In the summer of 2015, Andy Slavitt didn’t have time for the possible.

Slavitt, then administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, spent a year trying to support Affordable Care Act communications after many major insurers pulled out, saying the market was too risky. But Maricopa County, Arizona, raises a question. The largest county in the state and the fourth largest in the country has no ACA insurance options weeks before open enrollment.

Slavette called the heads of several insurance companies to ask them to start a program in Maricopa, and each CEO said they would study the area to see if it made economic sense.

Then Centene Corp. Chairman and CEO Michael Neidorff agreed to offer an invisible plan, Slavitt said.

“I think about the fact that when you’re in government, people say to you, ‘Hey, if you need anything, tell me,’ and there are very few people who are really serious. That’s the power of Michael,” St. Lavert said.

Two years later, the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) cast a decisive vote to prevent Republicans from repealing Obamacare, a move Slavert believes would not have happened without the proposal from the Centene ACA.

“Michael was one of the very few people responsible for saving the ACA,” he said

Nedorf, 79, died thursday After suffering what his family said was a long-term illness. He was head of St. Louis-based Centene for more than 25 years before announcing plans to retire at the end of the year. Policymakers and health insurance leaders say his blending of personal values ??with his career will define his legacy.

“Michael’s gift is in giving,” Slavert said. “All he wants to do is contribute.”

Neidorff joined Centene in 1996 to lead a single health plan covering three counties. For years, he has focused on growing Centene through acquisitions, with the two companies’ largest most recent deal being a $15 billion merger with rival government insurer WellCare. At the time of the deal, Centene made headlines for its investment in the ACA plan as a Supreme Court decision loomed on whether to end the plan.

“We have to look at the practical, the political,” Nedov tell health leaders then. “Everything I’ve seen is saying, ‘This is a great deal. It makes it harder for two great companies in a very meaningful way, serving a lot of audiences that you would never be able to do.'” ”

Last summer, a report from Moody’s Investors Service said Centene had the fastest growth compared to its seven publicly traded rivals over the past decade. The insurer is now a $125 billion Fortune 25 company and the largest Medicaid operator in the U.S., with low-income adults and children accounting for more than half of its 26.6 million enrollees. The company is also a major player in the Medicare Advantage and ACA exchange business.

The public health footprint of insurers is no accident.

Matt Eyles, CEO of the health insurance lobby group AHIP, said in a statement that Nedorf is a tireless advocate for improving the health of underrepresented and underserved communities, and is a leader in recognizing and investing in behavioral health. An industry leader in tools and social determinants serving to improve personal well-being. Neidorff has served on the AHIP Board of Directors.

“It is this vision that has grown Centene from a regional business into one of the nation’s leading health insurance providers,” Ayers said in a statement.

The heads of other large ACA and Medicaid insurers likewise called Neidorff a leader in transforming care for the most vulnerable, and Anthem CEO Gail Boudreaux emphasized his unwavering commitment to uplifting communities in need. Karen Lynch, CEO of CVS Health, pointed to his passion for increasing health care delivery, and Joe Zubretsky, CEO of Molina Healthcare, said he would miss Neidorff’s energy and competitive spirit.

“The business we do requires compassion, intelligence and a sense of community, qualities that Michael fully embodies,” Zubrecki wrote in an email. “His unwavering leadership of Centene for more than 20 years has pointed the way for those who carry on that mantle.”

Neidorff’s passion for bridging differences drives his advocacy.

In the weeks following the 2014 civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, Nedorf spearheaded a $30 million investment in the community, “bringing much-needed opportunity and hope to the region and anchoring small businesses in the community,” An obituary written by the family said.

In 2016, he opened a $25 million call center office in Ferguson, including a kindergarten for employees’ children. The company also donated more than $1 million to open a health clinic in the East St. Louis community.

His activism has affected other communities as well. Neidorff served as chairman of the National Urban League Board of Directors in 2014, after serving on the board for four years. President and CEO Mark Morial said in a statement that Nedov helped civil rights groups recover long after the Great Depression and was behind the City Alliance’s new $242 million headquarters in Harlem, New York” driving force”.

“Our community is forever changed by his influence, and he will never be forgotten,” Morial said.

In May 2020, following the murder of George Floyd in police custody and the protests that followed, Nedorf used his public stance to advocate for social change. He said “Black Lives Matter” at the opening of Centene’s June 2020 annual investor day, which typically focuses on financial performance. He spoke for a few minutes about race, a new internal corporate committee and external initiatives aimed at fostering dialogue and research on health disparities.

The insurer also set a national example by becoming the first major company to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for its 75,000 employees, Slavitt said.

“I call other employers, and I hear a lot of, ‘We’d love to do this, it’s a good idea, but we have to be careful, because A reasons, B reasons, C reasons,'” Slavett said. “Again, I called Michael and he said absolutely.”

Modern Healthcare has recognized Neidorff for many years as one of the magazine’s 100 Most Influential Healthcare People In recognition of his work in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the healthcare industry. In his obituary, his family mentioned his work at Centene promoting women, people of color, LGBTQ, veterans and people with disabilities.

Neidorff’s celebration of a different individual can be seen in Centene’s new CEO: Sarah LondonAt 41, the youngest woman to lead any public insurance company.

London said in an email that Nedov was a visionary who transformed care delivery in the U.S.

“Michael’s passion lives on in Centene’s women and men, and his commitment to his mission to transform the health of America’s most vulnerable citizens lives on,” London said.