v2.4.1.9
Earnings Per Share (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Sep. 30, 2014
Jun. 30, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Sep. 30, 2013
Jun. 30, 2013
Mar. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]                      
Earnings from continuing operations, net of income tax expense $ 106us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations $ 81us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations $ 47us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations $ 34us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations $ 48us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations $ 50us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations $ 41us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations $ 23us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations $ 268us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations $ 161us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations $ 89us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations
Discontinued operations, net of tax 1us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxAttributableToReportingEntity 1us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxAttributableToReportingEntity 2us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxAttributableToReportingEntity (1)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxAttributableToReportingEntity 5us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxAttributableToReportingEntity (1)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxAttributableToReportingEntity (1)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxAttributableToReportingEntity 0us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxAttributableToReportingEntity 3us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxAttributableToReportingEntity 4us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxAttributableToReportingEntity (87)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxAttributableToReportingEntity
Net earnings attributable to Centene Corporation $ 107us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 82us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 49us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 33us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 53us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 49us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 40us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 23us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 271us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 165us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 2us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (in shares)                 116,345,764us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfSharesOutstandingBasic 108,253,090us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfSharesOutstandingBasic 103,018,732us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfSharesOutstandingBasic
Common stock equivalents (as determined by applying the treasury stock method)                 4,014,448us-gaap_IncrementalCommonSharesAttributableToShareBasedPaymentArrangements 4,241,256us-gaap_IncrementalCommonSharesAttributableToShareBasedPaymentArrangements 4,410,018us-gaap_IncrementalCommonSharesAttributableToShareBasedPaymentArrangements
Weighted average number of common shares and potential dilutive common shares outstanding (in shares)                 120,360,212us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfDilutedSharesOutstanding 112,494,346us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfDilutedSharesOutstanding 107,428,750us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfDilutedSharesOutstanding
Continuing operations, Basic $ 0.90us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerBasicShare $ 0.69us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerBasicShare $ 0.41us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerBasicShare $ 0.30us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerBasicShare $ 0.43us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerBasicShare $ 0.46us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerBasicShare $ 0.38us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerBasicShare $ 0.22us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerBasicShare $ 2.30us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerBasicShare $ 1.49us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerBasicShare $ 0.86us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerBasicShare
Discontinued operations, Basic $ 0.01us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerBasicShare $ 0.01us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerBasicShare $ 0.01us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerBasicShare $ (0.01)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerBasicShare $ 0.05us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerBasicShare $ (0.01)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerBasicShare $ (0.01)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerBasicShare $ 0.00us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerBasicShare $ 0.03us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerBasicShare $ 0.03us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerBasicShare $ (0.84)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerBasicShare
Earnings per common share, Basic $ 0.91us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 0.70us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 0.42us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 0.29us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 0.48us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 0.45us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 0.37us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 0.22us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 2.33us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 1.52us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 0.02us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic
Continuing operations, Diluted $ 0.87us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare $ 0.67us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare $ 0.39us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare $ 0.29us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare $ 0.42us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare $ 0.44us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare $ 0.36us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare $ 0.21us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare $ 2.23us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare $ 1.43us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare $ 0.83us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare
Discontinued operations, Diluted $ 0.01us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerDilutedShare $ 0.01us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerDilutedShare $ 0.02us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerDilutedShare $ (0.01)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerDilutedShare $ 0.04us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerDilutedShare $ (0.01)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerDilutedShare $ (0.01)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerDilutedShare $ 0.00us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerDilutedShare $ 0.02us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerDilutedShare $ 0.04us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerDilutedShare $ (0.81)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerDilutedShare
Earnings per common share, Diluted $ 0.88us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 0.68us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 0.41us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 0.28us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 0.46us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 0.43us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 0.35us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 0.21us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 2.25us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 1.47us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 0.02us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted
Anti-dilutive stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per common share                 207,980us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount 187,078us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount 284,850us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount