors that may affect our business operations, financial condition and results of operations, in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Due to these important factors and risks, we cannot give assurances with respect to our future performance, including without limitation our ability to maintain adequate premium levels or our ability to control our future medical and selling, general and administrative costs.

Wellcare is the Medicare brand for Centene Corporation, an HMO, PPO, PFFS, PDP plan with a Medicare contract and is an approved Part D Sponsor. Our D-SNP plans have a contract with the state Medicaid program. Enrollment in our plans depends on contract renewal.