Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership (3)

FORM 3	UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0104 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5
	Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person ^*

LAYTON BRENT D

2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (MM/DD/YYYY) 2/8/2021

3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol

CENTENE CORP [CNC]

(Last) (First) (Middle)

7700 FORSYTH BLVD

4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)

_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
___X___ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
EVP, Chief BD Officer /

(Street)

SAINT LOUIS, MO 63105

(City) (State) (Zip)

5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(MM/DD/YYYY)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)

_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security (Instr. 4)	2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4)	3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Common Stock	428546 ⁽¹⁾	D

*Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)*
1. Title of Derivate Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (MM/DD/YYYY)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
1. Title of Derivate Security (Instr. 4)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security		6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)

Explanation of Responses:

(1)

Ownership includes previous awards of 107,002 restricted stock units subject to the following vesting requirements: 6,668 units vest on December 11, 2021; 13,334 units vest in two equal installments on the anniversary of the grant date beginning December 10, 2021; 20,000 units vest in three installments on the anniversary of the grant date beginning March 24, 2021; 42,000 units vest in three installments on the anniversary of the grant date beginning December 15, 2021; 25,000 units vest in three installments on the anniversary of the grant date beginning December 22, 2021. An additional 123,000 shares are previously awarded performance units which are subject to meeting three-year performance conditions. 30,000 were granted on December 11, 2018; 30,000 were granted on December 10, 2019, and 63,000 were granted on December 15, 2020. The number of performance stock units vesting at the end of each three-year performance period is predicated on meeting three-year performance conditions.

Reporting Owners
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
LAYTON BRENT D 7700 FORSYTH BLVD SAINT LOUIS, MO 63105			EVP, Chief BD Officer